Grants

Adventist Healthcare

Funding towards the Tovertafel, an interactive light projector designed to
engage and stimulate individuals with dementia. It promotes social interaction,
sensory stimulation, cognitive engagement, and improved well-being.
The Tovertafel will form part of the San Foundation’s research into a
new model of care for dementia patients in hospital.

Arrow’s ‘Patient Support Program’ provides financial, emotional and
educational support to bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients,
their carers and families aiming to ease the challenges and stress they face
during treatment. The funding will provide financial assistance to more
patients and families in NSW, helping to cover essential household utility bills.

Smart Inhaler Research will transform asthma care by merging digital
technology with inhaler use. Smart inhalers monitor medication use,
provide real-time reminders, and syncs with mobile apps to track
adherence and triggers. The study evaluates effectiveness of smart inhalers
in improving asthma control, fewer hospital visits, and enhanced
patient outcomes. Funding will support a clinical research, user trials,
and data analysis to determine the impact of this technology on asthma
management in Australia. This study also aims to attract larger grants
for an extensive clinical trial.

The ‘Hear Us Play’ program will provide free play therapy sessions for
seven children facing trauma and financial hardship, ensuring they
receive vital mental health support. Each child will receive individual
play therapy sessions, along with guided parent support sessions,
delivered at no cost to families. Held at Be Centre’s purpose-built
Play Therapy Centre in Warriewood Sydney, this program removes
financial barriers and helps children to process trauma, build resilience,
and improve emotional well-being.

Birchtree Foundation

Funding to deliver Empowered Self-Defence workshops at Wayside Chapel
Community Service Centre at Kings Cross, Sydney. The workshops will be run
by expert facilitators and attended by females aged 18-30 years. As clinical
psychologists, the facilitators will optimise physical and psychological safety
during the exercises. The homeless women are extremely vulnerable, and all
have diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health disorders such as PTSD,
anxiety, depression and self-harm.

Bowel Cancer Australia

In 2024 Bowel Cancer Australia convened the country’s inaugural Early-Onset
Bowel Cancer (EOBC) Research Symposium at Parliament House. Leveraging its
success, the 2025 EOBC Research Symposium will bring together Australia’s
leading clinicians and researchers for collective discussions and development
of a 10-year national roadmap report for EOBC research. Funding for the
production, publication and promotion of the 10-year national roadmap report
‘The 2025-2035 Early-Onset Bowel Cancer Research Roadmap and Action Plan’,
scheduled for public release in June 2026.

Camp Quality

Camp Quality’s ‘Ultimate Camp’ focuses on the health and wellbeing of children
and is an opportunity for families facing a cancer diagnosis to relax, create positive
memories, and connect with others facing a similar situation. This program is a
2-night weekend away for an estimated 25 families in Stanwell Tops NSW,
including a range of fun activities throughout the weekend such as a giant swing,
archery, pedal cards, and an orchard visit.

Cancer Patients Foundation

‘Look Good Feel Better’ is a free national community service program, run by
the Cancer Patients Foundation, offering cancer patients of all ages, genders, and
cancer types the opportunity to learn practical strategies to manage the physical,
psychological and social impacts of cancer treatment. Funding to help people
going through cancer treatment in Sydney through a combination of Face-to-Face
workshops, home delivered Confidence Kits, access to virtual workshops and
‘Feel Better Fridays’ throughout their treatment.

Cancer Wellness Support

Funding to offer access to lymphoedema specialists, an evidence-based approach
using complementary therapies, subsidised bandaging and pressure garments, cutting
edge technology and to grow the pool of specialist skills in the industry to become
a lead agency in the region. Funding to assist with a mentoring and supervision
program to expand the specialised lymphoedema therapist pool in collaboration
with local training organisations.

Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology

Rational anti-inflammatory drug design. One-third of Australians live with chronic
inflammation. These inflammatory conditions are typically driven by the elevated
expression of interferon pathway genes. Current treatments show limited efficacy
with considerable side effects. Researchers have discovered a previously unknown
transcriptional regulator of the interferon pathway (named TRIP) which is a master
controller of genes involved in chronic inflammation. Funding to use molecular
and biochemical approaches to rationally design innovative drugs directly targeting
TRIP function, thereby selectively modulating the interferon response.

Young Changemakers aims to accelerate leadership and advocacy skills for young
people with cerebral palsy and similar disabilities, building their personal capacity,
skills and confidence to be a leader in their own lives. Delivered online over
12 weeks, Young Changemakers will connect a nation of young people with
disability, creating an empowered network of peers with shared experiences.
They will hear from sector leaders with disability, with learning content designed
by and for young people with disability, scaffolded by live, online experiences to
build confidence and communities.

Children’s Medical Research Institute

Gene therapies for childhood diseases. The Institute’s laboratory is focused on the
research and development of gene therapies, the delivery of ‘genes as medicine’.
Such therapies will correct disease in patients born with faulty genes by providing a
healthy copy of a gene, or even directly act on a faulty gene. The funding will help to
replace a microplate reader that is more than two decades old and used for a range
of different end-point analyses including protein quantitation, gene delivery and
antibody detection.

Children’s Tumour Foundation

Funding for the NSW Neurofibromatosis (NF) camp to provide social inclusion
opportunities for families who feel isolated and alone due to their experience of
living with a child with a chronic, progressive and lifelong health condition.
It will aim to increase the social, physical and mental wellbeing of children
and their families who are living with NF.

Chris O’Brien Lifehouse

This research project represents a transformative advancement in biomarker
discovery and introduces a groundbreaking approach to treating glioblastoma, the
most lethal brain cancer in adults. We are pioneering the use of lipidomic profiling
in diagnosing, treating and monitoring glioblastoma, via a safe, accessible and
non-invasive urine test. This world-first in glioblastoma research will advance the
use of precision medicine to improve survival rates and quality of life for patients.
The funding will support discovery-phase experiments and lipidomic analyses.

Crohn’s and Colitis Australia

Funding to support a camp for young people living with Crohn’s disease and
ulcerative colitis, known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). These are chronic
and incurable inflammatory conditions of the gut that have persistent and often
distressing physical impacts. They can be invisible and debilitating and have a
significant impact on mental health. Many children and young people with IBD
are often socially isolated, not knowing anyone else who has their condition.

Epilepsy Action Australia

‘EmpowerHER Sydney’ is a one-day, in-person event designed exclusively for
women with epilepsy. Drawing on the success of the 2024 Brisbane event, the
program will deliver tailored education, peer networking, and inspirational sessions
that focus on managing epilepsy amid hormonal changes. Attendees will benefit
from expert-led talks by neurologists and epilepsy nurses, interactive discussions
on seizure management, and facilitated sharing of lived experiences.

Fair Fight Foundation – Supertee

Funding to alleviate the discomfort and distress children experience when battling
life-threatening conditions. The Supertee is a medical garment disguised as a fun
hero design costume which has been specifically designed for children facing long
term treatment. This funding will help the child’s experience in hospitals around
Australia by giving them a Supertee.

Giant Steps Australia

Giant Steps has recently purchased a site at Elanora Heights to expand the
post-school program, early intervention services, respite, training, outreach,
family support, camps and school activities. Funding to convert one of the
cabins into a purpose-built changing room for the onsite swimming pool,
install a community BBQ for families, and build high steel fencing around
the site to improve safety.

Gidget Foundation Australia

This pilot offers an early intervention treatment and efficacious pathway
for treating clients suffering grief, loss and /or perinatal depression and anxiety
(PNDA) after miscarriage. In collaboration with one to four partner hospitals,
Gidget will provide qualified clinicians to deliver a tailored consultation to clients
who have been identified by midwives and nurses in those hospitals’ miscarriage
clinics. This eliminates the need for the time consuming and problematic GP
referral barrier, ensuring the highest level of clinical treatment can be provided
at the earliest and most crucial time.

