Charlies Foundation for Research

What Charlies Foundation for Research does

Charlies Foundation for Research is an Australian nonprofit charitable foundation registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) that serves as the primary dedicated fundraising body for Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Osborne Park Hospital in Perth, Western Australia. The foundation channels community donations, corporate giving, bequests, and event-based fundraising into a structured portfolio of translational and patient-centred medical research grants. Its grant product line spans seed-stage Bright Ideas Grants (up to $10,000), Discovery Grants (up to $30,000), specialty Ray Florence Shaw Grants for cardiovascular and ophthalmology research (up to $30,000), and Transformational Grants (up to $100,000), supplemented by Partnership Grants with universities and non-profits, the $360,000 Bob Johnson and Jenny Llanos Clinical Research Fellowship, and the Tony House PhD Research Scholarship. In the 2024-25 financial year the foundation raised over $2 million, funded 69+ research grants, and received more than 14,000 individual donations, and provided over $1 million directly to researchers at the two hospitals. The organization operates with a lean team of 11 employees under CEO Vicki Rasmussen, governed by a board that includes researcher Dr Aron Chakera, and is headquartered on the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital campus in Nedlands, WA. Its core technology is a grant funding platform rather than a product platform, and its go-to-market is community-led, relying on storytelling, patient and researcher narratives, events such as the annual Giving Day and Dry July campaign, the Charlies Changemakers monthly raffle, and corporate workplace giving programs.

Name

Charlies Foundation for Research

Legal name

Charlies Foundation for Research

Website

https://charliesfoundation.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charlies Foundation for Research is an Australian nonprofit foundation that funds medical research at Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Hospitals in Western Australia through community donations and a structured portfolio of research grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Medical research funding
• Charitable donations
• Research grants
• Hospital fundraising
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from community members supporting medical research. Over 14,000 donations received in 2024-25 financial year.
2. Community Fundraising: Community events, fitness challenges, bake stalls, morning teas, and custom fundraising campaigns.
3. Corporate Giving: Workplace giving programs including payroll donations, dress-up days, morning teas, and custom corporate campaigns.
4. Bequests and Gifts in Will: Legacy giving through bequests and gifts in wills for long-term patient care solutions.
5. Special Events: Giving Day campaigns (Be a Champ for Charlies), Dry July participation, and HBF Run for a Reason team fundraising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charlies Foundation for Research is a nonprofit charitable foundation that operates as the primary fundraising body for Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Osborne Park Hospital in Western Australia. It funds medical research through competitive grants and fellowships and runs community-driven fundraising programs to support patient-centred, translational research.

Product overview

Charlies Foundation for Research is a medical research foundation serving as the primary fundraising body for Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Hospitals in Western Australia. The organization operates as a platform of grant programs and fundraising initiatives rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include a hierarchy of research grants (Bright Ideas Grant up to $10,000, Discovery Grant up to $30,000, Transformational Grant up to $100,000), specialized grants (Ray Florence Shaw Grant for cardiovascular/ophthalmology), partnership grants with universities, fellowship programs (Bob Johnson and Jenny Llanos Clinical Research Fellowship), and the Tony House PhD Research Scholarship. Additionally, the Foundation runs fundraising programs including Charlies Changemakers monthly raffle, Workplace Giving payroll donations, annual Giving Day campaigns, and community events. All programs support translational/patient-centred research to improve patient care and outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bright Ideas Grant

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2 million raised in 2024-25 financial year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sir Charles Gairdner HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary beneficiary hospital for Charlies Foundation for Research's medical research funding. The Foundation is the primary dedicated fundraising body for this hospital, providing over $1 million in funding in 2024/2025 to support pioneering research projects.
• Osborne Park HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecondary beneficiary hospital receiving support for hospital projects that have positive impact on patient welfare. The Foundation provides funding for projects big and small.
• University of Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting The Bob Johnson and Jenny Llanos Clinical Research Fellowship for respiratory health research. Part of the Foundation's external partnerships supporting ground-breaking research across Western Australia.
• The Institute for Respiratory HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in The Bob Johnson and Jenny Llanos Clinical Research Fellowship supporting respiratory health research. Fellowship valued at $360,000 over 3 years.
• Liver Cancer CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings together more than 50 researchers, clinicians, and data specialists to revolutionise treatment for liver cancer. Charlies Foundation for Research supports $100,000 annually.
• The Tony House PhD Research ScholarshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting medical graduates training towards a surgical career to undertake full-time research into General Surgery and associated diseases.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charlies-foundation-for-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charlies Foundation for Research