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.
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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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Celebrating Australia’s changemakers – the army of volunteers

Executive team

18 May 2023

Doug Taylor

Chief Executive Officer at The Smith Family

Imagine changing a person’s life.

That’s what volunteering can do. At The Smith Family, volunteers are our changemakers and a vital part of a healthy national community.

Take a volunteer who helps a student with their homework at a Smith Family Learning Club. They are supporting that child to make the most of their education - providing them with the chance to change their future. That’s a rare and precious opportunity for both the student and the volunteer, and we regularly hear stories from our alumni telling us how this sort of support made all the difference to their success.

Volunteers founded The Smith Family more than 100 years ago and they’ve been an integral part of our organisation ever since. Last year, over 4,600 Smith Family volunteers filled almost 5,200 volunteer roles. They contributed nearly 116,000 hours of their time, estimated to be worth around $3.7 million. It would be very difficult for The Smith Family to carry out its vital work without that generous support, freely given.

Like many organisations that engage volunteers, rates of participation took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. These organisations are now facing the enormous challenge of both retaining existing volunteers and attracting new members.

Research by Volunteering Australia showed a 10 per cent decline in volunteers between 2019-2022, with rates dropping from 36% to 26.7%. Yet, 80% of organisations said they needed more volunteers, with 11% needing more than 100 volunteers in the short term.

So, what can be done?

A recent survey of Smith Family volunteers showed that 90% of respondents intended to return to volunteering. And when they do, the benefits are many. Volunteering provides community connections, supports physical and mental wellbeing, and facilitates social inclusion.

Volunteering Australia has highlighted three things that were needed to help organisations attract and retain vital volunteers:
1. Use technology to unlock opportunities for volunteers to participate remotely
2. Offer short term roles alongside opportunities for ongoing ones
3. Provide more flexibility

Along with other not-for-profit organisations, we’re listening and adapting to the changing needs of volunteers. We all have an opportunity to re-engage communities and inspire a new generation of volunteers, because where would Australian communities be without them?

So, as we mark National Volunteer Week, we’re working with others to ensure volunteering thrives into the future. But right now, we’re celebrating our valued volunteers for their incredible contribution and impact across the nation. Thank you to our volunteers!