Heart Research Australia

Dr Gentile created a novel way to 3D bioprint heart tissues using a patients’
own cells to repair heart damage and regain cardiac muscle function after a
heart attack. Cells isolated from a patients’ own blood are used to generate
stem cells, which are then transformed into heart cells. These cells can then
generate personalised bioinks that can be extruded through the nozzle of a
3D bioprinter to produce 3D bioprinted heart tissues. Funding is sought to
test the efficacy and safety of the patches in small animals before they can
be transplanted in heart failure patients.

Melanoma Institute Australia

Funding for the Melanoma Translational Research Group (MTRG) to
purchase an Autostainer (AST) to facilitate research and data generation.
Critical for research studies and data output, and to identify cell types and
spatial relationships within tumour regions and tissue samples. This equipment
is critical for research in immunohistochemistry (IHC) and critical for the
Institute’s research studies, hence data output. IHC primarily performed to
identify cell types and spatial relationships within tumour regions.

Mito Foundation

The project aims to boost awareness and engagement in the Mito (mitochondrial
disease) community around clinical trials. Mito is creating a knowledge hub with
accessible resources for patients, caregivers, clinicians, and industry partners.
Clear, evidence-based information on trial processes, expectations, and benefits will
empower informed decisions. A workshop at the 2025 Mito Community Summit
will enable collaboration, fostering a well-informed and engaged patient community.

National Stroke Foundation

The ‘Our Education Journey’ project will co-design resources to help families of
childhood stroke survivors navigate education from childcare to secondary school.
It empowers families with knowledge and tools to advocate for their child’s learning,
behavioural, and social needs. The project provides resources to track progress and
collaborate with educators. By guiding families through the education system and
supporting inclusive practices, it aims to improve educational support and outcomes
for childhood stroke survivors.

NextSense

Funding to install acoustic panelling in audiology rooms at the Port Macquarie
and Alstonville service centres, where NextSense provides comprehensive cochlear
implant-related audiology services for clients of all ages with significant hearing loss.
This will minimise reverberation and background noise from traffic and adjacent
clinic spaces, enhancing the accuracy of hearing assessments, cochlear implant
programming, and review appointments. The project ensures the precise delivery of
vital services tailored to each client’s needs, supporting better outcomes for those in
regional communities.

Odyssey House NSW

This project will transform two Re-Entry Houses into true homes, providing a
safe and nurturing environment for clients at the critical ‘post-treatment’ stage of
recovery. Funding to purchase furniture, essential home and kitchen appliances,
décor, soft furnishings, home wares, and window curtains.

Pankind

To design and build a web-based tool, as part of Pankind’s ‘Early Detection
Initiative’. The screening tool will enable individuals to assess their risk level
based on established criteria, guiding them towards appropriate medical
consultation and potential clinical trials. The tool will empower individuals
at high risk of pancreatic cancer through education, assessment, surveillance
and proactive engagement with healthcare pathways. This will be integrated
into the new Pankind website and serve as a referral pathway to the
APRISE trial, co-funded between Pankind and Epworth Hospital.

Parkinson’s NSW

The project will purchase two specialised clinical Parkinson’s disease chairs for
patients who attend counselling sessions at Parkinson’s NSW in the offices at
North Ryde. In addition, funding to purchase an ergonomic office chair for
the counsellors, allowing them to easily reach different areas of the counselling
room during their sessions without disrupting their patients.

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

Funding for the ‘WOMBAT Clinical Trial’ (Working Out M0 Bipolar Androgen
Therapy). The study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of cyclical testosterone
and Darolutamide in non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, to test
whether Bipolar Androgen Therapy can delay the progression of the cancer to
other parts of the body. The primary outcome measure will be metastasis
free survival.

Reachout Australia

‘PeerChat’ is a one-to-one service that connects young people 16-25 to a
trained peer worker who has lived mental health experience. PeerChat is
digital, enabling young people to connect from wherever they have a phone
or internet connection. PeerChat is chat based to allow for young people to
be able to share freely what’s on their mind, within a safe, anonymous and
most importantly free space. Due to the increasing need for one-to-one
mental health support, funding to expand PeerChat’s service to be available
on weekends (as well as weekdays).

Redkite

Funding for the music therapy program to support children with cancer.
Professional music therapists engage with and support children during their
hospital stay through playing and listening to music, song writing, performing
and teaching instruments. Music activities help to brighten long hospital stays
by providing opportunities for creativity and fun. Music therapists also help to
calm children before and during difficult medical procedures, enabling them
to cope with the pain and stress of treatment.

Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (South Eastern Section)

Funding to help deliver women’s health and wellbeing services across remote
western NSW clinic locations in 2025. These clinic days will provide comprehensive
women’s health services, education, and wellbeing activities in areas with limited
healthcare access. Each clinic day will include women’s health checks by the
Primary Health team; mental health and wellbeing support and activities from
the Mental Health team; educational sessions on women’s health topics and
resources; and collaboration with specialised services.

Save Sight Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney

Funding to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of home
monitoring of visual field function for individuals living in rural Australia.
The project will evaluate the technical performance, user adherence, and
economic impacts of home monitoring. Funding to procure home monitoring
devices (smart glasses-based perimeters) to undertake a prospective study in
Broken Hill NSW.

Sir David Martin Foundation

Triple Care Farm is a youth-specific residential AOD program located on
110 acres in the NSW Southern Highlands. This funding will fund the
Aftercare Program helping more young people safely withdraw, stabilize,
and receive ongoing support to transition to independent, healthy lives
and re-engage with education and employment.

Starlight Children’s Foundation

Funding for ‘Starlight Moments’ at Sydney Children’s Hospital Network.
Starlight Moments creates experiences of joy and happiness for families
with a palliative child. Caring for a child with a life-limiting illness can be
all-consuming, often leaving little time for special family moments.
Recognising the unique challenges these families face, Starlight Moments
offers opportunities for connection and childhood joy.

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation Trust

To implement a hub and spoke model of care to integrate virtual technology in
partnership with primary care providers, the community and local hospitals.
Funding for the ‘Tele-Vision’ pilot of ocular imaging technology and telehealth
platforms, to provide virtual ophthalmology care in regional emergency
departments. The pilot in Tamworth is prioritising Indigenous Australians
who are three times more likely to have vision loss compared to non-indigenous.

The Humour Foundation

Bear Cottage is the only children’s hospice in NSW to provide respite and
end-of-life care for palliative-stage children and their families. The new
Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice (AYAH) supports young people
aged 16 to 25. Clown Doctors are purpose-trained to support the emotional
wellbeing of children and young people in palliative care, delivering meaningful,
personalised connections to create moments of joy and laughter when, and
how, it is most needed. Funding to support ongoing visits at Bear Cottage
and AYAH and some special events.

The Northcott Society

Funding to improve the accessibility of the ‘Life Skills’ space in Parramatta to
better support the independence of wheelchair users. This project will involve the
installation of two automated doors, providing access to both the interior hallway
and outdoor courtyard. The doors will be equipped with sensors that activate from
close range, ensuring they will only open when necessary and can be operated
independently by wheelchair users.

The Project Rockit Foundation

Funding to extend Project Rockit’s impact at Warrawong High School for a
second year. In 2024, their programs successfully engaged students in workshops
on bullying, cybersafety, leadership, and mental health, sparking ongoing cultural
shifts. Some schools face significant barriers, and one year of intervention is not
enough. Funding to provide additional face-to-face and online programs,
school-wide support, and targeted interventions for long-term, systemic change.

