Stream 1 – Sisters of St Joseph – 2026
| Organisation Name | Project Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| Diocese of Pt. Pirie S.A. | Assisting community members in the rural parishes of Burra, Pr. Broughton/ Snowtown and Jamestown with their emotional, mental & spiritual well-being through visiting, offering support and being present to those who are elderly, geographically isolated & differently able. Sr. Kerry’s work spans 14 small towns across the 3 rural parishes which are poorly resourced and geographically distant. | S.A. |
| NSW Founders and Followers Committee | Professional Printing of Pilgrimage Booklets The project aims to present the idea of pilgrimage in a holistic way which weaves together the historical and spiritual aspects of the journey and presents it in the form of a booklet which each person can read and experience in a personal way as a self-guided tour. The pilgrimages are based on the legacy of Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods and the work of the Josephite Sisters. There are four pilgrimages to be printed as booklets, namely Waverley, Rookwood, Kincumber and Southeast NSW, while the Gore Hill Cemetery – first burial site of Mary MacKillop needs to be reprinted to replenish numbers. | NSW |
| Josephite Justice Network (JJN) | Community Welcome Weekend Two-day residential weekend gathering that will provide opportunities for refugee & asylum seeker families to build social connections, access information about support services and meet local community members. It goes beyond meeting these families’ material needs – it lays the foundation for these communities to feel included, connected to wider networks and begin their journey in a new country feeling safe and supported. | NSW |
| Josephite Action Group (JAG) | Youth Advocacy Training Providing training through workshops covering areas of advocacy strategies, public speaking & community organising for young people who are passionate about social justice and positive change. Focuses on youth who may feel excluded from traditional leadership pathways or lack the opportunity to access formal advocacy training/mentoring in building leadership & communication skills. | TAS |
Stream 2 – General (Non SOSJ) – 2026
| Organisation Name | Project Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| Prisoners Aid (ACT) Ngambri/Ngunnawal Country | Ready for Release – Young Women’s Community Participation Initiative A structured 6–8-week pre-release pilot program that provides practical preparation for young women in custody. Ready for Release facilitates weekly workshops where participants build skills in budgeting, housing readiness, service navigation, employment preparation and goal setting. Delivered in a culturally responsive manner, recognising the needs of First Nations women and women from culturally diverse backgrounds. Each participant completes a Personalised Transition Plan and receives resource materials for use after release. This program responds to a significant gap in the preparedness of women leaving custody and facing barriers to reintegration. The program prioritises women aged 18–24 years, returning to rural/regional communities where possible. | ACT |
| Chupis Ltd. Bundjalung Country | Made by Us: Empowering Rural Young Women Through Menstrual Health Education Engaging a total of 40 to 60 young women across 3 Northern Rivers communities this project addresses the issue of period poverty focusing on rural young women aged 12 to 25 years, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants. The project is twofold:
Through empowering young women with leadership skills, increased confidence and practical solutions the project aims to build community capacity and provide sustainable, positive outcomes. | NSW |
| Delegate Public School P&C Association Ngarigo and Bidawell | Delegate River Access & Environmental Restoration Project Restore a section of riverbank adjacent to Delegate Public School currently overgrown with invasive Blackberry & weeds, and create safe, inclusive access to the Delegate River for the entire community. Key benefits include:
| NSW |
| Coolamon Community Incorporated Kamilaroi | Coolamon Community Moree Pius X Support The project provides ‘Coolamons’ or support bundles to Aboriginal mothers receiving maternal care through the Pius X Aboriginal Health Service in Moree. This need has been identified due to many mothers facing significant barriers during pregnancy and early motherhood — including financial hardship, housing instability, limited access to baby essentials and intergenerational trauma. By providing practical, culturally respectful baby resources directly to the mother through trusted local health care workers, it opens up opportunities to strengthen ante-natal & post-natal engagement with these women and reinforces safe sleep education & maternal wellbeing discussions. This will lead to “mothers feeling confident, prepared and supported -and babies beginning life in a safe, culturally affirming environment”. | NSW |
| Australian Pasifika Educators Network Incorporated Turrbal Country and Yuggera (Jagera) Country | Respecting People and Country Developing a Samoan-language Acknowledgement of Country lesson plan and facilitator toolkit co-designed with First Nations leaders to understand and actively engage Samoan youth and families about what it means to live and connect to Country through a cultural lens. Language barriers, limited culturally responsive resources and the absence of Pacific-led education initiatives mean families are engaging with reconciliation without the tools to do so meaningfully. As a result, Pacific communities which are one of Australia’s fastest growing diaspora groups remain largely absent from reconciliation discourse. It is hoped this initiative will address that gap. | QLD |
| You Belong Australia Jagera, Giabal, and Jarowair | Resilient Young Founders: Toowoomba’s Refugee Girls’ Leadership Initiative A six-week leadership program for refugee-background girls (ages 15–18 years) in Toowoomba covering financial literacy, entrepreneurial thinking, and public speaking. It responds to the “double disadvantage” – systemic hurdles alongside cultural and gender-based barriers to financial independence – faced by them during resettlement. It has several advantages:
