Charities Supporting Disadvantaged Young People - AU
BackTrack
BackTrack provides young people aged 12 to 19 with opportunities to reconnect with education, develop practical skills, and build pathways to meaningful employment. By offering hands-on training and supportive guidance, BackTrack helps these youth unlock their potential and become confident, contributing members of their communities.
Supporting BackTrack creates opportunities that lead to lasting positive change. Through funding and the provision of essential equipment like trailers, chainsaws, and welders, BackTrack deliver real-world experiences that prepare young people for successful careers in local trades and agriculture, strengthening both individual futures and the broader community.
Country Education Foundation (CEF)
Country Education Foundation (CEF) supports rural and regional young people by providing community-driven encouragement and financial assistance to help them access further education and career opportunities. With nearly 50 local foundations across Australia, CEF's grassroots approach ensures that young people, regardless of their background or location, have the resources and support they need to pursue their goals and build bright futures.
Our joint belief is in the power of community to create lasting opportunities. By contributing to CEF's locally led fundraising and grant programs, we help unlock education and training pathways that empower rural youth, generating meaningful social value and strengthening communities across the country.
Dismantle
Dismantle empowers vulnerable young people in Perth and regional Western Australia by providing practical skills and supportive pathways for self-development. Their flagship program, BikeRescue, combines hands-on bike restoration with mentoring, helping participants build confidence, explore new opportunities, and connect with positive community networks.
Nurturing skills and resilience can open doors to lasting success. By backing programs like BikeRescue and other social enterprise initiatives, together we help young people gain valuable work readiness skills and personal growth opportunities that strengthen their futures and enrich their communities.
Ganbina
Ganbina is Australia's leading Indigenous school-to-work transition program, mentoring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 6 to 25. Through tailored support including education, life skills training, cultural appreciation, career guidance, and financial assistance, Ganbina helps young people build the confidence and capabilities to unlock their full potential.
Supporting Ganbina empowers Indigenous youth to achieve meaningful education and career outcomes. By backing this program, collectively we contribute to fostering independence, resilience, and cultural pride, helping young people create fulfilling futures for themselves and their communities.
Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT)
Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT) is a philanthropic trust founded by Traditional Owners to support their vision for healthy Country across the Warddeken and Djelk Indigenous Protected Areas in Arnhem Land. Covering 50,000 square kilometres of land and sea, KKT empowers eight First Nations community-controlled organisations to lead projects in traditional land management, on-Country employment, carbon abatement, bi-cultural education, and Indigenous language preservation, ensuring cultural knowledge and Country are protected and strengthened for future generations.
KKT have provided multifaceted support that strengthens community-led initiatives across remote Arnhem Land. This includes backing the Nawarddeken Academy, which offers culturally responsive full-time education to over 50 children in remote communities and contributing to the Homeland School Company's ambitious plan to establish three independent schools deep within the Djelk Indigenous Protected Area. Additionally, the support extends to critical infrastructure investments such as community and sports facilities that promote physical health, cultural celebration, and social connection, as well as teacher accommodation in Manmoyi to ensure consistent, high-quality education delivery. Through this comprehensive partnership, we help build resilient, self-sustaining communities rooted in culture, education, and wellbeing.
KidsXpress
KidsXpress provides specialist trauma-focused therapy and education services to children aged 3 to 18, helping them heal and thrive despite the challenges of childhood trauma. Established in 2006, KidsXpress delivers nationally accredited, evidence-based programs that protect children from the long-term effects of toxic stress. Their Cluster School program is a key part of this work, partnering with schools to create trauma-informed environments that support children's emotional wellbeing and learning as well as the entire community.
Collectively we believe every child deserves to feel valued, supported, and empowered. By backing their vital work, including the Cluster School program, we help ensure vulnerable children receive compassionate care and encouragement to build healthier, brighter futures.
