Koorie Youth Council

What Koorie Youth Council does

Koorie Youth Council (KYC) is a Victorian Aboriginal community-controlled nonprofit founded in 2003 that operates as the peak representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Victoria. The organization is governed by an Executive of 15 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people from across the state and is auspicied by the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic). Its core product portfolio consists of four offerings: Ngaga-dji, a youth justice advocacy initiative launched in 2018 whose "hear me" report influenced Victoria's first Aboriginal Youth Justice Strategy (Wirkara Kulpa); Wayipunga, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth participation framework adopted by workers, organizations, and government; Marram Nganyin, a state-funded Aboriginal youth mentoring program that has supported 300+ young people since 2016; and the annual Koorie Youth Summit, Victoria's largest gathering of Indigenous young people aged 18-28, running since 2014.

KYC operates a grant-funded, community-led delivery model. Core funding comes from the Victorian Government's Office for Youth within the Department of Fairness, Families and Housing (DFFH); revenue is not publicly disclosed. In 2024 the organization distributed three-year grants of A$335,000 to five Aboriginal community-controlled organizations to deliver Marram Nganyin place-based mentoring, institutionalizing a partner delivery ecosystem. Headcount sits at approximately 10-12 staff, having grown from 5 under prior Executive Officer Indi Clarke, and is now led by CEO Bonnie Dukakis (appointed December 2022). The organization has no proprietary technology platform — service delivery is grounded in direct community engagement, regional outreach, and signature events, with communications run through Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and an email newsletter. KYC released a 2023-2028 Strategic Plan in late 2023 and relocated its office to MAYSAR (Melbourne Aboriginal Youth Sport and Recreation) in May 2023.

Name

Koorie Youth Council

Legal name

Koorie Youth Council

Website

https://koorieyouthcouncil.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Koorie Youth Council is a Victorian Aboriginal community-controlled nonprofit founded in 2003 that serves as the peak advocacy body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Victoria, delivering the Ngaga-dji youth justice program, Wayipunga participation framework, Marram Nganyin mentoring program, and the annual Koorie Youth Summit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Youth Advocacy Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Indigenous/Culturally Focused & Community-Based Schools (EDAJACAM)

Keywords

• Aboriginal youth advocacy
• Youth justice advocacy
• Youth mentoring programs
• Indigenous community services
• Youth participation frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne (Naarm)

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. Government Grants and Funding: KYC receives government funding from the Victorian Government's Office for Youth within the Department of Fairness, Families and Housing (DFFH) to operate programs including Marram Nganyin Youth Mentoring Program. The organization is auspicied by Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Koorie Youth Council (KYC) is Victoria's peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth advocacy body, facilitating and amplifying the voices, aspirations, and experiences of young people aged 12–28 living in Victoria. It delivers a suite of programs including Ngaga-dji (youth justice advocacy), Wayipunga (youth participation framework), Marram Nganyin (Aboriginal youth mentoring program), and the annual Koorie Youth Summit, the state's largest gathering created for and by young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Product overview

Koorie Youth Council (KYC) is an Aboriginal community organization that facilitates and amplifies the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people living in Victoria. Rather than a technology platform, KYC operates a suite of advocacy programs and initiatives including Ngaga-dji (youth justice advocacy), Wayipunga (youth participation framework), Marram Nganyin (Aboriginal youth mentoring program), and the annual Koorie Youth Summit. KYC also provides support services and resources for young mob across Victoria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wayipunga: An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth participation framework providing strategies to support young people's participation in decision-making processes
• Ngaga-dji
• Marram Nganyin

Products and services

• Ngaga-dji (hear me)
• Ngaga-dji (hear me) A youth justice advocacy project that voices the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Victoria's youth justice system, driving systemic change to enable Aboriginal children to thrive in their communities. Targets policymakers, workers, and the Aboriginal community.
• Wayipunga A youth participation framework providing workers, organisations and government with strategies to support young people's participation in decision-making processes. The framework is made up of three interrelated sections: Values, Knowledge and Actions.
• Marram Nganyin Aboriginal Youth Mentoring Program An Aboriginal youth mentoring program funded by the Office for Youth within the Department of Fairness, Families and Housing (DFFH) to support the development and delivery of Aboriginal youth mentoring programs across Victoria for young people aged 12–25. Five funded Aboriginal community-controlled organisations deliver strength-based and place-based mentoring.
• Koorie Youth Summit Victoria's largest gathering created for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 18–28, hosted annually since 2014 as a safe space for young mob from across the state to connect, discuss matters important to them, celebrate culture, and participate in workshops and yarning circles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 young people supported through Marram Nganyin program since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In 2025, YSAS partnered with KYC to improve engagement with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The partnership involves YSAS acknowledging KYC's expertise and both organizations sharing resources and learning to benefit young people accessing services.
• Marram Nganyin Partner OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Five Aboriginal organizations receive grants to deliver strength-based and place-based mentoring programs over three years: Bunjilwarra Koori youth healing service, Weenthunga Health Network, Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, Rumbalara Football and Netball Club, and Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation. These organizations received grants of $335,000 each.
• Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic)coreOthersKYC is auspicied by YACVic, which actively works to hear and empower all children and young people involved with the organisation. YACVic staff are responsible for the care and protection of children and young people and for reporting information about abuse. YACVic previously co-oversaw the Marram Nganyin program with KYC for five years before KYC took full oversight.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Youth Support + Advocacy Service (YSAS): Victorian specialist youth AOD and justice organization that entered a formal partnership with KYC in 2025 to improve engagement with Aboriginal young people. Comparable youth-focused service delivery and Victorian catchment.
• SNAICC – National Voice for our Children: Australia's national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, focused on advocacy, policy, and community-controlled service delivery. Closest comparable as a community-led Indigenous advocacy organization operating at the state/territory interface on behalf of Indigenous young people.
• Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS): Community-controlled Aboriginal legal service delivering justice and advocacy for Aboriginal people in Victoria. Direct overlap with KYC's Ngaga-dji youth justice mandate; former employer of several KYC staff.
• Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic): Victoria's peak body for young people aged 12–25 and KYC's auspice/parent organization. Operates the broader Victorian youth sector advocacy infrastructure of which KYC is a specialized Indigenous-focused unit.
• Culture is Life: Indigenous-led organization supporting cultural continuity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth. Comparable community-led, culture-centered youth advocacy model; mentioned in KYC Deputy EO's prior fellowship.

Others

• First Nations Media Australia: National peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media. Complementary enabling role in amplifying Indigenous voice—thematically aligned with KYC's communications-led community engagement strategy.

Broad incumbents

• ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation): National advocacy organization working on Indigenous justice, rights, and reconciliation. Thematically adjacent policy advocacy focused on systemic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (NATSILS): National peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services. Operates at the federal scale on justice issues that overlap with KYC's Ngaga-dji youth justice advocacy, particularly around incarceration and bail.
• Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS): Victoria's largest Aboriginal community-controlled health organization. Comparable Aboriginal community-controlled governance, geographic catchment, and partnership positioning; former employer of KYC staff.

Regional players

• Reconciliation Victoria: Victorian state-level organization promoting reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader community. Adjacent advocacy mandate with overlapping policy stakeholders but broader reconciliation framing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/KYC_Vic/status/1541919002611838976
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1nqGKTsHz8DhLxEWpoqICQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/koorieyouthcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/koorieyouthcouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/koorieyouthcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Koorie Youth Council