The Shepherd Centre

‘Acoustic Skills Music Group’ is an educational program created by music therapists
and delivered with The Shepherd Centre clinical team. It harnesses music therapy to
enhance listening, speech, and communication skills in deaf children aged 0-5 with
hearing loss. The program also empowers parents to use these strategies at home.
Through fun activities including singing, dancing, listening to music, and playing
percussion instruments, children develop key communication skills, including
listening, vocabulary, sentence formation, teamwork, and social interaction.

The Trustee for Raise Foundation

To provide evidence-based, early-intervention youth mentoring for teenagers
across Australia. With over 2,500 students anticipated for 2025, this funding
will support students at a socially disadvantaged school in the Sutherland Shire.
The Jannali School has had the Raise program since 2020 and has recognised the
significant impact that the program has had on the entire school community.
The mentees will be matched with Raise trained, and screened mentors, and
supported by a degree qualified Program Counsellor.

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Funding to help expand the usefulness of the blood test UNSW are developing,
such that in addition to diagnosing ovarian cancer, it can be used for monitoring
the effectiveness of cancer treatment. To create a collection of biological samples
(a biobank) that consists of DNA extracted from the blood plasma of patients
undergoing chemotherapy. This biobank will form the basis of a project in which
the researchers measure the extent of cancer cell death during chemotherapy.
The researchers anticipate that an increase in DNA from dead cancer cells
indicates that the chemotherapy is working.

Westmead Institute For Medical Research Foundation

Dr Caitlin Finney has made a breakthrough discovery, carriers of genetic
variant APOE4 have protein changes indicative of an overactive immune system
predisposing them to developing Alzheimer’s. These proteins may act as predictive
biomarkers for APOE4 carriers and targets for personalised precision medicine.
Dr Finney will rigorously evaluate her finding using AI to validate the diagnostic
biomarker capabilities of the APOE4-associated proteins, then test treatment
potential using brain organoids derived from people with and without APOE4.
Funding will cover dataset access and laboratory costs.

Youth Insearch

Breaking Cycles, Building Futures in Moree. Funding for young people to attend
transformative weekend workshops that use a peer support model to empower
participants to build connections, resilience and skills and open pathways out of
disengagement and anti-social behaviours. Up to 10% of participants will progress
to the Youth Leader program to learn to support peers. The program will augment
a NSW Government funded project enabling provision of local support groups;
and will leverage relationships with Moree High to recruit at-risk participants.

ABCN Scholarship Foundation

This project will support three NSW students from non-English speaking
backgrounds to continue into Year 3 of the Accelerate program in 2026. These
students are currently supported through Year 2 by James N. Kirby Foundation
2024 funding. This unique 3-year Accelerate program is a critical intervention point
for students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds taking place in Years 11, 12
and the first year post-school. It combines workshops, corporate mentoring, peer
mentoring, financial assistance, and workplace access to support the completion
of Year 12 and transition to further education, training and employment.

The Australian Indigenous Education Foundation’s Pathways Program provides
support services that help Indigenous students make a successful transition from
school to further studies or employment through tailored career guidance,
skills-building workshops, mentoring, networking opportunities, and job placement
assistance. Funding to expand the alumni network with two-way mentoring,
helping graduates access advanced professional opportunities (such as advisory
and board positions) whilst supporting younger program participants.

Australian Museum Trust

The Waranara Professional Development series offers urgently needed professional
development workshops to help NSW primary school teachers confidently integrate
First Nations perspectives in their teaching as new syllabuses are implemented over
the next two years. The Australian Museum aims to expand their regional access
and enhance First Nations teaching competency through exhibitions, documentaries,
and resources. The funding will help to subsidise teachers from regional and lower
socio-advantaged areas to attend online workshops for free.

Autism Spectrum Australia (ASPECT)

Aspect delivers support services for children and adults on the autism spectrum
including research, diagnostic assessments, therapy, adult community services and
autism-friendly environmental evaluations. Funding to enhance literacy learning and
to purchase autism-specific literacy program resources for Autistic students at Aspect
Hills Shire School in NSW. The literacy resources include decodable library packs
and multi-sensory phonics kits.

BBM Youth Support

BBM Global Footprint Scholarships provide a life-changing experience for
young people who have outstanding potential to become leaders in their
chosen fields, focusing on work experience in the vocational education
training sector, specifically in agriculture, horticulture and trades.
Funding for one horticultural scholar from NSW to train for one year
to kick start their career and help them address the climate emergency.

Bravehearts Foundation

To distribute child sexual abuse prevention packs to 150 schools and
Early Learning Centres (ELCs) across the western suburbs of Sydney.
This includes ‘Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure’ personal safety storybook Series,
grooming awareness resources for educators, teachers and parents.
By equipping educators, teachers and parents with tools, they will increase
awareness of grooming and child safety, plus empower children to recognise,
react and report unsafe situations.

Butterfly Foundation

Wandi Nerida is Australia’s first residential eating disorder recovery centre.
Operated by Butterfly, Wandi is a mental health facility providing a safe and
healing environment, delivering concentrated person-centred treatment.
Funding for Wandi’s Nature-Based Therapy program, using the natural
environment as a facilitator during the therapeutic process.

Chain Reaction Foundation

The project is a targeted intervention program designed to reduce student
disengagement, absenteeism, and youth crime while improving mental health,
resilience, and wellbeing in vulnerable high school students. This initiative will
bring the Learning Ground in School model, a proven approach to behavioural
change, emotional regulation, and social connection, to a Western Sydney school.

Country Education Foundation of Australia

In 2024, Country Education Foundation proudly supported 110 students
undertaking vocational education and training (VET). Funding will provide
fourteen, $3,000 scholarships in 2025 and 2026. Seven scholarships were
awarded in August 2025 (National Skills Week) and seven are to be awarded
in February 2026.

Dementia Australia

Dementia Australia delivers educational programs for best-practice dementia care
through a variety of programs including leading-edge and award-winning virtual
interactive online experiences, which has shown great results in the education of
Aged Care Workers. Funding of three laptops for the staff to utilise for the
education and delivery of best practice dementia care.

Engineering AID Australia

The catchment area for the NSW Indigenous Australian Engineering School (IAES)
program has been across Queensland, Victoria and South Australia as well as NSW.
About 40% of the students attending the NSW program are from Queensland. The
awareness of IAES program is very limited in rural and remote areas. Funding to
further develop brand and promotional strategies to reach these students.

Gawura

To fund essential therapy for speech and literacy so that students can appropriately
access the educational and cultural content that Gawura School provides. Students
commence school in kindergarten on average 18 months below state averages,
and three years below their St Andrew’s Cathedral Junior School peers. With a
high percentage of Gawura students with formal diagnoses, including intellectual,
ADHD, autism, anxiety, language delay and learning disabilities, early professional
structured interventions are needed.

Guide Dogs Association of NSW/ACT

Funding to purchase vital low vision equipment to distribute to clients living with
low vision or blindness, at no cost to the client. Training with Low Vision Specialists
will also be provided to the clients to ensure they can use the technology to reach
their personalised goals.

Harding Miller Education Foundation

The Foundation awards many four-year scholarships to public high school girls
who have proven academic talent, but are substantially hindered by socioeconomic
disadvantage. The grant funds will be specifically purposed for the $700 academic
expenses cards for twenty-one scholars in Year 9. Together with a comprehensive
suite of support that includes a high-quality laptop with mobile broadband, annual
tutoring, unlimited homework assistance and the pairing of the scholar with a coach,
the overall impact on these girls’ lives is truly transformative.

