Women of Colour Australia

What Women of Colour Australia does

Women of Colour Australia (WoCA) is an Australian not-for-profit organisation founded in August 2020 by Brenda Gaddi, operating as an Australian Public Company Limited by Guarantee with registered charity status and Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. Headquartered in Macquarie Park, NSW, WoCA centres the voices and lived experiences of Women of Colour — including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women — to advance their representation in executive leadership across public, community, and private sectors. Its primary offerings are the WoC Executive Leadership Program (WoC ELP), a five-month hybrid cohort-based program with intentional caps of 10-16 participants; national research publications (the Women of Colour in the Workplace Reports in 2021 and 2024); a free Community Collective; the WoCImpact1000 community philanthropy initiative targeting $1 million annually by 2035; and the Power the Work annual giving campaign.

The organisation does not operate a technology product or software platform; all offerings are service, research, and community-based programs. Revenue is generated through a mix of government grants (notably the Victorian Government underwriting ELP cohorts 2023-2025), philanthropic grants and trust-based partnerships (Australian Communities Foundation and others), corporate partnerships structured as Vision/Impact/Catalyst tiers, individual donations (including the WoCImpact1000 recurring $1,000/year pledges), and one-off giving campaigns. WoCA's research has been recorded in the Australian Parliament and cited by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and the Australian Human Rights Commission, giving the organisation unusual policy influence relative to its small operational scale (11-50 employees). The flagship program is heavily subsidised, with full scholarships available for community-sector Women of Colour and First Nations women, and co-payment is typically met through employer sponsorship.

Name

Women of Colour Australia

Legal name

WOMEN OF COLOUR LTD

Website

https://womenofcolour.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women of Colour Australia is a registered Australian not-for-profit that delivers executive leadership programs, national workplace research, and a community collective for Women of Colour, including First Nations women, across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Executive leadership programs
• Workplace equity research
• Community-led advocacy
• Culturally safe coaching
• Philanthropic giving initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Macquarie Park NSW | Darug Nation #AlwayWasAlwaysWillBe

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. Philanthropy and Donations: Community-powered philanthropy through WoCImpact1000 ($1,000/year recurring pledge from individual donors) and Power the Work (one-off annual giving campaign). Tax-deductible donations through registered charity status with Deductible Gift Recipient status.
2. Government Grants and Philanthropic Partnerships: Funding from government bodies (Victorian Government supported ELP design and delivery 2023-2025) and philanthropic organisations through grants and trust-based philanthropy partnerships.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Vision, Impact, or Catalyst corporate partnerships that sustain leadership programs, research, and advocacy initiatives, with opportunities for employee engagement and brand alignment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Women of Colour Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation that delivers the Women of Colour Executive Leadership Program (WoC ELP), a five-month hybrid executive leadership development course for Women of Colour including First Nations women. It also publishes national workplace equity research (Women of Colour in the Workplace Reports), runs a free Community Collective for members, and operates the WoCImpact1000 philanthropic giving initiative alongside the Power the Work annual giving campaign. All offerings are service-based with subsidised or scholarship-funded access through government and philanthropic partnerships.

Product overview

Women of Colour Australia operates as a not-for-profit organisation offering a portfolio of programs, research, and community initiatives centred on advancing leadership and equity for Women of Colour in Australia. The core programs include the Women of Colour Executive Leadership Program (the flagship five-month hybrid executive leadership development offering), the Women of Colour in the Workplace Reports (national research publications), the Community Collective (free national membership community), and WoCImpact1000 (a 10-year philanthropic collective giving initiative). Supporting these are annual giving campaigns such as Power the Work. The organisation does not operate a technology product or software platform; all offerings are service, research, and community-based programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WoCImpact1000: Community-powered giving movement uniting 1,000 Women of Colour across Australia, each giving $1,000 annually to raise a $1 million fund for leadership, advocacy, and scholarships.
• Women of Colour Executive Leadership Program (WoC ELP)

