The Yoga Foundation (Australia)

What The Yoga Foundation (Australia) does

The Yoga Foundation is a registered Australian non-profit charity founded in 2009 and headquartered in Cammeray, NSW, that delivers trauma-aware yoga programs to vulnerable populations across Australia. Its core service is free, specialized yoga combining movement, breathwork, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation, adapted for at-risk youth, domestic violence survivors, refugees and asylum seekers, people experiencing homelessness, psychiatric patients, and men with mental health challenges. Programs are delivered through partnerships with 23+ NGOs, hospitals, government agencies, and community organizations (including Mission Australia, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, STARTTS, Youth Off The Streets, and Banksia Women), and are supported by a Trauma Centre Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) methodology and a published evidence base developed by Founding Director Michael de Manincor, PhD. The organization operates with 9 employees and is governed by a Board chaired by Christy Forest.

The Yoga Foundation's revenue model blends charitable and commercial streams. Free programs for at-risk groups are funded through tax-deductible donations (the organization holds DGR status with donations over $2 deductible), grants from foundations such as Lululemon, corporate sponsorships, and organized fundraising campaigns (e.g., Giving Yoga Week, Christmas Auctions). The commercial counterweight is a workplace yoga offering sold directly by the CEO to corporate clients such as COX Architecture, delivered via Zoom or in-person as workshops, weekly classes, 8-week courses, or retreats — with a portion of revenue earmarked to subsidize the charitable programs. Distribution is entirely partner-mediated for the social impact side and direct enterprise sales for the workplace side; the organization has no proprietary technology platform, app, or AI capabilities.

Name

The Yoga Foundation (Australia)

Legal name

The Yoga Foundation

Website

https://theyogafoundation.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Yoga Foundation is an Australian non-profit that delivers free, evidence-based trauma-aware yoga programs to vulnerable populations — including at-risk youth, domestic violence survivors, refugees, and people experiencing homelessness — funded through donations, grants, and corporate workplace yoga programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trauma-Informed Yoga and Mental Health Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates (HSADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA), Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF)

Keywords

• Trauma-informed yoga programs
• Community mental health services
• Refugee and asylum seeker support
• Corporate workplace wellness
• Mind-body therapeutic programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cammeray, Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations & Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, companies, and employee matching programs. As a registered charity with DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status, all donations over $2 are tax-deductible in Australia. This is the primary funding source for free programs serving at-risk populations.
2. Workplace/Corporate Yoga Programs: Social impact workplace yoga programs delivered to corporations. Companies select yoga programs for employees, and The Yoga Foundation uses part of the revenue to sponsor free programs for at-risk groups. Programs include general yoga, breathwork workshops, mindfulness and meditation, available via Zoom or in-person, including 1-2 hour workshops, weekly classes, 8-week courses, and 2-5 day retreats.
3. Program Sponsorship: Organizations and individuals can sponsor entire yoga programs for at-risk groups, providing consistent, high-quality yoga. Sponsors can be connected with specific groups to follow their journey and see impact firsthand.
4. Fundraising Events: Organized fundraising activities including yoga classes where participants pay by donation, Christmas auctions, and Giving Yoga Week events. 100% of funds raised go to programming.
5. Grants: Funding from government agencies, foundations (e.g., Lululemon's Connect to Self, Connect to Country Project grant), and corporate social responsibility programs to deliver specific trauma-aware yoga programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Yoga Foundation designs and delivers free, evidence-based trauma-aware yoga programs combining movement, breathwork, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation to vulnerable populations including at-risk youth, domestic violence survivors, refugees and asylum seekers, people experiencing homelessness, psychiatric inpatients, and men with mental health challenges. Programs are delivered in partnership with hospitals, NGOs, community organisations, government agencies, and schools across NSW, Victoria, and ACT. The organisation supplements its charitable programs with paid workplace/corporate yoga offerings that help fund the free programs.

