Switchboard (victoria) Inc

What Switchboard (victoria) Inc does

Switchboard (Victoria) Inc is a Melbourne-based, non-profit community organization founded in 2008 that provides peer-driven support, advocacy, and training for LGBTIQA+ people, their families, allies, and communities across Victoria, Australia. Its core service portfolio centres on three helpline/hub offerings: Rainbow Door (a free Victorian specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline operating 10am-5pm, 7 days/week across phone, SMS, and email), QLife (as the Victorian partner of the national peer telephone and webchat service operating 3pm-9pm, 7 days/week), and CHARLEE (a free online suicide prevention hub). Around these it runs targeted programs including the Pride in Ageing co-design initiative for older rural and regional LGBTI+ people, the QTIBPOC program for queer, trans, and intersex Black people and people of colour, Out and About (peer visitor scheme for older LGBTI+ people), Rainbow Families, family violence support, faith-based support, and suicide bereavement groups delivered in partnership with Jesuit Social Services.

The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary: services are delivered via standard telephone, SMS, email, webchat platforms, and in-person peer visits, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or SDKs. The organization is registered as an Australian charity (ABN 81 367 786 099) and is headquartered at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda, operating with 1-10 paid staff supplemented by a volunteer workforce that must self-identify as LGBTIQA+ and meet minimum age requirements.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit revenue mix. All support services to end users are free; funding comes from tax-deductible donations (individual, workplace, payroll giving, bequests), grants, bequests, and membership fees (individual and organizational). A modest fee-for-service line exists through training programs — QLife volunteer training is priced at $275 concession and $550 full fee for 11 sessions over 10 weeks, alongside ASIST and safeTALK certifications offered to staff and volunteers of LGBTIQA+ services. There are no funding rounds, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed institutional investors; the organization is governed by its members and funded primarily through philanthropy and government grants.

Name

Switchboard (victoria) Inc

Legal name

Switchboard (Victoria) Inc.

Website

https://switchboard.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Switchboard (Victoria) Inc is a Melbourne-based non-profit founded in 2008 that delivers free peer-driven LGBTIQA+ support services across Victoria, including the Rainbow Door helpline, QLife national peer support, and the CHARLEE suicide prevention hub, funded primarily through donations, grants, and training fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, workplaces, and payroll giving programs. The organization accepts one-off and ongoing donations, bequests, and workplace fundraising.
2. Training Programs: QLife training program fees: $275 for concession and $550 full fee for 11 sessions over 10 weeks. ASIST training offered to staff and volunteers of LGBTIQA+ services.
3. Membership: Individual and organizational membership options available for community engagement and support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Switchboard (Victoria) Inc is a nonprofit community organization that provides free, peer-driven support services for Victoria's LGBTIQA+ community, including crisis helplines (Rainbow Door and QLife), a suicide prevention hub (CHARLEE), training programs, memberships, and community events. Founded in 2008 and headquartered at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda, Melbourne, it operates a volunteer-led model funded through donations, grants, training fees, and memberships.

Product overview

Switchboard (Victoria) Inc is a community organization providing peer-driven support services for the LGBTIQA+ community. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs centered around its core helpline services: Rainbow Door (a specialist Victorian helpline), QLife (as Victorian partner of the national peer support service), and CHARLEE (an online suicide prevention hub). These core services are complemented by targeted programs including suicide prevention initiatives (with bereavement groups and training), the Pride in Ageing Program for older community members, the QTIBPoC Program for queer, trans, intersex Black people and people of colour, the Out and About aged care visitation scheme, Rainbow Families support, family violence support, and faith-based support services. The organization also offers volunteer training programs and coordinates events for community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rainbow Door: A free specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline providing information, support, and referral to Victorian LGBTIQA+ people, their friends and family. Operating 10AM - 5PM, 7 days per week.
• QLife
• CHARLEE
• Pride in Ageing
• Out and About
• QTIBPOC Program
• Rainbow Families