The program transforms a workshop series into a long-term pathway for economic participation & community leadership and changes the lens through which these young women are seen both by themselves and wider society. | QLD |
| Alive City Care Gureng Gureng | Making Men School holiday program that teaches practical skills while building communication and social literacy through mentoring to boys aged 12 – 16 years who come from single parent or disadvantaged backgrounds. During a 3-5 day period they will be taught new skills, such as basic car maintenance, handyman skills, cooking etc. as well as fun activities, such as fishing and playing sport. Alongside these practical activities, the boys will be mentored by trained volunteers. The vision is that teaching young boys’ vital skills in a fun, hands-on way while keeping them safe during the holiday period through mentoring & relationship building will create resilient, capable and empathetic community members for the future. | QLD |
| The Gold Foundation Incorporated Kaurna Country | Regional Mobile Café – Inclusive Employment Pathways for Young Autistic People This project will create supported employment and community engagement opportunities for young Autistic people aged 14 years and over in regional South Australia, including Gawler, the Barossa Valley and Renmark. The mobile café will attend community events at local locations, providing a practical environment where participants develop hospitality, teamwork and customer service skills through real workplace experience which will help them when seeking pathways into employment, volunteering or further training. It also strengthens partnerships with regional organisations and businesses, supporting more inclusive employment pathways and increasing community awareness of the strengths of Autistic young people. | SA |
| Belgium Avenue Neighbourhood House (BANH) Inc. Quo-yung and Yálla-birr-ang | African Australian Youth Curriculum Support Program Focuses on African Australian families living in public housing who are facing educational disadvantage. The program offers a free weekly Homework Club for these students aged 6-15 years, utilising qualified tutors and volunteers, providing culturally safe curriculum support. Most of these parents have not completed formal schooling themselves and English is a 2nd language. It limits the parents’ ability to help their children with school work, putting their children at risk of falling behind in numeracy and literacy, impacting their confidence, school engagement and long-term opportunities. Parent engagement activities are also arranged to develop their communication skills. Healthy snacks are provided and the session concludes with a shared meal together with parents, students and facilitators. | VIC |
| Kyabram Blue Light Ngurraiillam | KyFit gym based mentoring program- Leadership Camps Program is designed for 10-18 year olds who are disengaged from traditional sport, lacking confidence, risk of inactivity/boredom, and need positive role models and support. Program provides supervised strength and conditioning sessions with mentoring, goal setting, and life skills development. Aims to increase physical activity levels, engagement, improved resilience, confidence, and stronger peer connections. 12 month program meeting weekly during school terms, plus camps. | VIC |
| Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Centre Gunaikurnai | Rural Women’s Resilience & Well-being Program The program is focused on women in rural & remote Gippsland who have limited access to place-based wellbeing and mental health support, as well as skills development and employment opportunities. Additionally, they face isolation and stress due to economic uncertainty, community and family responsibilities. The program provides a quarterly workshop focused on business and practical enterprise skills, building personal confidence, and stress-management skills leading to positive outcomes. | VIC |
| Bike Creative Gija | Remote Bike Pilot Program Delivery of bikes & tools together with intensive hands-on teaching to remote Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley where 50+ children often share only 5 working bikes. Children will learn to build, fix, and ride safely through genuine two-way learning where they feel heard, valued, and understood. The program delivers several benefits namely, the structured modules train teachers to continue programs independently which leads to capacity building and self-sufficiency within communities through skills transfer; leadership development where older students mentor younger ones thereby building capacity; develop sustainable infrastructure such as bike trails leading to investment within the community, and better health outcomes through physical activity and social connections which support positive community growth. The program’s hands-on learning model aligns well with Indigenous learning preferences. | WA |
| Live to tell your story INC. Ngaanyatjarra Lands | power Up 4 Dust Up Relationship-driven, built on community invitation, practical training program co-designed with Elders and schools across eight remote school campuses of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in WA. The program centres round providing high-quality, hands on training in cooking, food safety, nutrition, and well-being to First Nations young people living in extremely isolated Western Desert communities, many of whom experience food insecurity, limited access to fresh food, and few opportunities to develop practical life skills. Power Up 4 Dust Up also fosters youth leadership by encouraging participants to take responsibility during workshops and at the Dust Up Carnival. Added dimension is the involvement of Perth-based secondary students working alongside chefs at Foodbank WA to prepare more than 4,500 pieces of healthy food, learning about food insecurity, nutrition, and cultural diversity. | WA |
