The Smith Family

Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.

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Donate - FAQ

I work in corporate gifting and we would like to partner with The Smith Family. How can we get involved?

Corporate Partnerships with The Smith Family offers your business the opportunity to engage a wide range of stakeholders in a meaningful cause, starting with your own team and extending to your customers. Beyond financial contributions, there are numerous ways your organisation can support our mission, including volunteer initiatives, student mentorship programs, and more.

By aligning your company with The Smith Family through a cause-related marketing (CRM) campaign, you not only foster positive societal change but also actively engage your customers and employees. Engaging in CRM enhances your brand's reputation, raises awareness, strengthens relationships with retail clients and customers, and can lead to an increase in sales and market share.

We welcome the chance to collaborate with your business. To learn more about how we can work together, please visit our Corporate Partnerships page

Does your organisation have clear short-term and long-term goals?

Our latest Five-Year Strategy outlines an ambitious goal: to significantly enhance our impact and extend our reach, aiming to assist thousands more young Australians in overcoming the educational disparities created by poverty.

The target we’ve set is challenging, reflecting the substantial need that exists.

We believe that every child should have the chance to fully benefit from their education. However, due to the challenges of disadvantage, this opportunity is not always available to every child. This often results in considerable obstacles in their academic achievement and future prospects.

How do you keep my donor information safe?

We treat your donor information seriously. We only collect the necessary information to facilitate your donation. We collect your contact information and store it on our maintained servers based in Australia. We only collect credit card information to process donations and sponsorships and do not save your information on our servers. You can view our Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions of Use

I want to give more than just one donation. How can I make more of a difference to the children you work with?

Thank you for considering the opportunity to help young Australians triumph over the educational challenges caused by poverty. Monthly giving can make a real difference, offering children in need the essential, ongoing learning support they require to unlock their full potential. With a monthly child sponsorship contribution of $55, combined with another sponsor's support, you can provide a child with vital learning materials such as books, stationery, and data, preventing them from falling further behind. Additionally, leaving a gift in your Will is a powerful way to ensure that Australia's most disadvantaged children receive the educational support they need, paving the way for a brighter future.

I want to leave a legacy. Can I leave a gift in my Will to The Smith Family?

Leaving a gift in your Will,, you have the power to transform the lives of future generations of children facing disadvantage. Your legacy will ensure sustained support and impactful after-school learning programs that span the entirety of a child's educational journey. This contribution will equip future generations of children in need with the essential skills to build self-confidence, unlock their potential, and forge a brighter future for themselves.

What percentage of my donation goes to the children?

Financial resources are essential for building strong infrastructure and increasing our effectiveness and impact for children experiencing poverty, so they can build skills to change their futures.

In the five years to June 2023:

72% of donations from our supporters has been spent on our community programs
28% of our resources has been invested in the vital activities that build our continuing organisational capacity and sustainability

How secure is your online donation form?

Our online donation form and associated website is on a secure Australian server and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is securely transferred to our Contact Management System, also located within Australia. Credit card information is encrypted and parsed to our merchant and is not saved to our server and only the last four digits are sent through for verification purposes.

How can I unsubscribe from your emails or get off a direct mail list?

We take your data very seriously. We make contact from time to time to donors and supporters who have opted in. We use direct mail, email and sms with information, updates and to ask for donations. You can unsubscribe at any time by contacting supportercare@thesmithfamily.com.au

What can I expect after donating to The Smith Family?

We would love to keep you updated with all the important work The Smith Family is doing across 91 Australian communities. Family News, our quarterly e-newsletter, shares firsthand stories from some of the children and families we support. We also aim to provide you with an overview of current Smith Family events, activities, volunteer opportunities and research results.

Whoops, I didn't mean to donate that amount or select that frequency type. What can I do?

We understand, sometimes the wrong amount or frequency can be entered during the donation process. If you notice something about your donation after payment processing, please make contact with our supporter care team on 1800 024 069 or via email at supportercare@thesmithfamily.com.au and we will be able to help

Why should I give monthly? Does this help more children?

Research shows that early intervention, as well as balanced, ongoing support throughout their education, can improve outcomes for students living with disadvantage.

A monthly donation helps enable our programs to reach many more Australian children – giving them access to our evidence-based, out-of-school learning and mentoring support at every stage of their education. Here are just some of the life-changing programs that our monthly givers make possible:

Our student2student program works by matching students who need to improve their literacy skills with trained reading buddies who help and encourage them with their reading.
Our out-of-school Learning Clubs provide a supportive environment for students to catch up, improve their skills and get tailored learning support from caring volunteer tutors.
Through our Passport program, children in Year 6 are empowered to learn crucial, practical skills to help them transition to high school successfully.

I want to help, are here any other ways to help? Do you have any volunteer opportunities in the communities you work in?

Investing in the education of a child delivers long-term positive benefits for students for generations to come. Without support, one in six Australian children and young people growing up in poverty, will have limited choices, opportunities and outcomes in life.

Join our community of volunteers and help us to provide educational support to young Australians. Your support can help create a world where children experiencing poverty have the opportunity to change their future!

How do I cancel my Sponsorship or Regular Donation?

We understand that circumstances can change and you may wish to cancel your direct debit, stop or defer an individual debit, request a change to the debit amount, or make other changes. Our team are always happy to assist so please either contact our sponsorship team on 1800 633 622 or our Supporter Care team on 1800 024 069 write to us at GPO Box 5348, Sydney NSW 2001, or email us at sponsorship@thesmithfamily.com.au or supportercare@thesmithfamily.com.au. Please provide us with at least 10 business days notification to process your request in time.

If you ever face the difficult decision to cancel your sponsorship, The Smith Family will make sure that your student continues to receive support through funding from other sources until we can match them with a new sponsor.

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