Skip to main navigation Skip to main content

The GIVIT story

Inspiring generosity to meet real need

In 2009, after having her second child, GIVIT Founder Juliette Wright was looking to donate her near-new, high-quality baby clothes, and was surprised at how difficult it was to find a charity that needed them.

While many local charities were chock full of poor-quality goods that they hadn’t asked for and were struggling to move, they didn’t have specific items that they desperately needed for the people they were supporting, such as sanitary products for women fleeing domestic violence or steel-capped boots for previously unemployed dads starting a new job.

Juliette knew there had to be a smarter way to give.

Giving exactly what's needed, when it's needed

Juliette identified a need to move away from the concept of ‘getting rid’ of your donating clothes and household items by donating them to charity shops to be sold. Instead, how could people’s generosity be channelled towards meeting the exact needs of someone doing it tough through connecting the donor with a charity? Juliette realised there needed to be a platform to connect donors and charities, and so GIVIT was born.

Growth and impact

Within six months, Juliette had registered GIVIT as a charity, created a website and recruited 15 charities. A donated bike enabled a single mum to get to work, and a donated microwave helped a widowed elderly man unable to cook for himself.

When floods devastated Queensland in 2011, Premier Anna Bligh turned to GIVIT for help. Becoming the state government’s official donation management partner for disaster recovery, GIVIT.org.au received 1.8 million website views in 10 days. Within three weeks, over 33,000 items were provided to people who’d lost everything in floods. The burden of unsolicited donations on recovery organisations was reduced, allowing them to channel crucial resources on helping flood-impacted people get back on their feet.

In 2015, in recognition of GIVIT’s impacts and her role as Founder, Juliette was named Australian Local Hero at the Australia Day awards.

GIVIT partnered with the Road Boss Rally in 2016. Each year this amazing group of people rallies around Australia, spreading the GIVIT word and raising crucial funds to support GIVIT's operations - over $2 million to date! 

Strength to strength

The success of GIVIT’s model led to the establishment of a dedicated GIVIT Disaster and Emergency Donation Management service, now in place in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT in partnership with state governments. During recovery from bushfires, floods, cyclones and storms, GIVIT works with government, local councils and partner charities to get impacted people, families and communities the essential goods and services they need to recover. 

In 2018, GIVIT's Drought Relief Program was established to help communities impacted by relentless drought conditions. GIVIT's 'buy local' ethos was an important part of this program, buying essential goods from local retailers in drought-impacted towns to support local economies and local jobs.

Recognition of significant achievement

In 2019, GIVIT turned 10 and hit the incredible milestone of one million donations! To top off an exciting decade and a big year, Juliette was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) by The Governor of Queensland, His Excellency the Honourable Paul De Jersey AC, for service to the community through charitable initiatives.

National expansion

In 2020 GIVIT expanded operations nationally, responding to the devastating Black Summer Bushfires that sadly took lives and destroyed homes. GIVIT was called upon to help those struggling with the additional loss of household and personal essentials. Once again, GIVIT stepped up, making a difference and giving some hope to individuals, families, and communities in tough times.  

The tragic and unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 were felt heavily in 2020, with thousands of residents finding themselves in unexpected and urgent need of support. Through this pandemic, GIVIT has been working with federal and state governments, as well as our national charity network, to ensure people and communities impacted by COVID-19 have access to essential items.

GIVIT’s commitment to supporting community recovery was once again called upon when devastating floods impacted large parts of New South Wales in early 2021. GIVIT is committed to providing the support required for the long-term recovery of this heartbreaking event.

In 2025 GIVIT celebrated its 15th Birthday. From an idea discussed around the kitchen table, GIVIT is now a critical player in disaster recovery and an essential resource for thousands of charities and community organisations. As a result, more Australians get more of the help they need when they need it.

GIVIT has become the smart way to give.

Give your way

  • Donate money to have an instant impact

    Choose a cause close to your heart, or give it to GIVIT to enable us to keep providing essential goods and services to people doing it really tough. Every dollar makes a difference!

    Donate now

  • Donate unwanted good-quality items to people in need

    See what items are needed right now by people in hardship. Or upload your donation offer to GIVIT where it'll be available to our 4,900+ partner charities around Australia.

    See what's needed

  • Charities always need volunteers

    Donating your time, skills and enthusiasm to our partner charities is an effective way to help people in need. See current volunteering opportunities on our what's needed list, or upload your volunteer offer to make it available to our partner charities.

    See current opportunities