Optus

Right now 12,116 children are urgently waiting for sponsors.

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
  Learning for Life is an innovative, evidence-based program that supports students throughout their education to achieve positive long-term outcomes for young people experiencing disadvantage.
- 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.
- Corporate 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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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 Tina to complete their homework, learn, stay in touch and reach their full potential. Donate Your Data has been a gamechanger for how she engages with her education and the wider digital world.

"After I got the free data, I was able to submit my homework in time. I felt normal, like a normal kid.

"Before we had the internet at home, it made it so hard for me. Some days, I'd go to school, and everyone's finished doing their homework except me."

Tina's aunt, Matalena, recounts her struggle to provide for her family on a single income, making it hard to afford school supplies and digital learning essentials.

“I felt bad for my kids. I know they wanted to have the phone, the laptop, like other kids, but they know I can't afford it.

"With her data, Tina can use that for her homework, connect with her friends, and connect with her parents in Samoa. She's very close to her dad, and she loves talking to him every day, so it's a big help for us and her.

"To Optus and their customers, thank you very much for all the help and support, and please continue to donate the data. It really helps struggling families."

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.