Optus

There are still 4,532 Australian children who need extra learning support by 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
Donate now

Young Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds are being left behind simply because they don't have regular access to the internet. To address this, we are working with our long-standing partner, Optus, on their Donate Your Data® initiative.

Education is increasingly reliant on the internet, and without it, some young people are unable to access the same resources and opportunities as the rest of Australia.

Through Donate Your Data, Optus and their customers are helping to close the digital divide by ensuring students and families in need can access online learning and build the skills they need to participate in our digitally connected world.

Donate Your Data provides eligible students and families on The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program with a free Optus Prepaid service with data, calls and text. They also have the opportunity to receive additional data that is donated by Optus customers.

Optus is making it easier for students like Yasin to complete their homework, learn, stay in touch and reach their full potential. Donate Your Data has been a gamechanger for how he engages with his education and the wider digital world.

"The internet is a very big part of all the work we do at school,” said Yasin. “The world is moving forward and it's all through the internet, all through technology – and it's just going to keep getting more important. It would be impossible to finish school without the internet today.”

Yasin remains keenly aware that in today's world, access to the internet and a reliable device are critical to achieving his goal of studying at university.

"When I didn't have a device or the internet, I definitely felt like I wasn't getting the education the other kids were getting. I did worry about my future. But then Optus supplied the free online data, that really helped.

“Because of Optus Donate Your Data, I can easily research and do all my online work that I have from school. If I need to do something online, I can always do it – whether I'm at a restaurant or on a trip at school.

"Thank you Optus and your customers for helping me and my family, it's really made a big difference in our lives."

Find out more about the Donate Your Data initiative.

Interested in a tailored partnership built on shared value? Get in touch about a corporate partnership with The Smith Family today.