Products and services

• Rainbow Door Helpline A free specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline serving Victoria's rainbow communities, providing peer-driven support, information, and referral services for individuals seeking assistance.
• QLife Helpline A free nationwide LGBTIQA+ peer support phone and webchat service providing early intervention, support, and referral for people wanting to talk about a range of issues including sexuality, gender identity, bodies, feelings, or relationships.
• CHARLEE Suicide Prevention Hub A suicide prevention hub providing specialized support for LGBTIQA+ people at risk, family members, and those bereaved by suicide, offering peer-led intervention and postvention services.
• LGBTIQA+ Training Services Fee-based training and professional development programs delivered to workplaces, organizations, and service providers to build LGBTIQA+ inclusion, cultural safety, and affirming practice capabilities.
• Switchboard Membership Program A paid membership program offering supporters and community members formal affiliation with Switchboard, including access to community updates and governance participation.
• Community Events and Programs Community events, gatherings, and programs that build connection, visibility, and wellbeing for Victoria's LGBTIQA+ communities, delivered at the Victorian Pride Centre and partner venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free specialist helpline services 10am-5pm, 7 days per week (Rainbow Door)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments8 records

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 core and minor.

• QLifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwitchboard is the Victorian partner of QLife, a national organization providing peer-based telephone and web support services for LGBTIQA+ people across Australia. QLife operates 3pm-9pm, 7 days per week via phone and webchat.
• Jesuit Social Services - Support After SuicidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver LGBTIQA+ Support After Suicide bereavement groups. Groups run twice a year for 8 sessions, creating a safe and specialised service for LGBTIQA+ suicide loss survivors.
• DjirraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExternal event co-promotion for Sisters Day Out workshops supporting Aboriginal women, including at regional Victorian locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• ACON: NSW-based (formerly AIDS Council of NSW) health organization specializing in LGBTIQA+ health, including peer support, mental health, and suicide prevention. Comparable in service breadth and peer-led model, but operates in a different state from Switchboard's Victorian core.

Direct peers

• Thorne Harbour Health: Melbourne-based LGBTIQA+ health organization (formerly Victorian AIDS Council) providing peer support, counselling, and health services to the Victorian LGBTIQA+ community — directly comparable in geographic focus, target population, and peer-led service model.
• Drummond Street Services: Victorian community organization providing counselling, family violence support, and LGBTIQA+ inclusive services. Comparable as a Melbourne-based nonprofit offering community support with explicit LGBTIQA+ inclusion focus.
• Minus18: National Australian charity focused on LGBTIQA+ youth, providing peer support, events, and education. Comparable as a peer-led Australian LGBTIQA+ community organization with national reach and education/training programs.
• PFLAG Australia: Australian chapter of the international family support network for parents, families, and friends of LGBTIQA+ people. Comparable as a peer-led Australian organization providing support specifically to families and allies of the LGBTIQA+ community — a direct overlap with Switchboard's Rainbow Families segment.
• LGBTIQ+ Health Australia: National peak body for LGBTIQA+ health organizations in Australia. Comparable as a national coordinating body for the same target population, overlapping with Switchboard's advocacy and capacity-building mission.
• Twenty10: NSW-based LGBTIQA+ youth and community support organization providing housing, mental health, and peer support — directly comparable as a state-level peer-led community support organization serving the same population.
• Transgender Victoria: Victorian statewide advocacy and peer support organization for trans and gender diverse people. Comparable as a state-level peer-led Victorian LGBTIQA+ organization with overlapping advocacy and community support mandate.
• QLife: National Australia-wide LGBTIQA+ peer support helpline and webchat service. Switchboard is its Victorian delivery partner, making QLife a direct peer/provider with overlapping volunteer-driven peer support and referral services.

Broad incumbents

• Victorian Pride Centre: The facility where Switchboard is headquartered. Functions as a hub for multiple LGBTIQA+ organizations and provides shared infrastructure, programming, and visibility — overlapping in mission and ecosystem, though not a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/switchboard-vic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Switchboard (victoria) Inc