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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100 years of volunteers and more

Volunteers

02 December 2022

We’ve been heartened by the ways volunteers have assisted families through crisis and disadvantage over our 100 years. People just like you, generously donating their time and talent, have enabled The Smith Family to help thousands of children and their families. Join us in celebrating a centenary of volunteering here.

In recent times we have seen further pressures exacerbating the challenges facing Australians. When you don’t have what you need for learning, it can affect your ability to fully participate. Students can fall behind and they need extra support to catch up and keep up with their education.

In 2023, we are embarking on the next one hundred years drawing on our history of supporting children and families. We have launched a new Five-Year strategy with a goal to make an even bigger difference to the lives of the children and families we support.

The Smith Family has set an ambitious goal to strengthen its program impact to ensure stronger outcomes for students, and almost double the reach of the Learning for Life sponsorship program over the next five years – from 58,000 students to 100,000 students.

With 1.2 million Australian children and young people still living in poverty, growing our reach and impact has never been more important, this is where volunteers will be integral to achieving our ambitions.

To help us achieve this, The Smith Family consulted with thousands of stakeholders, including families, supporters, VIEW Club members and volunteers. Your input has helped us develop a refreshed identity that better communicates who we are and what we do.

Our new logo shows two people reading a book together. The book represents education, the two heads depict a child and adult – who could be a parent, mentor, teacher or volunteer supporter. Together they represent community.

As our centenary celebrations come to close, Lauren Stocker shares some of the exciting initiatives that have come to fruition during our centenary year.