Make a Difference
Grant funding
A Foundation that supports the community
In order to promote in perpetuity the mission of the Sisters of Charity of Australia, specifically to the service of the poor, the Congregational Leader and Council established the Sisters of Charity Foundation in 2000.
The Sisters knew that while there were plenty of government-funded initiatives and established charity organisations that helped many in our society, countless others were overlooked. The Foundation’s first initiative, the Community Grants Program, was aimed at helping groups who already make a big difference to those in need, so they can have an even greater impact.
Support for care leavers
A scholarship that transforms lives
Only 1% of young people who grow up in out-of-home care attend university, compared to approximately 40% of their peers. Something had to be done to help close the gap.
In 2012 the Foundation launched a Tertiary Scholarship Program to empower dedicated students from out-of-home care backgrounds to transform their lives through education.
Refugees and asylum seekers
Support for asylum seekers
In 2014, to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Sisters of Charity in Australia, the Foundation decided to assist people seeking asylum with housing.
Providence House, a residential apartment building in Sydney’s Inner West, was purchased and renovated by the Foundation and provided safe and welcoming accommodation to dozens of asylum seekers until it closed in March 2024. The Foundation is currently developing a new model to assist people seeking asylum.
Modern slavery
A new beginning for modern slavery survivors
There are an estimated 41,000 people living in slavery-like conditions in Australia today. The Modern Slavery Transitional Housing Program was launched in February 2020 to provide housing assistance for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking in Australia.
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