Support disadvantaged students in Australia and you’re doing more than giving money. You’re telling a young person that they matter. That their future is worth fighting for, even when circumstances say otherwise.
At A Start in Life, we’ve been walking alongside students facing financial disadvantage since 1923. More than a century of showing up for kids who need someone in their corner. Every donation we receive goes directly to personalised support, the kind that helps a student stay engaged in learning, build real confidence, and start to dream bigger than their circumstances allow.
We’re not a large bureaucracy. We’re a small, focused team, and that means when you make a donation in Australia, your support reaches the students who need it fastest.
A Start in Life is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR1) status. That means every tax-deductible donation in Australia of $2 or more made by an Australian resident may be claimed at tax time.
You’ll receive a receipt for your records. Your generosity doesn’t just help students in need. It may also reduce your taxable income at the end of the financial year.
If you’re looking to support a child’s education in a way that is transparent, accountable, and deeply human, you’re in the right place.
73% goes direct to students
All donations of $2 or more may be tax-deductible for Australian residents.
A receipt will be issued for your records. A Start in Life is an ACNC-registered charity (ABN: 21 871 881 074).
Not every child arrives at school on equal footing. In Australia, students from low-income families are, on average, two to three years behind their more advantaged peers by the time they reach Year 9, according to the Grattan Institute (2020). That gap doesn’t close on its own. It takes real, consistent, targeted support.
Behind every figure below is a real student. A kid who has never been on a camp. A teenager who finally gets one-on-one time with a mentor who sees their potential.
This is what your generosity looks like in a life.
$20 - Funds a learning course to build foundational skills.
$50 - Provides a mentorship session with a trained professional.
$100 - Sends a student on a school camp or excursion, often for the first time.
$300 - Opens a world of interests; sport, arts, music, or creative expression.
$500 - Covers tutoring sessions that close the gap.
$1,000 - Supports a student for an entire year.
None of these are abstract line items. Every donation places a student one step closer to the future they are working toward. That future is closer than they think. You are the reason it stays within reach.