Help provide vital educational support to 11,705 Australian children this Christmas.

Our Programs
- Literacy programs
  Providing resources and support to help children living with disadvantage achieve the required reading standard.
- Technology programs
  Providing children and young people living with disadvantage with the critical skills, access, and equipment they need.
- Numeracy programs
  We support early years educators and community professionals in building foundational math skills in children under their care.
- Learning for Life
  Providing holistic, long-term support for disadvantaged young Australians throughout their education.
- Mentoring programs
  Mentoring programs for students living with disadvantage that provide the encouragement they need to build aspirations for their future.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs
  Our work engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in learning through education, life skills and role models, promoting culturally responsive practice.
Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs
Get Involved
- Ways to fundraise
  Learn about fundraising and give back to the community with The Smith Family.
- Volunteer with us
  Share your skills to help Australian children in need transform their lives through education.
- Partnerships
  Learn how your organisation can partner with The Smith Family and help build a better future for Australian children in need.
- Careers
  We aim to provide a working environment where staff and volunteers have the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
- Events
  Participate in events and activities that support young Australians experiencing disadvantage.
- VIEW clubs of Australia
  Learn about VIEW, a leading women’s volunteer organisation and support network with over 16,000 members, across Australia.
Ways to Give
- Sponsor a child
  Through child sponsorship, you will be matched to an Australian child in need, helping to support the cost of their school essentials.
- A gift in your will
  Ensure that future generations of Australian children have the support they need to make the most of their education.
- Monthly donation
  Become a monthly donor and provide continual support throughout all stages of a child’s education.
- Philanthropic giving
  Through your philanthropy, you can ensure that young Australians impacted by poverty get the education that all children deserve.
- Single donation
  Your donation will help young Australians in need by providing access to our Learning for Life education support programs.
- Workplace giving
  Making small, regular donations to The Smith Family through Workplace Giving is an easy way to help change the lives of young Australians living in poverty.
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Child Sponsorship
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Education is a pathway out of poverty

Every child should have the opportunity to change their future.

But for 1 in 6 Australian children, poverty stands in the way.

Through no fault of their own, and despite their parents’ best efforts, children growing up in disadvantage face daily challenges that can prevent them achieving all they’re capable of.

Parents do all they can to support their children’s education. But because of their financial circumstances, they often don’t have the resources to help their children get what they need for their learning.

This means children can miss out on important learning opportunities, like school excursions due to financial constraints. They can also have less access to the essentials they need to thrive at school, such as learning resources and digital devices, a quiet place to study, and support with their homework.

Meet our students

Meet our supporters

Hear firsthand from students how support from The Smith Family helped them to build better futures.

The Smith Family helps young people learn today so they can change their futures tomorrow.

Doug Taylor, CEO

Sponsor a child

Supporting education with smart, innovative solutions.

Helping children to get the most from their education…

The Smith Family provides a proven range of practical, personal, and financial support that empowers young people to harness their education and reach their full potential. We offer targeted support to children at every stage of their learning, from pre-school level right through to tertiary studies. Our core Learning for Life program currently provides more than 58,000 young Australians with extra support for their education in three distinct ways. Every student on the program receives:

financial support for school essentials, like books and uniforms
personal support for the child and their family, and
practical support, with access to additional learning programs – tailored to each child’s needs.

We continually evaluate our programs to make sure they are smart, innovative, and highly effective at meeting the evolving needs of our students in today’s rapidly changing world.

We know from research² that early intervention, as well as balanced, ongoing support throughout their education, can vastly improve outcomes for a student living with disadvantage.

Doug Taylor, CEO

…so they can unlock their potential at school and beyond.

Our learning and mentoring support programs are proven to boost a child’s confidence, build core academic skills and help them attend school more regularly.³

Our crucial, ongoing support, provided outside of school, complements what’s going on in the classroom. It helps children to stay motivated and engaged with their learning at home and at school. This gives them a greater chance of completing their education to Year 12, so they can access greater opportunities for employment or further study and achieve their dreams beyond the school gates.³

Learn today, change tomorrow.

Our programs

Programs for different age groups include: Early years: Let's Read & Let's Count. Primary Years: Catch-Up Learning, Communities for Children, On PAR and Student to Student. Secondary years: Learning Clubs, Work Inspiration, iTrack and SmArts. Post-School Years: Learning for Life, Cadetship to Career and Career Mentoring

Life-changing results

Learning Clubs

84% of participants say that attending our out-of-school Learning Clubs help them do better in class.⁴

Student2student

94% of participants in our reading program improve their reading skills.

Passport

83% of participants in our high-school readiness program said they learned skills that would help them in high school.⁵

Get involved

“This is our promise to the children we support: we will empower them to harness their education and build the skills they need to unlock their true capabilities." - Doug Taylor, CEO

Our work depends on the support of our community.

We all want children to have a ‘fair go’ at school - and the chance to achieve their best.

It’s only through the generous support of our amazing community of supporters, sponsors, volunteers, and partners that we can reach more than 179,000 children and young people each year with the resources and support they need to see their hard work pay off.

Together, we make sure children can learn today, so they can change tomorrow.

See your support in action.

Subscribe to Family News, our quarterly e-newsletter with firsthand stories from some of the children and families we support.

Subscribe now

²James Heckman and Flavio Cunha, 2007
³Attendance Lifts Achievement Report. 2018
⁴Access Economics 2005, The economic benefit of increased participation in education and training. Dusseldorp Skills Forum and Business Council of Australia, Sydney.
⁵The Smith Family’s Passport to Success Outcomes Summary, 2020