Jane Goodall Institute Australia

To equip students with the knowledge, skills, and resources to not only understand
environmental issues but to actively participate in creating solutions. This is
the mission of ‘ReWild Your School’, an innovative environmental education
program designed to empower young people to make a tangible difference in their
communities. This funding will deliver the program into twenty low socio-economic
primary schools around Australia.

Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT)

This project will deliver full-time, bi-cultural, community-owned education to
children living in the remote organisations of the Djelk IPA (Central Arnhem Land).
Three community-owned schools will be delivered over three years, and they
will operate under the governance of the Homeland School Company (HSC),
an organisation established and led by Traditional Owners of the Djelk IPA.
The HSC will follow the blueprint of the neighbouring Nawarddeden Academy,
meaning philanthropic investment is required to raise the necessary start-up
capital before the schools can qualify for government funding. .

KidsXpress

Funding to deliver one week of professional development for teachers in the
NSW Northern Rivers, who are caring for children suffering mental ill-health
stemming from exposure to traumatic experiences. This includes poverty, insecure
housing, and family and community breakdown resulting from extensive flooding
in 2022. The project will deliver workshops and intensive coaching and mentoring
for educators at Casino Public School, Casino West Public School, Lilly Pilly
Community Preschool in Brunswick Heads and Nimbin Central School.

KU Marcia Burgess Foundation

Funding to provide financial assistance for low-income families facing barriers of
access to developmental assessments and therapy for their children before starting
school. This program is delivered in collaboration with families, KU allied health
managers and early childhood educators, and with professional services provided
by KU’s Early Intervention and Allied Health Services, a NDIS compliant provider
with clinic rooms and mobile services.

Learning Links

In partnership with Liverpool Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group,
Learning Links will deliver their innovative, early intervention Aboriginal Education
Program in two disadvantaged primary schools in Liverpool. The program is built
on a proven model of intervention to build children’s capabilities and confidence
in the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy; and will enable Learning Links
to help Aboriginal students struggling with learning difficulties to receive the
individualised and intensive support they need to learn, develop and thrive.

Life Education Australia

‘Narrowing the Regional Health Education Gap’ addresses escalating demand
for children’s preventative health and mental wellbeing education in regional
and rural primary schools. Featuring new program delivery methods, content
and interactive augmented reality, the project will facilitate preventive
health programs for disadvantaged children in schools with more than a
20% Indigenous population.

Macquarie University

Funding to develop an innovative AI-powered tool to enhance academic
vocabulary: a crucial element for literacy. The tool aligns with Australian
Curriculum syllabi, identifies key vocabulary by jurisdiction, grade, subject,
and topic. For example, for Year 5 Science ‘water cycle’, children with low
literacy practise terms like ‘evaporation’ through interactive AI exercises,
enhancing the children’s literacy skills, unlocking curriculum content and
allowing them to focus on learning.

Morris Children’s Fund

The program is conducted each week of the school term by a specialist teacher
who works with Special Needs schools, using music as a medium to unlock the
students’ hidden potential and capabilities. Each workshop has a mix of musical
approaches to maintain interest and to challenge their abilities, explore their
own creativity and push their physical boundaries.

National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)

Funding to purchase equipment to set up a theatrical lighting Previsualisation
Studio for Bachelor of Fine Arts Technical Theatre and Stage Management, and
VET Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services students. The Studio
will provide students with applicable knowledge of real-time rendering of
lighting effects in computer-aided drafting software and create high-quality
lighting plots for NIDA’s live student productions.

OceanEarth Foundation

Funding to establish a National Ocean Literacy Schools Coalition of educational
stakeholders such as the Marine Teachers Association of New South Wales,
Victoria and Western Australia, to develop a National Ocean Literacy Education
Strategy for Australian schools. To support professional development for
educators and to establish Australia’s Blue Schools Network.

Outward Bound Australia (The Outward Bound Development Fund)

Outward Bound’s new Communal Centre is central to the Tharwa campus
transformation, creating a hub for outdoor adventure learning that enhances
capacity, inclusivity and community connections. Inspired by historic woolsheds,
its three linked rustic pavilions blend with the bush landscape, offering a
commercial kitchen and indoor /outdoor dining and gathering spaces for
140 people with administration areas. It replaces the no longer fit-for-purpose
‘admin block’ with energy efficiency design, solar power and bushfire safety
features. Construction has commenced to be ready for 2026.

Primary Ethics

Funding to deliver new curriculum topics for students to help guide them
towards better decision-making and wellbeing when navigating the online world.
To equip students with ethical decision-making skills and focus on technology’s
role in their everyday life, assessing online information, understanding data
privacy and AI. Each topic will include engaging lessons designed to foster
critical thinking, respectful discussion and responsible digital behaviour.

Professor Harry Messel International Science School

The Professor Harry Messel International Science School is a prestigious
biennial program, that gathers 110 exceptional Year 11 and 12 students,
from across the globe for two weeks of immersive STEM experiences,
inspiring lectures from leading researchers, lab tours and hands-on experiments,
and mentorship from early career scientists. Funding to help cover increased
post-COVID costs for regional and remote students, ensuring equitable
access to this transformative program.

Project Youth

‘Beyond Homelessness’ is a new podcast by Project Youth launching in 2025.
The podcast allows young people with lived experience to work as interviewers
and technical staff, providing pathways to employment. Young people need
platforms to be heard, to tell stories that inspire, to have a voice at the table
with decision makers. To fund specialist podcast equipment to run the podcast
and record it for sharing through YouTube and Spotify platforms.

Reading Out Of Poverty (ROOP)

‘Books from Birth’ provides early literacy skills to ensure school preparedness for
children aged 0-5 and targets children from low socio-economic backgrounds,
including migrants, refugees and indigenous individuals. The program focuses on
new mothers living in disadvantaged areas within the Albury/ Wodonga region.
Children will gain access to a literacy starter kit which includes bilingual tools to
engage their children in ready and early literacy activities.

SDN Child and Family Services

SDN’s pioneering scholarships help to reduce financial barriers for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander families, allowing them to access quality education and
care for their children in the year before school. The scholarship enables a child
to attend an SDN Centre two days a week for a period of twelve months and
will have a significant impact on long-term life outcomes for all children.

Smart* Program (*Science, Maths and Real Technology)

STEM Club is a workshop for students aged 8-12 years that provides the
opportunity to develop skills and interest in STEM through hands-on experiments
and activities, beyond what is offered in the school environment. To travel to
recognised low socio-economic areas within the Newcastle region and deliver
STEM Club within schools or community venues to engage and ignite students’
interest in STEM.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

Funding for a critical digital transformation of the online resource library and
national community hub, The Shared Table. This project will enable the Foundation
to scope, design, and commence development of a digital upgrade to ensure the
needs of primary school, early childhood and secondary school educators are being
met and enhanced. Shared Table is the delivery platform for thousands of educators
who run the Kitchen Garden Program around the country.

Story Factory

To deliver creative writing programs for up to 100 young people (aged 7-17) from
under-resourced communities in Western Sydney. Expert teaching staff and volunteer
writing tutors will guide students through carefully scaffolded writing activities –
oriented around topics that resonate with young people – which will reignite their
motivation to learn, unleash their creative potential, and strengthen their writing
skills. Each program culminates in a published anthology, designed to instil an
ongoing interest in writing.

Streetwork Australia

The Program is an early intervention strategy that seeks to reduce engagement in
youth crime by pairing at-risk young people with a Streetwork Youth Caseworker.
The Program combines a community network of specialist youth services, the
Northern Sydney Youth Services Collaborative, and aims to build protective factors
such as community connectedness and engagement in education and employment
while targeting mental health, drug and alcohol misuse and family relationships.

