Kai Fella Foundation

What Kai Fella Foundation does

Kai Fella Foundation is a Western Australian registered charitable foundation established in 2018 (with charitable status granted in 2019) that delivers in-person, peer-driven mental health workshops to adolescents in secondary schools and community sporting clubs across Western Australia. The foundation was created by Claire Eardley following the loss of her son Kai to suicide on 26 July 2016. Its core product is a structured six-workshop curriculum split across three progressive levels for boys (Challenging Stereotypes, Changing Culture, Taking Responsibility) and three parallel levels for girls (Stepping Into Confidence, Building Connection, Creating Clarity), targeting Years 10–12 students and built on a peer-support methodology that emphasizes emotional vulnerability, courageous conversation, and disruption of harmful gender stereotypes.

The foundation employs approximately 10 full-time staff alongside a broader pool of over 100 trained facilitators who complete a six-month mentor-guided training program requiring Working with Children Checks, Mental Health First Aid, and Trauma-Informed Care certifications. Workshops are designed and delivered entirely in-house. The curriculum is currently the subject of a PhD research project at the University of Western Australia in partnership with the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, which is collecting pre- and post-workshop data from students. As of the latest reporting period the foundation has delivered 1,485 workshops reaching 37,125 young people across 65 schools from Karratha to Albany.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations and fundraising activity rather than fee-for-service contracts: ticket and auction income from the annual Kai-Fella Ball held at premium Perth venues (Crown Towers, Optus Stadium) — which has raised between $115,000 and $151,000 per year from 2023 to 2026 — unit-priced workshop sponsorships ($35 per student, $350 per ten students, $1,200 per class of 35), merchandise sales via an online storefront, corporate sponsorship from approximately seven Perth-based businesses, community fundraisers via MyCause, and the Containers for Change recycling scheme. The foundation is governed by a volunteer board chaired by former Fremantle Dockers AFL captain David Mundy.

Name

Kai Fella Foundation

Legal name

Kaifella Foundation

Website

https://kaifella.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG)

Keywords

• Youth mental health workshops
• Peer support programs
• School mental health
• Adolescent wellbeing programs
• Mental health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workshop Funding/Subsidies: Organizations and donors can fund specific workshops - donations cover costs for students to attend workshops. Direct revenue from funding workshops at schools and sporting clubs.
2. Annual Gala Ball: Kai-Fella Ball is an annual fundraising event held at premium venues (Crown Towers, Optus Stadium). Raises significant funds through ticket sales, auctions, and sponsorships.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including hoodies, polos, t-shirts, caps, and conversation cards. Merchandise helps build awareness and provides additional revenue stream.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors provide essential financial and in-kind support. Multiple Perth businesses sponsor events and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kai Fella Foundation delivers a proprietary peer-driven youth mental health workshop program to Years 10-12 students at Western Australian schools and sporting clubs. The program consists of six experiential workshops organized in three progressive levels, separately designed for boys and girls, building emotional strength, challenging gender stereotypes, and equipping adolescents with peer support and courageous conversation skills.

Product overview

Kai-Fella Foundation is a Western Australian charitable organization offering a structured peer-driven workshop program for youth mental health. The core offering consists of six experiential workshops delivered across three progressive levels, separately designed for boys (Challenging Stereotypes, Changing Culture, Taking Responsibility) and girls (Stepping Into Confidence, Building Connection, Creating Clarity). Workshops target Years 10-12 students in schools and sporting clubs across WA, aiming to build emotional strength through peer support. The organization supplements its workshop program with branded merchandise (apparel, conversation cards), an annual Kai-Fella Ball fundraiser, and a community fundraising platform for supporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Challenging Stereotypes Workshop (Level 1 - Boys)
• Changing Culture Workshop (Level 2 - Boys)
• Taking Responsibility Workshop (Level 3 - Boys)
• Stepping Into Confidence Workshop (Level 1 - Girls)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,485 workshops delivered reaching 37,125 young people across 65 schools
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on youth mental health research led by Associate Professor Jennifer Rodger. The Brain Plasticity research group focuses on addressing the need for improved treatment options for youth with mental health issues through preclinical and clinical research.
• University of Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKai-Fella workshops are currently the focus of a PhD research project collecting feedback and collating data from students before and after their workshop experience.
• World Health OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead facilitator Rhett Corker's previous work included partnerships with WHO on mental health initiatives.
• Movers Foundation (formerly Movember Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead facilitator Rhett Corker previously managed the Movember Foundation's $40 million portfolio of mental health programs across Australia and New Zealand.
• Pharmacy 777minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Kai-Fella Foundation, supporting youth mental health initiatives.
• True NorthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Kai-Fella Foundation.
• Vasse FelixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Kai-Fella Foundation.
• Hope DiamondsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Kai-Fella Foundation.
• Bailey BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Kai-Fella Foundation.
• Silas Street Physio & PilatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and founding supporter of Kai-Fella Foundation; founder Claire Eardley owns the business.
• Tradewinds HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Kai-Fella Foundation.
• MyCauseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended fundraising platform for community fundraisers; very low fees ensuring maximum funds go to workshops.
• HumanitixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTicketing platform for Kai-Fella Ball events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Roses in the Ocean: Australian lived-experience mental health organisation providing co-design, training, and school/community programs that centre peer and lived-experience voices. Comparable lived-experience/peer-driven youth and adult mental health education model.
• Brave Foundation: Australian charity focused on supporting young people facing adversity, particularly around education engagement and wellbeing. Comparable youth-focused education and wellbeing remit, with broader geographic reach but smaller program depth.

Direct peers

• Smiling Mind: Australian not-for-profit delivering mindfulness and mental wellbeing programs into schools, sporting clubs, and workplaces, with a curriculum-structured school offering. Directly comparable school-based prevention/mindfulness product for adolescent students.
• R U OK?: Australian suicide-prevention charity focused on conversation skills and peer-support culture change, with strong school and workplace activation. Comparable peer-support and courageous-conversation framing targeted at the same adolescent and adult audiences.
• Batyr: Australian for-purpose organisation running school-based youth mental health speaker and workshop programs with lived-experience facilitators. Most directly comparable peer in terms of in-school delivery, facilitator-led model, and target demographic (secondary students).

Broad incumbents

• headspace: National Youth Mental Health Foundation providing school-based education, clinical services, and digital resources to 12–25 year olds across Australia. Comparable in target population and prevention/education remit, but operates at national scale with government funding.
• ReachOut Australia: Digital youth mental health platform delivering online psychoeducation, peer support, and classroom resources to Australian secondary students. Comparable youth mental health education focus with overlapping school channel, delivered primarily through digital rather than in-person workshops.
• Black Dog Institute: Australian medical research institute translating research into school, workplace, and clinical mental health programs for adolescents and adults. Comparable youth mental health education and research translation mission, anchored to UNSW rather than a community origin.
• Movember Foundation: Global men's health foundation funding men's mental health programs (including youth-focused). Comparable in men's mental health lens and previously employed Kai-Fella's lead facilitator Rhett Corker; much larger scale and broader remit.

Regional players

• Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS): Victorian-based youth alcohol and other drug / mental health service with school outreach, advocacy, and therapeutic programs. Comparable adolescent mental health education and early-intervention remit, but operates primarily in Victoria rather than WA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kaifella
• Facebookfacebook.com/kaifella
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kai-fella-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/kaifellafoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kai Fella Foundation