Lighthouse Youth Projects (LHYP)
Lighthouse Youth Projects (LHYP) helps young people aged 6 to 22 in Adelaide build life skills and discover positive pathways through mentoring and engaging bike riding programs. Founded on the belief that bicycles can transform lives, LHYP's Cadence, Balance, and Life Behind Bars programs provide guidance, support, and opportunities for young people often facing challenges such as disengagement from school and limited positive role models.
We believe in empowering young people to channel their energy into healthy, constructive activities that promote confidence and resilience. By backing these innovative mentoring programs, we help create opportunities for youth to develop essential skills and open doors to brighter futures.
MITS
Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) offers a unique educational model supporting Indigenous students from remote and regional communities as they transition to city life. Each year, 22 Year 7 students live at the MITS boarding house in Richmond, Victoria, where they follow a curriculum focused on numeracy, literacy, wellbeing, and cultural strength, all within a nurturing, home-like environment that honours their cultural identity.
Supporting MITS helps create vital pathways that empower Indigenous youth to thrive both academically and personally. Beyond Year 7, students continue their education through the MITS Pathways Program, which provides ongoing assistance as they move into Years 8 through 12 at partner schools. Some students continue boarding at MITS while attending these schools as day students, ensuring they stay connected to culture, community, and a supportive environment throughout their secondary education.
Our Place
Our Place is a Victorian-based initiative operating across 10 sites, transforming local schools into hubs of learning and support for children and families in disadvantaged communities. At Northern Bay College in Corio, which encompasses early childhood, primary, and high school education, Our Place fosters a welcoming environment where education and wellbeing programs work together to overcome barriers and empower families.
Serving as the "glue" in this collaborative model, Our Place plays a pivotal role in coordinating services and aligning efforts among schools, health providers, community organisations, and local government. This backbone support ensures that services are integrated, accessible, and responsive to local needs. Research indicates that such coordination is essential for achieving positive outcomes in place-based initiatives, as it enables a unified approach to addressing complex challenges and maximising impact.
By supporting the Our Place initiative at Northern Bay, we contribute to a holistic, community-driven model that enhances educational engagement, improves wellbeing, and builds resilience among children and families, creating a sustainable foundation for long-term positive change.
The Smith Family
The Smith Family is a national organisation committed to helping disadvantaged Australian children fully engage with their education and break the cycle of disadvantage. Their flagship Learning for Life program offers emotional, practical, and financial support to help young people stay connected to school, complete Year 12, and confidently plan their future study and career pathways.
The Smith Family's Digital Divide program tackles the significant gap in access to technology for many students. With over 600,000 Australian children lacking reliable internet or devices at home, this program ensures they have the necessary tools for remote learning and digital inclusion. Bridging this digital divide is critical to promoting equitable education, enabling young people to fully participate in modern learning environments and develop the skills needed to succeed in a technology-driven world.
Stepping Stone House
Stepping Stone House (SSH) has, for over thirty years, provided safe accommodation and personal development to young people aged 12 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness or unable to live with their families. With nearly 28% of Australia's homeless population in this age group, approximately 34,000 young people, facing challenges such as family breakdown, domestic violence, and mental health issues, SSH's mission is to empower these individuals to achieve responsible independence and build sustainable futures.
By backing SSH's educational development, adventure programs, mentoring, and counselling, we help equip vulnerable young people with the essential life skills and resilience needed to break the cycle of homelessness and confidently transition to independent, fulfilling lives.
TRACTION
TRACTION empowers vulnerable young people in Queensland, aged 12 to 24, to discover and build positive futures through hands-on mentoring and skill development. While their flagship Bicycle Build program offers valuable mentoring and practical experience, our support is focused on TRACTION's new pathways to employment initiative, which provides participants with the skills, guidance, and work experience necessary to transition into meaningful jobs.
Since 2015, TRACTION has supported more than 1,400 young people across seven southeast Queensland regions. By backing programs that emphasise practical skills and real-world opportunities, we help young people build confidence, resilience, and the foundations for long-term personal and professional success.