The PYJama Foundation

Through the Love of Learning Program, volunteers called ‘Pyjama Angels’ are
recruited, screened, trained and then matched with a child in care and spend time
with them once a week, focusing on learning-based activities. NSW has been
identified as an area of need for our Love of Learning Program. There are currently
212 children placed in NSW and the demand is great with 85 children on the
wait list.

The Smith Family Darlinghurst

Learning for Life (LFL) gives children living with poverty the tools and resources
they need to receive a fair education. LFL provides educational support beyond
the classroom in three ways: financial support for school essentials, personalised
support from a dedicated Family Partnership Coordinator (who works closely
with each student to problem-solve any barriers to education) and access
to education programs designed to meet the needs of children from
low-socioeconomic communities.

The University of Sydney

The Agenda for Action for Adolescents calls for high-quality, affordable digital
health services to improve health and wellbeing. There is a gap in community-
based preventive health services across Australia that are equitable, accessible
and co-designed with adolescents. This led to the development of the Health4Me
intervention, including a clinical trial to test its effectiveness. To fund the next step:
optimisation of Health4Me to a mobile app in collaboration with adolescents and an
experienced technology partner (Curve Tomorrow), to ensure maximum impact.

The University of Sydney

Empowering future engineers starts with access to industry-fit technology and
hands-on learning experiences. By integrating AI-powered robotics into outreach
programs and equipping student-led teams with the latest engineering tools, this
initiative will create a stronger pipeline into STEM careers. From sparking curiosity
in young minds to refining the capabilities of university students in aerospace,
robotics, and advanced manufacturing, this project ensures that more graduates
enter the workforce with the expertise needed to drive innovation.

University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)

To develop a unique Human Mobility Facility focused on upper limb mobility,
augmenting existing UNSW and NeuRA capabilities in lower limb mobility/gait
analysis. While gait analysis has standardised lower limb assessment approaches,
Sydney lacks specialised labs for upper limb mobility assessment. Funding to
purchase an Electromyography (EMG) system, enabling simultaneous capture of
muscle activity and motion data. This integrated approach will be invaluable for
evaluating rehab treatment effectiveness.

Adventures for Every Child will ensure no student is left behind or misses out
on important and valuable learning and travel experiences. Funding to enable
disadvantaged young people attending schools in NSW regional and remote
areas to participate in school excursions and field trips. It aims to improve
educational outcomes, provide equal opportunities, enhance wellbeing, and
strengthen school communities.

Youth Off The Streets

Funding towards Youth Off The Streets’ Step Up program offering an alternative
education to disadvantaged young people who have disengaged from mainstream
education. Support of this program will enable a supportive learning environment
for young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. In their pursuit of
education, training and employment, this grant will further support students through
wellbeing initiatives, counselling, appropriate attire, experiential outings, sports,
recreation, and many other activities to enhance students’ learning outcomes.

Funding to support the Broad Toothed Rat captive breeding program.
This program is based at the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby, NSW.
Aussie Ark has already funded the construction of a state-of-the-art breeding
facility for this species including a mostly solar-powered refrigerated room, and
specialised recreated swamp aquarium-style environments to meet the highly specific
requirements for this species to optimise breeding success. The funding
will go towards a specialist keeper, environmental management, specialist feed,
vet care and genetic testing.

Australian Seabird and Turtle Rescue rehabilitate impacted seabirds and turtles.
The rehabilitation effort includes housing impacted birds onsite in specialised
aviaries. Funding to upgrade the water ponds with custom-made polymer ponds
serviced with independent biological mechanical and UV filtration units to
improve the functionality and maintenance of seabird ponds.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy is developing and trialling a smart-gate
solution to address the need for flexible management of fenced areas.
A smart-gate is a double-gated tunnel that allows target species to move
through a fence based on AI recognition. A prototype is undergoing internal
trials within select fenced enclosures. Funding will support development of an
enhanced, more easily deployed and modular version, as well as training the
AI model and trialling a range of potential applications.

In collaboration with Cool.org, this project will enable school students to
act for threatened species and biodiversity. Biodiversity Council will design
and develop educational materials that incorporate their research-based,
high-impact biodiversity actions. Cool.org will map these to the Australian
Curriculum ensuring these resources are available and free for teachers to
use across Australia.

The Critical Wildlife Rescue and Treatment Fund will directly support Byron Bay
Wildlife Hospital and its ability to provide continuous, expert veterinary care for
sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. The funding will be allocated towards medical
supplies and consumables, medications, diagnostic tools and laboratory testing
to ensure accurate and timely treatment, and specialised veterinary equipment
maintenance to keep essential tools operational.

Located in northern NSW, this 33-hectare property in koala habitat was cleared for
cattle grazing. Now an ERF-registered ecological restoration project, it connects
bushland between two national parks, creating a wildlife corridor and enhancing
biodiversity. Over 70,270 native trees have been planted with a 97% survival rate
and 115% average growth. Funding to support a 3-year maintenance program for
woody weed control to protect biodiversity gains and ensure long-term success.

Climateworks Centre’s Natural Capital Measurement Catalogue is a world-first
open-source, science-based reference for measuring natural capital across all scales
and land use types. The project will develop an online demonstration portal enabling
users to access publicly available spatial data for selected metrics from various
sources, easily and at no cost. By making public nature data more accessible and
user-friendly, Climateworks aim to drive progress towards positive nature outcomes.

On behalf of clients, Environmental Justice Australia’s team of nature lawyers
hold governments to account for failures to meet legal obligations that lead to
destruction of vulnerable ecosystems, habitats and species; and scrutinises
industries and projects that are the biggest contributors to ecosystem collapse.

Funding for an environmental research project to survey farmers on the best
practices to reduce agricultural emissions. The survey will evaluate the effectiveness
of current pathways to net zero emissions for farmers and amplify farmers’ voices
to conserve natural resources. Funding to support the community work of building
effective and durable support for climate action within major agricultural groups
and with new farmers.

Funding to refurbish and modernise the on-site education centre, originally built in
1980. This facility is vital for training wildlife carers, veterinarians, and students
from across NSW and beyond in wildlife rescue, emergency response, wildlife
rehabilitation, veterinary care and biodiversity conservation. The funding will be
used to improve facilities including new furniture, new AV equipment, satellite
internet, as well as refurbishing the enclosures and displays of rescued reptiles and
amphibians inside the education centre building.

Funding for Australia’s first State of Environmental Biosecurity Report, to outline
how invasive species are driving extinction and causing the destruction of globally
significant species and ecosystems. It will identify the next group of extinctions.
This report will be used by stakeholders to understand the status of environmental
biosecurity in Australia so that we can halt the extinction crisis.

EnviroMentors is Keep Australia Beautiful NSW’s incursion program which brings
interactive sustainability workshops to classrooms across NSW. The ‘EnviroMentors
FOGO Workshop Development’ project will add a new topic to the range of
workshops Food Waste and FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) and
will be taught to primary school students.

This project will develop a comprehensive Australian action plan to increase the
area of kelp forest ecosystem protected and restored, and help Australia meet its
international commitments. Funding will support an international workshop to
create evidence-based recommendations and policy frameworks to restore and
protect kelp forests, with a focus on sustainable solutions, Indigenous leadership,
and biodiversity conservation.

Hunter Wildlife Rescue is purchasing six Vetario T30 Portable Intensive Care Units,
a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose small animal ICU specifically designed to meet the
critical care needs of vulnerable wildlife. This unit is essential for providing warmth
and isolation for young, sick, injured, or weak animals and birds. Hunter Wildlife
Rescue operates entirely through the efforts of dedicated volunteers to cover an
area of more than one million hectares.

