What YMCA Queensland does

YMCA Queensland (legally YMCA of Brisbane, trading as Y Queensland) is a not-for-profit charitable organisation operating across South East Queensland since 1864. The organisation is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and operates through a second legal entity, Y-Care (South East Queensland) Inc., which runs Y Schools Queensland. It employs more than 1,200 staff across 180+ sites, organised into five operating divisions: Children's Services (early learning centres and Outside School Hours Care across 40+ locations), Fitness and Recreation (9 owned fitness centres plus gymnastics and aquatics programs), Camping (Camp Warrawee near Brisbane), Education (11 Y Schools Queensland campuses serving Year 7-12 students), and Community Services (community centres, op shops, the Schools' Breakfast Program, the Cancer Survivor Program, and Affordable Housing with 127 units in Nerang and Slacks Creek).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining fee-for-service streams — childcare, OSHC, fitness memberships, learn-to-swim, gymnastics, vocational tuition, camping, and op shop retail — with donations from individuals and corporations, government grants, and management contracts such as the Warwick Indoor Recreation and Aquatic Centre. Service fees cross-subsidise social impact programs including the Schools' Breakfast Program (serving 44,000+ children daily across 431+ schools), the Cancer Survivor Program (free 12-week fitness program for people living with and beyond cancer), the Affordable Housing portfolio, and youth development initiatives including the Queensland Youth Parliament and a youth mentoring program delivered within Y Schools Queensland.

The organisation is governed by a ten-director board and is affiliated with Y Australia and the global YMCA movement, which reaches approximately 65 million people across 120+ countries. Strategic activity between 2024 and 2025 has centred on expanding the Y Schools network into regional Queensland (Bundaberg campus), extending the Cancer Survivor Program to the Sunshine Coast, and partnering with the Queensland Government to deliver 47 new affordable homes in Mango Hill for women over 55 at risk of homelessness.

Name

YMCA Queensland

Legal name

YMCA of Brisbane (trading as Y Queensland)

Website

https://ymcaqueensland.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

YMCA Queensland is a 160-year-old not-for-profit operating 180+ sites across South East Queensland, delivering childcare, fitness, alternative education, camping, affordable housing, and community programs to children, families, and disadvantaged Queenslanders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fortitude Valley

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Service Fees: Fees from childcare services, OSHC, fitness memberships, learn-to-swim programs, gymnastics classes, and vocational education tuition
2. Donations and Fundraising: Donations from individuals, corporations, and community partners support social impact programs including Schools' Breakfast Program, Cancer Survivor Program, and affordable housing
3. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship from businesses for breakfast program, youth programs, and other initiatives
4. Op Shop Retail: Revenue from three op shops (Upper Mount Gravatt, Mango Hill, Strathpine) selling pre-loved items, with proceeds funding social impact programs
5. Camping Programs: Fees from school camps, group camps, and adventure programs at Camp Warrawee in Joyner

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

YMCA Queensland is a not-for-profit community services organization operating across South East Queensland, delivering integrated services in childcare and Outside School Hours Care, fitness and recreation (gym memberships, gymnastics, swimming), alternative secondary education via Y Schools Queensland, outdoor education camping, community centres, affordable housing, and youth development programs including the Schools' Breakfast Program, Cancer Survivor Program, and Queensland Youth Parliament. Revenue from fee-based services funds social impact initiatives across more than 180 sites.

Product overview

YMCA Queensland operates as a diversified not-for-profit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of community services organized into four key areas: Housing, Hospitality & Retail (Schools' Breakfast Program, community centres, affordable housing, camping, Op Shops); Y Schools Queensland (11 alternative education campuses for Year 7-12 students); Children's Services (early learning centres, outside school hours care, vacation care); and Fitness & Recreation (gym memberships, gymnastics, aquatics/swimming, Cancer Survivor Program). The organization also runs youth programs including Queensland Youth Parliament and Youth Mentors. Services are delivered through multiple branded divisions including YMCA Childcare & OSHC, YMCA Fitness & Recreation, YMCA Camping, Y Schools Queensland, and various community centres and Op Shops across South East Queensland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Schools' Breakfast Program: Provides free breakfasts to disadvantaged school children across Queensland schools
• Cancer Survivors Program
• Queensland Youth Parliament (QYP)
• YMCA Camping (Camp Warrawee)