Product overview

The Yoga Foundation operates as a non-profit service organization offering a portfolio of trauma-aware yoga programs for vulnerable populations. Its core offering is free trauma-aware yoga programs for at-risk youth, domestic violence survivors, refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and psychiatric patients. The organization supplements this with workplace yoga programs that generate funding for at-risk groups, including Breathwork workshops and Mindfulness and Meditation programs. Additionally, the organization runs specialized retreats for at-risk youth as an intensive therapeutic offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trauma-Aware Yoga Programs A portfolio of free trauma-aware yoga programs combining movement, breathwork, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation, designed to avoid re-traumatisation while fostering nervous system regulation and emotional healing. Programs are tailored to specific vulnerable populations and delivered in partnership with hospitals, NGOs, community organisations, government agencies, and schools across NSW, Victoria and ACT.
• Yoga for At-Risk Youth Trauma-aware yoga for young people aged 10-21 affected by homelessness, abuse, neglect, substance addiction, mental health challenges, or involvement with juvenile justice. Delivered in specialist schools, juvenile justice centres, and youth services.
• Yoga for Domestic Violence Survivors Trauma-aware yoga for women and families recovering from domestic, family and sexual violence, supporting nervous system calming, rebuilding sense of control, and community connection with other survivors. Delivered in partnership with women's health centres and DV service providers.
• Migrants, Refugees & Asylum Seekers Yoga Program Trauma-informed yoga using the Trauma Centre Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) methodology with trained teachers working alongside clinical teams (e.g., STARTTS) to provide appropriate and beneficial experiences for refugees and asylum seekers processing past trauma.
• Men's Mental Health Yoga Yoga and mindfulness programs targeted at men experiencing mental health issues, trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety and social isolation, addressing men's lower likelihood to seek help for mental health conditions.
• Yoga on Psychiatric Wards Yoga for Wellbeing program delivered within inpatient psychiatric wards (e.g., St Vincent's Hospital Caritas Inpatient Unit, O'Brien Centre outpatient unit, Brolga Child & Adolescent Mental Health Unit, The Forensic Hospital) and forensic mental health facilities.
• Workplace Yoga (Social Impact Corporate Programs) Social impact corporate yoga programs for enterprise clients, including general yoga, breathwork workshops, mindfulness and meditation. Available via Zoom or in-person in formats of 1-2 hour workshops, weekly classes, 8-week courses, and 2-5 day retreats. A portion of revenue funds free programs for at-risk groups, providing both employee wellness and verifiable social impact.
• Yoga Retreats for At-Risk Youth Multi-day residential retreat programs for teenage girls and young people affected by trauma, abuse, homelessness, and mental health challenges, featuring trauma-informed activities including yoga sessions, nature experiences, and self-soothing techniques. Delivered in partnership with organisations such as the Lillian Howell Project.
• Street Yoga (Homelessness) Free yoga programs delivered to people experiencing homelessness and housing instability through partnerships with homelessness service providers including Mission Australia, St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies), and Wayside Chapel. Programs teach stress, anxiety and resilience management through poses, breathing techniques, and mindfulness.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43% of homeless/disadvantaged participants reported being more confident to engage in other support services after attending Yoga Foundation classes
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