Funding for Portable Wombat Pre-release Enclosures. Each of these enclosures will
be made up of cattle yard perimeter fencing panels with colour bond shielding, steel
mesh floor panels and gates. Also, funding towards purchasing an appropriately
sized trailer to move these portable enclosures to suitable locations.

To purchase equipment to maintain momentum and expand operations this year.
With a Rainforest Rescue ‘first’ involving the purchase and future restoration of
110 Cape Tribulation Road, the funding will help to increase efficiency in the
nursery and land teams, to tackle this large restoration project and ensure the
long-term success of their efforts.

This project will develop a set of practical soil health monitoring resources and
upskilling opportunities to support profitable, resilient and environmentally
sustainable farming. Soils for Life will produce a comprehensive guide with
embedded videos and case studies, covering the what, why and how of monitoring
and interpreting test results to inform decision making. Three live and recorded
webinars will bring the guide to life through peer learning and access to specialists.
Outputs will be shared via podcasts, social media and other formats to suit diverse
learning styles.

Surfers for Climate

Blue Minds Youth Ocean Leadership, a Surfers for Climate initiative with Good
Human Factory, tackles youth eco-anxiety nationwide. In six months, Surfers for
Climate have successfully run in-person workshops to over 5,000 youth. Funding
will scale the program by creating Blue Minds Digital Resources such as video
lessons, worksheets, and lesson plans for six lessons in partnership with Cool.org
Australia. Covering ocean conservation, health, climate science, innovation, and
eco-anxiety, these resources will bridge a critical gap in Australian schools.

Sydney Institute of Marine Science Foundation (SIMS)

Funding to develop sample processing pipelines that integrate artificial intelligence
into the monitoring of marine biodiversity. Building on Project Restore’s restoration
framework in Sydney Harbour, the Foundation will collaborate with the
Australian National University to develop high throughput methods for imaging
and sequencing marine invertebrates. They will train AI models to identify and
quantify invertebrate diversity in restored habitats. By leveraging photomicroscopy
and DNA automated classification techniques, the Foundation aims to enhance
the accuracy, efficiency and scalability of biodiversity assessments

Conservation science applied to koala health, reproductive biology and
translocation, will help deliver translocation goals set out in the Koala Strategy.
In 2024, Taronga conducted essential koala capture, collaring, and health
assessments on the NSW mid-north coast. These populations were identified
as low density and at risk of local extinction. Funding will support fieldwork
and surveys, maintaining GPS collars and base stations, and annual health
reassessments. The influence of sex, age, disease state on home range size and
movement speed data will help to stabilise these populations.

Funding to establish a climate-adjusted provenance trial of high mountain snow
gums and co-occurring Eucalypts to identify variants best suited to withstand
warming, drying conditions and the current decline mediated by Phoracantha,
a native wood boring beetle. This funding will leverage the Australian Mountain
Research Facility and the ‘Save Our Snow Gum’ project. Additionally, funding for
an education and outreach program focused on mountain research, conservation,
and management, using snow gum decline and the planting trials as key themes.

Insurance breeding and field mapping will document the current wild
weedy seadragon population, utilising data and public engagement,
including citizen scientist divers to support the preservation of this iconic
species. This is a partnership of science, art and community between the
UTS Fish Ecology Lab and Jordan Askill Jewellery and Sculpture Lab.
Funding to gather a clear data set to assess the status of wild populations
of seadragons in Southeastern Australia.

Funding to scale the Indigenous Women Rangers Environmental Network
(WREN) into remote Western Australia regions, increasing job participation
for Indigenous women while caring for Country. Through funding an
in-depth 3-day skills share educational forum for emerging leaders from
isolated communities, women will connect with local groups in the Kimberley.
Through learning vital skills and culturally aligned decision-making practices,
participants will form strategies and activity plans for their communities.
Outcomes include boosting skills and employment, improving socio-economic
inequality and enhanced biodiversity.

Funding to support vital connections for people seeking asylum in Sydney, assisting
clients to apply for NSW public transport Opal cards and provide free Opal card
top ups and free phone top ups for an agreed period, directly to those who are
unemployed, do not yet qualify for income support, and are facing severe financial
hardship. In a recent strategic review, clients said that these services were amongst
the most helpful during this time.

The Australian Youth Orchestra returns to the world stage for the first time in six years
this July, performing at six major festivals and concert hall stages in Europe before
returning to Australia for a celebratory ‘homecoming’ concert at Sydney Opera
House. Funding to support musicians to participate in the tour via their means-tested
financial assistance program which offsets program fees for participants, and to
engage with targeted secondary schools around the Homecoming Concert at
Sydney Opera House, including provision of concert tickets and learning resources.

Funding to purchase a second van, removing transportation barriers for autistic
individuals and ensuring full participation in programs. The van will provide safe,
reliable transport for key initiatives, including social dinners, ‘MATES4U’ outings,
and ‘Model MATES’ workshops. Group travel fosters friendships, inclusion, and
independence, strengthening community ties.

Funding to keep some of regional Australia’s most disadvantaged young people
alive, out of jail and chasing their hopes and dreams, by providing wraparound
youth work, including tailored education, holistic support, housing, diversionary
activities, and training and employment pathways, catering to the complex needs
of each young person. This project will provide young people with safe and
functional equipment to volunteer and work.

Funding to provide a full term of professional ballet classes tailored for children
of primary school age, at no cost. Ballet Without Borders aims to make ballet
education accessible to all children, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Specifically, we will deliver introductory ballet courses for children in the Penrith,
Bankstown and Fairfield areas.

Rekindling, provides free cultural dance residencies to young Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander secondary school students. It fosters pride, kinship, and strength
through On Country experiences, storytelling with Elders, and skill-building. Funding
for two Gatherings on Thursday Island to build cultural connections following an
initial Gathering in May 2025. Gathering Two explored creativity workshops and
Gathering Three prepared for a public performance. A return visit in June 2026
will reconnect with community to support journey.

Reconnect is an early intervention program for at-risk or homeless youth aged
12-18 in the Inner West area. It aims to break the cycle of disadvantage by helping
young people maintain family and community connections, access services, and
pursue education or employment opportunities. Through intensive casework,
counselling, and practical goal setting, Reconnect supports vulnerable youth.
Funding to purchase services and equipment like short employment courses,
driver’s license courses, and reconditioned devices (laptops, phones, tablets) to
enhance job readiness.

An expansive access program for the 2026 Biennale of Sydney, allowing Australian
artists and audiences with disabilities to fulsomely participate in the festival.
The program includes tours and events for deaf audiences led by deaf artists; as
well as a range of Auslan videos, captioning, and live event interpretation. It also
includes tours and events for low vision audiences e.g. audio description and tactile
tours; and digital labels and tablets to improve access when reading exhibition text.
Funding for equipment and material costs, staff training, artist and facilitator fees
and transcription costs.

Funding to continue the 2024 program Unwaged. It invites unwaged and
marginalized communities to visit Belvoir St Theatre completely free-of-charge
for one show per production. Belvoir St Theatre will present eight Unwaged
performances, equivalent to 2,500 individual tickets. For many of the Unwaged
community, these performances are an opportunity to connect with each other,
a reason to get out of bed and sometimes a chance to see stories from their
community presented on stage.

Since 2017, the Corowa SHE Shed has provided a welcoming and supportive
environment for women, offering non-traditional activities such as woodworking,
metalwork and welding, plus a mosaics group. As the SHE Shed membership grows,
more space is required to cater for activities and new programs. Funding to extend
the existing mezzanine floor, following construction of a new internal dividing wall,
plus equipment, power tools, a 3D printer and industrial vacuum cleaner.