Products and services

• YMCA Childcare & Outside School Hours Care

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.3 million free breakfasts served to young people in 2024/25
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Foodbank QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2006Original founding partner of Schools' Breakfast Program in September 2006. Foodbank Queensland supplies food for the program which now serves 44,000+ children daily across 431+ schools.
• Logan City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Yarrabilba Community Centre (The Buzz) providing community space, programs, and services for local residents.
• Brisbane Catholic EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Yarrabilba Community Centre (The Buzz) providing community space, programs, and services for local residents.
• LendleasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Yarrabilba Community Centre (The Buzz) development and management.
• Queensland Department of HousingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for affordable housing eligibility. Edwards Place, Melville Place, Nowell B Taylor House run under Affordable Housing Program. Mango Hill project (47 homes for women 55+) developed in partnership.
• Gymnastics QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMCA Brisbane Gymnastics Clubs affiliated with Gymnastics Queensland for competitive and recreational gymnastics programs.
• Gymnastics AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMCA Brisbane Gymnastics Clubs affiliated with Gymnastics Australia for national competition and program standards.
• Australian Childhood FoundationcoreOthersYMCA independently reviewed and accredited as child safe organisation. The Australian Childhood Foundation 'Independently Reviewed' stamp appears on fitness, gymnastics, and Y Schools websites.
• Queensland Parliamentary ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides invaluable support to QYP, assists with quality of Youth Bills and debate. Youth Members utilize Legislative Chamber during Residential Sitting Week. Staff educate participants, proof Bills, act as Clerks during sittings.

Scale indicators30 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Smith Family: National children's education charity focused on disadvantaged young Australians through sponsorship-based learning and food programs. Comparable to Y Queensland's Schools' Breakfast Program and youth support mission but without the fitness/childcare/housing operating divisions.
• Mission Australia: One of Australia's largest community services not-for-profits, operating across housing, homelessness, youth, mental health and community programs. Directly comparable to Y Queensland's affordable housing and community services arms, with overlapping government funding channels.
• YMCA Australia (National Body): Federated national body overseeing all Australian state YMCA affiliates, setting national standards, managing national partnerships, and providing back-office support. Directly comparable as the umbrella organization to which Y Queensland belongs and through which it accesses federal-level partnerships.

Direct peers

• Jetts Fitness: Australia-wide 24/7 fitness franchise network competing head-to-head with Y Queensland's community fitness centres for value-conscious members in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and regional Queensland locations.
• YMCA NSW: The NSW state body of the same global YMCA movement, delivering an almost identical multi-service portfolio (childcare, fitness, recreation, camping, community programs, youth services) under the same brand and operating model, making it the closest comparable peer to YMCA Queensland.
• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest not-for-profit early childhood education provider operating 670+ centres nationally. Directly comparable to YMCA Queensland's childcare/OSHC division in mission, scale, regulatory exposure, and reliance on Child Care Subsidy.
• Community Housing Limited (CHL): National Tier 1 community housing provider delivering affordable housing and tenancy support across Australia. Directly comparable to Y Queensland's Affordable Housing Program in operating model, government referral pathway, and tenant support metrics.
• YMCA Victoria: Victorian state affiliate of the YMCA movement, operating childcare, fitness, recreation, youth and community programs under the same federated brand architecture as Y Queensland and subject to comparable regulatory and funding dynamics.
• YMCA Western Australia: WA state affiliate of the YMCA movement providing fitness, recreation, childcare, camping and youth services. Operates the same not-for-profit, mission-driven model and benefits from the same global brand and program IP as Y Queensland.

Emerging players

• BoysTown Australia: National not-for-profit providing parenting support, family wellbeing, residential care, and youth services. Overlaps with Y Queensland's youth mentoring, alternative education, and community centre programs in target population and intervention model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/YouWillFindQYP
• Facebookfacebook.com/YMCAQueenslandYouthParliament
• Instagraminstagram.com/ymcaqyp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ymcaqueensland

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries4 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 YMCA Queensland