Fundraising
Not all children get an equal start in life...
Every child should have the opportunity to change their future. But for 1.2 million young Australians, poverty stands in the way.
Through no fault of their own, children growing up in disadvantage face daily challenges that can prevent them from achieving all they're capable of.
The risk factors that lead to educational inequality can begin in a child's early years and continue throughout school. Despite the resilience and commitment of parents, the contributors to disadvantage are complex, and without the right support at the right time, the effects can be long-term and intergenerational.
If we don't take action together now, many Australian children will not have the extra learning support they need to make the most of their education and realise their full potential.
Education provides a pathway out of poverty – empowering future generations of young Australians.
The Impact of growing up in poverty
The children we support face multiple, complex and compounding challenges. This doesn't just impact their life at home. It can flow on to impact their education too.
Economic and social pressures and COVID have exacerbated the challenges facing Australians in need. As a result, many students have fallen behind in their learning and continue to need support to catch up and keep up with their education.
To meet these challenges, The Smith Family has set an ambitious goal to almost double the reach of our Learning for Life program by 2027 – from 58,000 students to 100,000 students nationally.
With 1.2 million Australian children still living in poverty, growing our reach and delivering impact has never been more important. But we need your help to make this happen!
How the Challenge Helps
Since 2008, The Challenge has raised $14million, which is enough to sponsor more than 21,000 primary school students for a year.
The Smith Family Challenge directly funds the Learning for Life program. This helps children and young people to fully participate in their education by providing a proven combination of financial, personal and practical support – empowering our young people to harness education and build skills to unlock their true potential.
Your support will help to provide children in need with essential items for their education, such as books, uniforms and excursions.
In 2024, we aim to raise over $1,000,000 to support more than 1,500 students for a year.
You can contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty without even breaking a sweat by donating to an individual or team. It is important to know that all Challengers cover their own event costs, meaning your entire donation goes directly to our Learning for Life program.