35 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to offer trauma-informed yoga to Afghan women. TCTSY teachers worked alongside STARTTS clinical team to deliver appropriate experience. Awarded NSW Humanitarian award nomination for this work in 2024. Expanding to support Tamil and Ukrainian communities.
• The Lillian Howell Project (Lillians)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021Partnership providing yoga retreats for teenage girls survivors of child sexual abuse, neglect, family violence, and homelessness. Retreats held April 2021, 2023, and 2024. Lillians provides medium-long term accommodation.
• Mudgin-GalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20218-week yoga program partnership (2021) supporting Aboriginal women impacted by domestic violence. Mudgin-Gal acts as gateway for vulnerable Aboriginal women to access services.
• Centacare (South Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for pilot yoga program at Centacare's Haven women's safety centre in Whyalla, South Australia starting December 2021. Funded yoga teacher training scholarship for program participants.
• The Wayside ChapelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership began June 2023 to share yoga journey with dedicated group of yogis. Partnership emphasizes community and connection.
• Nelly's Healing CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2020Partnership since February 2020 delivering yoga program supporting mental wellbeing of Aboriginal women. Led by Eve White (Wirridjuri woman) with yoga-based programs creating connection to self, others, and Aboriginal culture.
• COX ArchitectureminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Corporate partnership where COX Architecture employees receive 8-week mindfulness program while supporting Nelly's Healing Centre program. Creates corporate connection between workplace wellness and social impact.
• The SettlementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Supported young people with specialized yoga program 2019-2022 as part of larger project providing safe space for participants to explore developing identities and build well-being foundations.
• Jesuit Refugee ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2017Delivered 11 weeks of yoga for female asylum seekers at Parramatta location in October 2017.
• Metro Assist (Settlement Services)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Delivered 28 classes/weeks of yoga for women from refugee/migrant backgrounds at Lakemba and Wiley Park locations from March 2017-June 2018.
• The Benevolent SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Provided yoga at weekend retreats in 2013 and 2014 for people affected by adoption and experiencing anxiety/depression. Later delivered specialist DV unit 8-week yoga program for women affected by domestic violence.
• Youth Off The StreetscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership since 2017 delivering yoga at specialized high schools for young people who may be homeless, from disadvantaged backgrounds, affected by substance addiction, recovering from abuse. 17th program delivered in 2021.
• Juvenile Justice Centre (Cobham and Emu Plains)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2016Short yoga program at juvenile justice centres in Western Sydney in 2012 to help detainees manage stress.
• Parkville Specialist Government SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2016Created and taught 8-week yoga program in September 2016 for young people aged 10-21 at specialist government school in Melbourne providing education to students detained in custody.
• Life Without BarrierscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2016Delivered 8-week yoga program for refugees and asylum seekers as part of Life Without Barriers support services.
• Mission AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Street Yoga partnership bringing free yoga programs to people experiencing homelessness. Mission Australia's clients benefit from yoga classes while Mission Australia provides access to participants. Ongoing partnership since 2016.
• NSW Refugee Health ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Delivered 8-week yoga program to Iraqi and Syrian refugees in 2016 as part of broader initiative supporting needs of newly settled people.
• CORE Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Longstanding partnership since 2016 bringing yoga to male and female clients from refugee/migrant backgrounds. Programs delivered in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2024.
• The Forensic HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Delivered 36 weeks of yoga at The Forensic Hospital, Sydney starting April 2016. First external yoga service provider to work at this stand-alone high secure mental health facility for people found not guilty by reason of mental illness.
• Australian College of Applied PsychologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Year-long research partnership (2016-17) on Street Yoga project. Study clarified demographics and mental health needs of homeless/disadvantaged persons attending classes and explored relationships between yoga attendance, wellbeing, and service engagement.
• St Vincent's Hospital SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2015Delivered Yoga for Wellbeing program from August 2015-2021, with twice weekly yoga classes to patients at Caritas Inpatient Unit (27-bed mental health ward) and once weekly to outpatients at O'Brien Centre.
• Banksia WomencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Longstanding partnership delivering Yoga for Wellness program series for women who have experienced domestic violence. Multiple programs delivered at Banksia Women's center for women affected by DV.
• Illawarra Women's Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership providing yoga programs for women in the Illawarra region.
• Blacktown Women & Girls' Health CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership delivering yoga programs for women and girls in Blacktown area.
• Samaritan HousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership providing yoga programs as part of services for women in need.
• Bondi Beach CottagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership providing yoga programs for women in the Bondi area.
• Blue Knot FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Australia's National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma. Their research supports The Yoga Foundation's trauma-aware approach. All staff undertake Blue Knot Foundation trauma training for CPD.
• The Deli Women & Children's ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Delivered 16 weeks of yoga for women from refugee or migrant background impacted by domestic violence.
• Soldier OncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Delivered range of group and individual yoga programs 2014-2016 in Sydney, Blue Mountains, and Wodonga to assist veterans dealing with PTSD.
• Defence CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership to deliver yoga programs to veterans with PTSD alongside Soldier On from 2014-2016.
• Flourish AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Weekly yoga classes for people with mental health challenges at Buckingham House from 2014-2019. New program started March 2021 at Seven Hills. Men-specific mental health yoga program delivered.
• Cerebral Palsy AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnered to deliver three yoga programs for people with cerebral palsy and their carers in 2013-2014. Participants included individuals with disabilities who benefit from adapted yoga practices.
• Carers NSWminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2012Delivered a weekly two-hour yoga program specifically for carers of individuals with mental illness to support their needs and educate them on incorporating yoga into self-care routines. Program ran April-May 2015.
• St Vincent de Paul SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Street Yoga partnership with Vinnies (St Vincent de Paul Society) to bring free yoga to people experiencing homelessness. Ongoing partnership.
• Partners in Recovery of Eastern Sydney (Neami National)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Provided initial 40-week funding and support for weekly yoga class for consumers of mental health services in St George area of Sydney, aimed at supporting mental health recovery journey.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mindful Schools: Non-profit integrating mindfulness and yoga into K-12 settings, particularly for underserved and at-risk youth, paralleling The Yoga Foundation's youth programs at Youth Off The Streets and Parkville.
• Holistic Life Foundation: Non-profit delivering yoga and mindfulness to at-risk youth and communities in Baltimore, using a comparable trauma-informed, partner-delivery model with schools and community organisations.
• Black Yoga Foundation: US non-profit providing yoga and wellness programming to Black communities with trauma, including youth and DV survivors; aligns with The Yoga Foundation's work with Aboriginal women and DV survivors.
• Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY): TCTSY is the foundational trauma-sensitive yoga methodology explicitly referenced in The Yoga Foundation's program design. Both deliver trauma-aware yoga to survivors in collaboration with clinical providers.
• Street Yoga: US-based non-profit providing yoga to youth and families experiencing homelessness, poverty, and trauma. Closely mirrors The Yoga Foundation's Street Yoga partnership with Mission Australia.
• Prison Yoga Project: Non-profit bringing trauma-informed yoga to incarcerated populations; directly comparable to The Yoga Foundation's ACT prison pilot and Juvenile Justice Centre work.
• Warriors at Ease: Non-profit training and delivering yoga and meditation programs to veterans and military communities with trauma/PTSD, paralleling The Yoga Foundation's Soldier On and Defence Care programs.

Regional players

• headspace Australia: Large Australian youth mental health foundation; adjacent in beneficiary population (at-risk youth, mental health) and partnership ecosystem but does not deliver yoga programs.
• Smiling Mind: Australian not-for-profit focused on mindfulness and mental health, with school and workplace programs. Operates in adjacent category and shares the Australian social-impact mission and DGR-style funding base.
• batyr Australia: Australian preventative mental health charity focused on youth, delivering programs in schools and communities. Adjacent mission and similar Australian charity/funder ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/theyogafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-yoga-foundation-australia

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 The Yoga Foundation (Australia)