Right now 15,000 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
  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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Abdul's story

Sponsored students

06 September 2017

Abdul was part of The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program for two years and credits the support with helping him graduate recently with an Advanced Diploma of Accounting and secure an accounting position with a major firm. His younger siblings continue to receive Learning for Life support.

“The financial support from the Learning for Life program helped me and my family in so many ways. Importantly, it helped to cover my course fees, which I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford. I wouldn’t have been able to study at all without the help.

The program gave me courage and faith that my brothers and sisters and I are accessing the same educational opportunities as every other kid. The financial support helps my parents to purchase school items that may otherwise be too expensive to afford. It personally allowed me to focus on my study without stressing about finances.

The best thing about being in the Learning for Life program is the support, encouragement and opportunities that are given to those who may not be able to afford their study expenses; to have that hope that everything is going to be fine.

All I had to do was prove to myself that with the financial help I could be successful and be the person I had dreamed of being.

Now that I have proudly graduated with an Advanced Diploma of Accounting, I will work for a few years to support my family and then I’d love to go to University and get a degree to qualify as an accountant. I am very grateful for my success, so I will try and give all the support I can to my parents to now help my siblings achieve their future goals.”

Case study photo of student Abdul — Abdul, Learning for Life student