Funding to help purchase fruit and snacks, critical in improving the nutrition of
children in regional schools in the Wollongong and Illawarra region. Volunteer
sandwich-making sessions and donations of materials, ingredients and snacks help
to keep program costs low.

Ensemble Offspring (EO) seeks funding to provide free access tickets for regional
and low-ICSEA high school groups and First Nations Mob to attend NSW concerts
in 2025-26. Concerts span metro Sydney, Sutherland, Newcastle, Wyong, Oberon
and Merimbula. EO champions Australian music, commissioning living composers
with a focus on First Nations and female-identifying creatives. Removing access
barriers to concerts fosters cultural, representational and educational growth.
The music aligns with the HSC curriculum, including the mandatory topic
Australian Music of the last 25 years.

Over the last year, Foodbank has experienced record weekly food orders from
their community partners. In fact, some of the largest community partners are
anecdotally reporting an increase in demand for food by almost 40%. At the
same time, there has been a gradual decline in food donations from 70% of total
food supply, to 60% and they are now heading towards 50%. Funding to provide
30,000 meals and keep food on the tables of desperate families living in regional
NSW and the ACT.

This project will fund custom-made bikes for children with disabilities in regional
NSW, ensuring physical, geographical and financial barriers do not prevent them
benefiting from participation in cycling. Innovative adaptations such as e-assist and
tailored posture supports will be chosen by therapists to suit each child’s unique needs.
This will enable children to ride with family and friends, often for the first time.

Funding to support Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) survivors providing
essential items such as clothing, beds, whitegoods, groceries, fuel vouchers, security
cameras, and school supplies. These items are distributed free via registered support
organisations. This project delivers tangible and practical support to individuals
and bolsters the capacity of DFV organisations by allowing them to redirect limited
resources from searching for items for clients, towards delivering front-line services,
including crisis accommodation, legal support, and counselling.

Gondwana Choirs’ National Choral School, Australia’s premier training program
for young musicians from all over Australia, will convene at the University of
Sydney’s Women’s College in January 2026 for intensive rehearsals and electives
with leading music educators and artists. The Voices of Angels concert, a festive
highlight at City Recital Hall, showcases the National Choirs and Sydney Children’s
Choirs. The Sydney Children’s Choir offers weekly training in Sydney and Western
Sydney, with bursaries ensuring access for all children.

To fund one-on-one sessions and small group therapeutic activities. These highly
individualised sessions are co-designed with young people to address emerging
mental health issues and heal trauma and build protection. Conducted outdoors,
sessions often include a fun activity and a shared meal. This holistic model provides
vulnerable and at-risk young people with wraparound care, fostering confidence,
resilience, and social skills to help them thrive.

Delivery of a free weekly playgroup for children aged 0-12 months and their parents
and carers over 12 months, during school terms. The playgroup will particularly
support parents who are socially isolated, struggling with the transition to
parenthood or experiencing challenges in caring for, bonding with, or understanding
their baby. Funding will support facilitation, planning and evaluation of the
playgroup by qualified Educators, attendance by Child and Family Health Nurses,
Social Workers, Allied Health Therapists and program supervision.

Funding to undertake an upgrade of the IT equipment utilised by the staff team daily
to deliver services to women and their babies. Karinya House will purchase and install
new essential IT equipment to replace existing devices which are now out of warranty.

The project funds children to participate in incursions, excursions, and interactive
sessions that build empathy, enhance mental health, and promote volunteerism.
By shifting roles from recipients to active givers, our initiative empowers kids with
purpose and connects them with local charities for ongoing community engagement.
Their hands-on age-appropriate programs include cooking meals, assembling
breakfast boxes and care packs, and teaching volunteering and kindness.

The ‘My Legacy’ project at the Manly Adolescent and Young Adults Hospice
(AYAH) aims to provide patients with life-limiting conditions and their families
with opportunities to create tangible memories during their time together.
Recognising the profound emotional and psychological benefits of creative
expression and legacy-building, this project encompasses two key components –
digital storytelling through audio/video production and therapeutic art creation
using ceramics. Funding to purchase a laptop, pottery wheel, and kiln.

Funding for two interlinked projects driving social impact. ‘Creating Impact’ pilots a
shared impact framework with arts organisations nationwide, culminating in a 2026
report. Findings will inform tools and benchmarks to assess creative practice’s impact
on vulnerable communities. ‘UNIFY’ engages multicultural youth, including refugees
and asylum seekers, in creative projects fostering belonging. ‘UNIFY’ expands access
for these communities and contributes to the ‘Creating Impact’ measurement cohort.

Funding for the globally recognised ‘NurtureTime’ program, an in-hospital peer
support service for families going through the emotionally challenging and often
traumatic journey of watching their premature or sick newborn fight for their life
in the NICU. A trained support worker who has been through this journey with
their own baby, will visit families weekly in the NICU to provide support,
guidance, hope and information.

Funding to partially support the Kempsey laundry pod operations. Orange Sky’s
mission is to positively connect communities by offering free laundry and shower
services and non-judgmental conversation in metro, regional, and remote areas,
assisting people experiencing homelessness or without adequate laundry resources.
The metro and regional services are volunteer-driven and remotely partnering with
communities to generate employment opportunities within remote communities.

Parramatta Mission’s ‘Conversational English’ helps migrants and refugees gain
English skills, confidence, and connections to integrate, access education, and
navigate life in Australia. Parramatta Mission helps participants to gain enough
English for daily life. Funding to provide essential learning materials, train staff
to improve teaching and to expand engagement opportunities.

Refugee Advice and Casework Service

While waiting for their asylum claims to be determined, people seeking asylum are
granted a bridging visa. However, this doesn’t automatically give them permission
to work. People can wait years for their asylum claims to be processed and not
being allowed to earn an income while waiting leaves many individuals and families
homeless, destitute, and reliant on charities for food and essential supports. This
project provides the necessary specialised legal services people need, to submit a
detailed request to the Government for permission to work due to financial hardship.

South Eastern Community Connect (SECC) family care is about the support of FDV
survivors, in particular mums with young children in southeast Sydney. Funding to
provide material resources such as pantry items, baby essentials, uniforms, stationery
for children, emergency relocation expenses, and food and gift vouchers. SECC
alleviates financial burden and immediate needs, promoting safety and well-being,
empowering victims towards long-term independence and self-sufficiency.

Southern Cross Kids’ Camps (SCKC) Illawarra provides hope to children affected
by trauma with annual camps. The camps are a structured five-day intervention
program, with most children attending being in out-of-home care. They are
referred to SCKC by welfare organisations or foster parents. Each child is paired
one-on-one with an adult volunteer who is their companion for the five days.
Funding towards accommodation, catering and camp activities.

The Stepping Stone House Education Program provides young people at risk
of homelessness in Greater Sydney with high-quality, personalised support for
school, TAFE, and /or tertiary education. The program includes homework
assistance, access to external tutoring, developmental workshops, funds
for school equipment, and extra-curricular activities.

Funding to create a video to be viewed by refugee families using life-size
puppets talking with a refugee mother, explaining normal feelings around
the loss of family and culture, adjusting to this new culture to give a message
of hope. The puppets use a large alphabet throughout. Funding to create
a booklet that accompanies the puppets. Strong Mothers have created
eight booklets, supported by James N. Kirby Foundation, and this project
is a first for refugees.