Products and services

• Women of Colour Executive Leadership Program (WoC ELP) The first executive leadership program in Australia designed specifically for Women of Colour, including First Nations women, delivered over five months in a hybrid model with in-person workshops and online learning in intentionally small cohorts of 10-16 participants. Modules cover purposeful storytelling, addressing burnout, First Nations truth-telling, identity and intersectionality, self-advocacy, and fostering transformative cultures, supported by executive coaching and psychological wraparound support. Full program valued at $15,000 (ex GST), subsidised through government and philanthropic funding with full scholarships available for community sector Women of Colour and First Nations women.
• Women of Colour in the Workplace Reports National research publications (2021 and 2024 editions) documenting workplace inequities facing Women of Colour in Australia, engaging over 1,500 women. These groundbreaking studies created the first Australian evidence base on the topic and have been recorded in the Australian Parliament, referenced by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, and included on the Australian Human Rights Commission's resource hub.
• Community Collective A free national community for Women of Colour across Australia to connect, contribute lived experience, and co-create the organisation's work. Members shape research priorities, steer advocacy, and help decide the questions asked through community-driven engagement.
• WoCImpact1000 A 10-year philanthropic initiative uniting 1,000 Women of Colour across Australia, each contributing $1,000 annually to fund leadership programs, scholarships, and advocacy. Built on trust-based philanthropy principles, the initiative aims to raise $1 million annually by 2035, with funds stewarded by Women of Colour Australia.
• Power the Work Annual giving campaign funding the organisation's people, systems, planning, and partnerships to enable sustainable growth of impact. Tax-deductible donations accepted through the Givenow platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% of program participants were promoted or stepped into higher duties within six months of completing the program
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 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 minor.

• FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity collaboration on Phase 1 Media Literacy Community Consultation project.
• Workplace Gender Equality AgencyminorOthersWoCA's research has been referenced by WGEA in gender equality discussions and publications.
• Australian Human Rights CommissionminorOthersWoCA's research included on the Australian Human Rights Commission's resource hub (it's stops with me campaign).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Our Watch: Australian national leader in the prevention of violence against women, funded by Commonwealth and state governments. Operates as a non-profit driving systemic gender equality outcomes through research, advocacy, and behaviour change — a comparable mission and operating model in the same domestic policy and philanthropic ecosystem.
• YWCA Australia: Australia's largest women's organisation, running leadership development, advocacy, and community programs for women and gender-diverse people. Comparable as a national women's empowerment non-profit with program delivery, advocacy, and government/philanthropic funding streams.
• Diversity Council Australia: Independent not-for-profit working with Australian employers on diversity, inclusion, and workplace equity. Closely comparable as a research-and-evidence-driven, employer-facing non-profit that produces national reports and is cited by WGEA and other government bodies.
• Gender Equity Victoria: Victoria's peak body for gender equity, working across advocacy, research, and sector capacity-building. Comparable as a state/regional gender-equality non-profit reliant on government and philanthropic funding, with overlapping policy and research remit.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Human Rights Commission: National human rights institution that has hosted WoCA's research on its resource hub. Comparable as a national body promoting equality and addressing workplace discrimination, with a much broader mandate and federal funding.
• Oxfam Australia: Large Australian non-profit addressing poverty, gender inequality, and social justice. Comparable as a major non-profit with research, advocacy, and donor-funded programs intersecting with WoCA's gender equity and racial justice mission.
• Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA): Australian Government statutory agency mandated to promote and improve gender equality in Australian workplaces. Has explicitly cited WoCA's research, making it both a partner and a broader incumbent in the same gender equity policy space.

Regional players

• Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission: State-level statutory body in Victoria addressing discrimination, harassment, and human rights. Comparable as a public body operating in the same Victorian jurisdiction that funds WoCA's flagship program, with overlapping D&I and racial equity remit.

Emerging players

• The Equality Institute: Australian social impact organisation focused on gender equality and preventing violence against women globally. Comparable as a smaller, research-driven gender-equality non-profit with consulting, advocacy, and program delivery models.

Others

• FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia): National peak body representing Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Already a documented WoCA partner on the Media Literacy Community Consultation; comparable as an advocacy body operating in the same multicultural and racial-equity space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womenofcolouraustralia

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women of Colour Australia