Ipswich’s 22 Biggest Charities By Revenue

This report ranks the 22 biggest ACNC registered charities with head offices in the Ipswich area by their 2023 revenue.

They are a small slice of the roughly 308 registered charities headquartered around Ipswich, yet together they move around $245 million a year.

Take a look – what surprises you?

#1–2

#1 – $37.9m – West Moreton Anglican College, Karrabin

• Purpose: Advancing education – co ed Anglican P–12 school and boarding.
• Location: Karrabin, on the Warrego Highway.
• Funding mix 2023: 53% government funding, 45% school fees, 2% other income.
• Assets: Campus land, classrooms, boarding houses, ovals and facilities recorded at $67.9m.
• Charity type: Not for profit school overseen by the Anglican Diocese.

#2 – $33.9m – Ipswich Grammar School, Woodend

• Purpose: Advancing education – boys P–12 day and boarding school.
• Location: Woodend, overlooking central Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 45% government funding, 52% school fees, 3% other income.
• Assets: Hilltop campus land, heritage buildings, boarding facilities and school infrastructure recorded at $94.0m.
• Charity type: Statutory grammar school run by a Board of Trustees.

#3–4

#3 – $31.8m – Ipswich Girls’ Grammar & Junior Grammar, Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing education – girls secondary and co ed primary with boarding.
• Location: Grammar School site in Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 36% government funding, 63% school fees, 1% other income.
• Assets: Campus blocks, classrooms, boarding houses and school facilities recorded at $72.1m.
• Charity type: Statutory grammar school with a Board of Trustees.

#4 – $28.1m – Westside Christian College governing body, Goodna

• Purpose: Advancing education – Christian P–12 school system.
• Location: Goodna.
• Funding mix 2023: 60% government funding, 23% school fees, 17% other income.
• Assets: Junior and senior campuses, buildings, sports fields and plant recorded at $50.0m.
• Charity type: Parent controlled Christian school organisation.

#5–6

#5 – $15.9m – Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District, Springfield Central

• Purpose: Advancing religion and advancing education – statewide Lutheran church and school system with its head office in Springfield Central.
• Funding mix 2023: 52% government funding, 45% school and service income, 3% other income.
• Assets: Church properties, school and ministry buildings, and investments together recorded at $33.1m.
• Charity type: Religious body and system authority for Lutheran schools in Queensland.

#6 – $15.8m – Alara QLD, Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing social or public welfare – disability and aged care supports.
• Location: Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 79% NDIS and other service fees, 10% government grants, 11% other income.
• Assets: Service hubs, office fit outs, vehicles and equipment recorded at $10.5m.
• Charity type: Community based disability service provider.

#7–8

#7 – $15.1m – Kambu Health, Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing health and advancing social or public welfare – Aboriginal community controlled health service for Ipswich and West Moreton.
• Location: Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 69% government health grants, 31% Medicare and other service income.
• Assets: Clinics, health facilities, medical equipment, vehicles and reserves recorded at $19.3m.
• Charity type: Aboriginal community controlled health organisation.

#8 – $11.3m – Apprenticeships Queensland, West Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing education and advancing social or public welfare – group training organisation for apprentices and trainees.
• Location: West Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 91% fees from host employers and training services, 5% government grants, 4% other income.
• Assets: Office premises, training equipment, vehicles and working capital recorded at $6.5m.
• Charity type: Not for profit group training company.

#9–10

#9 – $10.9m – Hymba Yumba (Searchlight Education Springfield), Springfield

• Purpose: Advancing education – Aboriginal focused independent school and community hub.
• Location: Springfield.
• Funding mix 2023: 98% government school funding, 2% other income.
• Assets: School land, classrooms, cultural spaces and facilities recorded at $17.7m.
• Charity type: Not for profit education body serving First Nations students and families.

#10 – $8.2m – Bethany Lutheran Primary School, Raceview

• Purpose: Advancing education and advancing religion – Lutheran primary school.
• Location: Raceview.
• Funding mix 2023: 83% government funding, 16% school fees, 1% other income.
• Assets: School land, teaching blocks, hall and playgrounds recorded at $14.6m.
• Charity type: Not for profit Lutheran school linked to the Queensland District.

#11–12

#11 – $5.6m – InCommunity Inc, Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing social or public welfare – housing and homelessness services.
• Location: Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 76% government contracts, 20% donations and bequests, 4% other income.
• Assets: Modest office premises, vehicles and cash reserves recorded at $2.2m.
• Charity type: Specialist housing and tenancy sustainment service.

#12 – $4.3m – Wounded Heroes, Bundamba

• Purpose: Advancing social or public welfare – support for veterans and defence families in crisis.
• Location: Bundamba.
• Funding mix 2023: 87% donations and bequests, 5% government grants, 8% other income.
• Assets: Very small base of office equipment, vehicles and cash together under $0.2m.
• Charity type: Veterans support charity focused on emergency help.

#13–14

#13 – $3.5m – ICYS Ipswich Community Youth Service, Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing social or public welfare – youth homelessness and family support.
• Location: Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 97% government funding, 3% other income.
• Assets: Offices, program vehicles and modest reserves recorded at $3.0m.
• Charity type: Youth and family service for Ipswich and Somerset.

#14 – $3.3m – Ivory’s Rock Foundation, Peak Crossing

• Purpose: Advancing education and advancing culture – conference and camping venue used for peace education programs.
• Location: Ivory’s Rock, Peak Crossing.
• Funding mix 2023: 61% government grants, 22% donations, 9% event and camping fees, 8% other income.
• Assets: Large bushland property with campgrounds, conference buildings, roads and site infrastructure recorded at $11.2m book value.
• Charity type: Educational charity that owns and runs the Ivory’s Rock events site.