Charities Supporting Disadvantaged Young People - NZ
KidsCan Charitable Trust
KidsCan Charitable Trust partners with over 700 low-decile schools across New Zealand to provide essential items such as food, raincoats, shoes, and health and hygiene products to children facing hardship. With nearly 280,000 Kiwi children living in poverty, many struggle to attend school fully prepared, which can impact their learning and wellbeing.
Collectively we believe no child should be held back by a lack of basic necessities. By helping provide these critical resources, we contribute to improving attendance, engagement, and outcomes for children, giving them a fairer chance to succeed at school and beyond.
Springboard Community Works
Springboard Community Works partners with young people and their families in North Auckland, New Zealand, providing life-changing principles, skills, and mentorship that foster personal growth and transformation. Operating from core values of Hope, Belonging, Purpose, Wellbeing, and Integrity, Springboard's programs help young people overcome challenges related to social disadvantage, disengagement, and instability.
The positive impact on individuals extends beyond the participants, creating a ripple effect that strengthens families and the wider community. We recognise the urgent need to empower youth facing barriers such as poverty, social exclusion, and limited opportunities. In New Zealand, nearly one in five children live in hardship, making mentorship and holistic support critical to breaking the cycle of disadvantage. By investing in Springboard's work, we help nurture resilience, build confidence, and open pathways for young people to thrive and contribute positively to their communities.
Charities Supporting Environmental Conservation
Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a pragmatic global conservation leader, restoring landscapes and providing hope for Australian wildlife. Guided by science, AWC delivers measurable conservation impacts at scale to secure the future of our most endangered species across nearly 6.5 million hectares of iconic Australian landscapes, including the Kimberley, Cape York, Kati Thanda, Lake Eyre, and the Top End.
Guided by world-class science, AWC's practical land management approach has delivered outstanding conservation results, such as a 350% increase in the Numbat population under their care. Australia faces one of the highest rates of mammal extinction in the world, with more than 100 species currently listed as threatened, making AWC's work more critical than ever.
We are proud to partner with AWC's Waulinbakh Sanctuary, which is home to key species including a healthy Koala population and the Greater Glider, among others. AWC helps establish and maintain safe, natural habitats where these critically endangered native species can be reintroduced and protected. This work is essential in combating the alarming decline of Australia's wildlife, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring these unique species have a fighting chance to survive and thrive in their natural environments.
Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia protects the stunning and diverse landscapes of the Australian bush, working to preserve its unique natural beauty and irreplaceable native species. Through purchasing and managing land, and partnering with Aboriginal communities, Bush Heritage safeguards these vital ecosystems for future generations.
Protecting these lands helps combat pressing threats like wildfires, climate change, feral predators, invasive weeds, and degraded waterways. By investing in Bush Heritage's conservation efforts, we contribute to maintaining the natural environment that sustains communities, supports livelihoods, and enriches Australia's national identity.
Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Taronga Conservation Society Australia is dedicated to caring for wildlife and inspiring communities to become champions for conservation. With Australia's largest conservation science team, Taronga leads world-class research and participates in critical regional and global conservation programs.
The Kennards Family and Kennards Hire have a long history of supporting Taronga's vital work, from empowering young people near wildlife habitats to champion conservation efforts, to backing the Tasmanian Devil Insurance Breeding Program during a critical crisis. More recently, our focus has been on supporting Taronga's conservation project for the Plains-wanderer, a unique and endangered bird native to Australia's grasslands, with fewer than 2,500 individuals remaining in the wild.
This project is crucial because the Plains-wanderer's survival is threatened by habitat loss and predation, reflecting broader challenges facing Australia's native grassland ecosystems. By supporting this work, we help protect a rare species that is a vital indicator of healthy grassland habitats, contributing to biodiversity preservation and ecosystem resilience that benefit all Australians.