Launched in 2022, The Foundation has supported the ‘Ukrainian Helping Hand’
Project from its inception, providing crisis care, rental assistance, trauma support,
and career pathways for over 2000 displaced Ukrainian women and children.
Co-designed with the Ukrainian Council of NSW and supported by NSW
STARTTS, this program now faces growing demand as humanitarian visas
reach their three-year limit. Funding will provide trauma therapy, psychological
support, and career pathways to help women rebuild their lives in Sydney.

‘From Now’ diverts pregnant women and mothers from incarceration, preventing
family separation and breaking cycles of disadvantage. The Foundation meets
them at prison gates, courthouse steps, or unstable housing, offering alternatives to
prison. Without support, many would give birth behind bars and lose their children,
perpetuating trauma. Instead, The Foundation provides housing, stability, and
holistic care. Funding to create an outreach space for at-risk women; to cover court
travel costs for regional women; and to expand trauma recovery programs
like yoga and art therapy.

Funding towards a scholarship for its full-time ‘Pre-Professional Year’ Program.
The Company is at the forefront of contemporary dance, both in Australia and
internationally, and being immersed in this environment enables the young dancer
to cultivate an inquisitive mind and sophisticated movement, preparing them for
the professional environment. The purpose of the scholarship is to create access
for a financially disadvantaged student who otherwise could not take up their
hard-earned place on the program.

The ‘Legacy Wattle Group’ Program is a recreational and social inclusion initiative
for older people with intellectual disabilities, aged 40-80, enrolled with Sydney
Legacy. It creates a supportive environment, promoting diversity, accessibility,
and inclusion, tailored for those experiencing social isolation and grief.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has been dedicated to sharing music across
NSW for decades. This tour is driven by the commitment to the accessibility
of live symphonic music and deepens their engagement with regional audiences,
particularly families with children. From August to October, the regional tour
provides performances, family concerts, and educational workshops to Dubbo,
Albury, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Wollongong, Wyong, and Nowra. Funding for
the family concerts in Wagga Wagga and Albury.

Russ the Story Bus is a retired school bus that has been converted into a moving
children’s library. Across a 10-week tour, Russ brings a high-profile writer talk to
10,000 students across Western Sydney and Regional NSW. Participating children
are also allowed to select a book to take home. For many this will be the first book
that they own. Schools selected are economically disadvantaged, have high First
Nations enrolments and at least 50% of enrolments speak a language other than
English at home. Funding for an essential contribution towards purchasing books
for the students to take home.

Sydney Youth Orchestras (SYO) supports regional NSW musicians to attend
Summer and Winter Schools, intensive programs held during school holidays.
These provide access to conductors, full orchestra experience, and peer networking.
In 2024, SYO offered 60 places to musicians from Armidale, Bega, Bellingen,
Dubbo, Pambula, Port Macquarie, Raymond Terrace, Tathra, Urunga, and Wagga
Wagga. Scholarships cover participation fees, with travel bursaries available.
Support ensures these young musicians can access high-quality orchestral training,
often not available at this scale in their hometown.

This project will bring the Foundation’s first woodwinds (recorder, clarinet,
flute) into the Program. Both intakes will have students from the Parramatta
and Cumberland council areas. Funding to add solo performance instruction
to the Strings Program. Solo performances were introduced at the January 2025
Music Camp and were hugely successful. Funding will help cover costs such as
woodwind instruments, solo materials and staff.

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation provides support and comfort for
vulnerable children entering emergency accommodation by providing ‘Buddy Bags’.
Each Buddy Bag contains new essentials including toothbrush/toothpaste, pyjamas,
socks, underwear, a book, a toy and a teddy bear, thoughtfully packed by
volunteers in a new backpack.

The Australian Ballet’s ‘Education and Outreach Program’ will implement a
series of activities to improve the educational outcomes, arts experience and
career-readiness of children and young adults with disability across Sydney.
This includes an access program for children with disabilities at Sydney Opera
House – a program for schools and community groups to take part in workshops
and attend a relaxed performance in the Utzon Room at Sydney Opera House.
True Grit, in partnership with Lifestart, is a year-long program of arts training
and personal development for young adults with disability, culminating in a
creative residency at Sydney Opera House.

Funding to develop and capture the next instalment of the digital resource series,
In The Round or Macbeth:360. The 2025 project will focus on Shakespeare’s
Othello, which is a popular text for Australian schools yet rarely produced or
performed. The series will be available digitally and on-demand to primary and
secondary students across Australia, ensuring access and equity for all Australian
students. Funding for the program will support total project costs of script
development, rehearsal, and a film shoot involving up to six performers,
creative team and video production crew.

Since 2003, The Footpath Library (TFL) has operated mobile library outreach
services for people experiencing homelessness. In 2025, the need is greater than
ever as more people are forced below the poverty line – increased cost of living,
housing shortages and affordability pressures, increase in domestic and family
violence. TFL aims to operate up to 15 mobile libraries in Sydney for people to
access free quality books, reading glasses, and knitted goods as well as provide
a safe and welcoming space for social connection and inclusion.

Funding to support activity and resource costs for the children’s Vacation Care
program which provides 11 weeks of free holiday programming to low-income
families every year. The program provides children with a safe place to spend school
holidays, food relief, and educational and recreational incursions and excursions
with the aim to increase their social, emotional, and educational wellbeing outcomes.

Funding to meet the food budget for the financial year. Due to the steady increase
of women accessing the free meals at Lou’s Place and the rise in grocery costs,
the budget has increased by 50%. This year Lou’s Place will provide over 14,000
nutritious homemade meals that are cooked from scratch by volunteers and
served in a safe and caring environment.

Funding to design, plan and conduct an in-person Training Conference for the
national volunteer team providing critical support to Tables nationally. To train
and increase the numbers and leverage of an expanded volunteer ‘Kitchen Team’,
provide fulfilling roles to passionate volunteer men in the community and build
the capacity for more community led mental health and suicide prevention
support. Training will assist volunteers to build sustainable new Tables including
being able to deal with complex situations.

Garrigarang Badu is a large-scale female led First Nations contemporary dance
work in Dharug language, created and choreographed by Peta Strachan, artistic
director of Jannawi Dance Clan. Garrigarrang Badu draws on a fusion of
contemporary and traditional choreographic and music forms. Songs and dances,
each portraying the lives of Dharug women offer a deep exploration of healing
and spiritual connection. In amplifying female voices and narratives, Garrigarrang
Badu plays homage to the intrinsic role women played in shaping and enriching the
Dharug nation for many years.

Emerging Artist Share Hub (EASH) supported up to 48 emerging local performance
companies (between 120-190 artists) to present their work in the 2025 Sydney
Fringe Festival. This hub is the breeding ground for the next generation of artists,
creatives and cultural leaders, providing them the opportunity to take part in the
largest independent Arts festival in NSW, build their profile, access development
space for new work, networking opportunities, capacity building programs and
touring networks while generating vital performance income and most importantly
have their shows seen on a Sydney stage.

Fletcher Street Cottage (FSC), a homelessness support hub in Byron Bay, is
launching the ‘Women’s Afternoon’, a support program for women (and their
children) experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Byron Shire. Held Tuesdays
after FSC has closed to the public, this safe and private program will cater to
women who face unique barriers in accessing support and transitioning out of
crisis. The program will provide essential basic-needs services alongside tailored
wraparound supports, helping women rebuild stability and safety in their lives.

‘Living Stories’ is a writing competition designed to ensure the stories and
perspectives of residents from Western Sydney are seen, heard and celebrated.
In partnership with fifty-five Western Sydney libraries serving over two million
residents, and through workshops delivered by professional writers, work
created to raise young people’s voices onto a highly visible platform where
they communicate beyond their circles, and into the wider world.