Kindly is a free kindness marketplace with more than 20,000 volunteers across Australia. Give or get help with anything, in a timely manner. It starts with Kindly.

Kindly is a platform made by three friends living in Australia, all wanting to make a difference at a grassroots, community-based level, one act of kindness at a time.

Born out of unfortunate circumstances, Matt and Mark were traveling America at the start of 2020 when COVID-19 began to spread quickly. They got one of the last flights out of San Francisco before the city went into lockdown, then spending two weeks each in quarantine. They had access to food and supplies thanks to friends and family, but what about those who didn’t? It was here that Kindly, originally Crisis Heroes, was born. Matt and Mark looked to Nic for support and he soon became the third co-founder.

Word about Crisis Heroes spread quickly, hundreds joining in the first few weeks. Then, Melbourne went into lockdown - again and again, and again. All three co-founders were living in the city, and sought to get the word out there about their platform to help those in need. From a few hundred members to thousands, Crisis Heroes began connecting people in locked-down cities right across Australia. Hundreds of acts of kindness were being facilitated every day - people walking dogs, groceries dropped, and friendly online chats and phone calls.

With national media appearances and the platform now at 10,000 users, the team wanted to ensure their platform was safe for people who might be experiencing poor mental health. Crisis Heroes partnered with the largest suicide first aid trainer in the country, LivingWorks Australia, to deliver lifesaving training to its users and empower them to spot the signs of people in distress.

Matt, Mark and Nic soon realised that their platform was built for so much more. When floods devastated Queensland and New South Wales in 2022, the small team focused their attention on these areas. The speed at which people could connect and help one another was key. Hundreds used the platform to get or give help in light of the devastation. After research and consultation with Crisis Heroes’ users, it was time for a new direction. Kindly sees the platform positioned as an everyday volunteer platform. People can still give or get help in a crisis, but Matt, Mark, and Nic want to facilitate micro acts of kindness too. From helping someone move furniture into their home, to offering excess lemons or homegrown produce, it’s time to let Aussies volunteer or ask for help on their own terms, in their own time. Kindly empowers a new wave of volunteers to get or give help in a timely and safe manner.