Westpac Foundation has announced the 2026 recipients of its inaugural Better Futures and Impact Grants, supporting organisations improving education outcomes for primary school children facing barriers to learning across Australia.
The grants will support programs that help children build strong foundations in literacy, numeracy, wellbeing and school engagement, particularly those facing barriers to learning outside the classroom. They will also fund collaborations that seek long-term change across the education system, helping tackle the underlying causes of educational inequity.
The eight Better Futures Grant recipients will each receive $100,000 over two years, while two Impact Grant recipients will each receive $200,000.
The announcement coincides with International Literacy Day, highlighting the importance of literacy as a foundation for learning and future opportunity at a time when one in three1 Australian students are not meeting expected literacy and numeracy benchmarks.
Westpac Foundation CEO Amy Lyden said the grants reflect the Foundation's commitment to improving educational outcomes for all children across Australia.
"Education creates opportunity, but we know too many children continue to face barriers to learning," Lyden said.
"These grants support organisations working directly with children, schools and communities, while also backing initiatives that can help create lasting change across the education system.
"Together, the Better Futures and Impact Grants will help strengthen literacy, numeracy, wellbeing and school engagement, giving more children the foundations they need to learn and thrive."
2026 BETTER FUTURES GRANT RECIPIENTS
The eight Better Futures Grant recipients are:
- Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, supporting tailored professional development to strengthen mathematics teaching nationally.
- Dymocks Children's Charities, fostering a love of reading by revitalising school libraries with new, high-quality books in low ICSEA schools across regional, remote and metro regions in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
- Adelaide Crows Foundation, delivering STEM Footy, a curriculum-aligned STEM program using AFL-based scenarios to build maths confidence and problem-solving in South Australian schools.
- Education Equity Alliance, working with Victorian primary schools to co-design evidence-based interventions that improve learning readiness and engagement.
- The Pyjama Foundation, providing one-on-one literacy, numeracy and life skills support for children in out-of-home care across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
- Mornington Peninsula Foundation, delivering targeted literacy support for students at five schools across Victoria's Mornington Peninsula requiring more intensive intervention.
- Ear Foundation Australia, enhancing learning with ear and hearing health care for Aboriginal children in remote Fitzroy Valley communities in Western Australia's Kimberley region.
- Story Factory, partnering with Shalvey Public School in Sydney's west to deliver creative writing programs that strengthen literacy, confidence and engagement.
2026 IMPACT GRANT RECIPIENTS
The two Impact Grant recipients are:
- Learning Creates Australia and Dr Michele Bruniges, undertaking research to extend the national evidence base to support fair funding, accountability and resource allocation for schools serving communities facing greater barriers to educational opportunity nationally.
- Impact Teaching Group, comprising Ochre Education, Teach Well and Impact Assessment, providing integrated teacher support and targeted interventions for students who are behind in their learning across 10 small geographically-clustered primary schools.
About Westpac Foundation
Westpac Foundation, incorporating St.George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne Foundations, supports organisations working to improve education outcomes for children across Australia. Through its Education Grants program, the Foundation invests around $4 million annually in grants, partnerships and initiatives that strengthen literacy, numeracy, wellbeing and school engagement, helping more children build strong foundations for learning and life. This includes the Better Futures and Impact Grants, as well as a $3 million investment over three years with Australian Schools Plus to support school improvement programs in 100 schools. Together, these investments support both direct assistance for children and broader efforts to address systemic barriers to educational opportunity.
1 NAPLAN Results, July 2026.