#15–16

#15 – $3.3m – Ipswich Hospice Care, Eastern Heights

• Purpose: Advancing health – community hospice and bereavement support.
• Location: Eastern Heights.
• Funding mix 2023: 65% government funding, 15% donations, 20% patient fees and other income.
• Assets: Hospice buildings, specialist palliative care fit out and reserves recorded at $6.0m.
• Charity type: Independent community hospice serving Ipswich and surrounds.

#16 – $3.2m – Samoan Independent SDA Church in QLD, Bellbird Park

• Purpose: Advancing religion – Samoan Seventh Day Adventist church organisation.
• Location: Bellbird Park.
• Funding mix 2023: 99% congregational giving and church activities, 1% other income.
• Assets: Church and hall properties, equipment and vehicles recorded at $6.7m.
• Charity type: Samoan faith community based around Redbank Plains and Bellbird Park.

#17–18

#17 – $2.9m – Goodness Enterprises (Tivoli Social Enterprises), Chuwar

• Purpose: Advancing social or public welfare – social enterprise running Tivoli Drive In and food programs.
• Location: Chuwar.
• Funding mix 2023: 86% government program funding, 14% trading income from drive in and food projects.
• Assets: Tivoli Drive In site improvements, kitchen and event equipment, vehicles and cash recorded at $2.6m.
• Charity type: Social enterprise focused on jobs, training and low cost food.

#18 – $2.6m – West Moreton Health Foundation, Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing health – foundation supporting West Moreton Health hospitals and services.
• Location: Ipswich.
• Funding mix 2023: 6% donations, 5% government funding, 3% investment income, 86% other fundraising and event income.
• Assets: Cash, investments and commitments for hospital equipment and projects recorded at $2.1m.
• Charity type: Hospital foundation for the West Moreton region.

#19–20

#19 – $2.2m – Ipswich Show Society, Ipswich Showgrounds (Booval)

• Purpose: Advancing culture – Ipswich Show and year round events at the showgrounds.
• Location: Ipswich Showgrounds, Booval.
• Funding mix 2023: 10.7% government funding, 0.2% donations, 89.1% event and site income.
• Assets: Showgrounds land, pavilions, arenas, sheds and equipment recorded at $13.0m.
• Charity type: Not for profit association and registered charity.

#20 – $1.87m – Ipswich Meals on Wheels Inc, Ipswich

• Purpose: Advancing social or public welfare – meals delivered to people at home.
• Location: Ipswich CBD.
• Funding mix 2023: 46% government funding, 0.7% donations, 49.9% client fees, 3.5% other income.
• Assets: Commercial kitchen, delivery vehicles, office fit out and cash reserves recorded at $1.5m.
• Charity type: Community Meals on Wheels service for Ipswich.

#21–22

#21 – $1.67m – Bindarra Childrens Day Care Centre, Booval

• Purpose: Advancing education – community long day care.
• Location: Booval.
• Funding mix 2023: 59.5% government funding, 39.9% childcare fees, 0.5% other income.
• Assets: Childcare centre buildings, playground, equipment and cash recorded at $1.2m.
• Charity type: Not for profit day care centre.

#22 – $1.62m – Ipswich YUPI Program Inc (Challenge Employment & Training), Collingwood Park

• Purpose: Advancing social or public welfare – employment and training for disadvantaged people.
• Location: Collingwood Park.
• Funding mix 2023: 100% government funding.
• Assets: Property, training facilities, equipment and cash reserves recorded at $10.6m.
• Charity type: Community based employment and training organisation trading as Challenge Employment & Training.

Big picture numbers

Top 22 charities – $245m revenue in 2023

• Total revenue: Around $245m across these 22 Ipswich headquartered charities in 2023.
• Funding mix: Roughly 49% government money, 42% fees and service income, 3% donations and bequests, 6% other income.

Donations and donation dependent charities

• Total donations: All donations and bequests across this top 22 list add up to roughly $6.8m, under 3% of total revenue.
• Most donation dependent: Wounded Heroes at 87% of income from donations, InCommunity at 20%, Ipswich Hospice at 15%.

Fee driven and government funded charities

• Most fee driven: Apprenticeships Queensland with 91% of income from service fees, Alara QLD 79% from NDIS and service fees, Ipswich Girls’ and Junior Grammar 63% from school fees.
• Most government funded: Hymba Yumba 98% government funded, ICYS Youth Service 97%, Goodness Enterprises 86%, Ipswich YUPI Program 100%.

Methodology and data

How many charities does Ipswich have

• Total registered charities: 308 charities with head offices in Ipswich postcodes 4300 to 4307 and 4309.
• ACNC size categories: 204 small charities with revenue under $500k, 40 medium charities with revenue from $500k to under $3m, 17 large charities with revenue of $3m or more, and 47 with no size recorded.

What the law means by “charity”

• Legal definition: A charity must be not for profit and exist only to advance one or more of the 12 recognised charitable purposes such as health, education, social welfare, religion, culture, environment and similar public benefit work.
• Practical meaning: A charity can charge fees and make a surplus but no one is allowed to take the profits home.

Data sources

• ACNC register: Used to find all charities with head offices in Ipswich postcodes 4300 to 4307 and 4309.
• ACNC 2023 AIS dataset: Used for revenue, funding breakdown and asset figures for each charity.
• Audited accounts: Kambu Health and Ivory’s Rock Foundation 2023 financial reports were used where their revenue details were not fully in the AIS file.