Westpac Foundation

Tackling Australia's reading and maths gap

Helping more young Aussies unlock their potential

Westpac, Westpac Foundation and Westpac Scholars Trust are united by a shared commitment to shaping Australia’s future through education.

 

By investing in partnerships, grants and scholarships, Westpac and Westpac Foundation focus on improving numeracy and literacy outcomes for primary school children, while Westpac Scholars Trust supports Australia’s future leaders to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges.

Strategic approach

A new chapter, stronger commitment 

We’ve now entered a new chapter in Westpac’s approach to community investment.

 

By bringing together the strengths, funding and resources of Westpac and Westpac Group foundations, we can deliver greater impact together.

 

This builds on our decade-long commitment to education, established with the Westpac Scholars Trust’s pledge to award 100 scholarships a year, forever. Now we’re going earlier, with a bigger and bolder ambition — because when we invest in a child’s education, we invest in Australia’s future.

Why education, why now

When children have access to high-quality learning, they build the skills and confidence to participate in their communities, find meaningful work, and contribute to Australia’s future.

 

But right now, 1 in 3 primary school children aren’t meeting minimum benchmarks in reading and maths. And we know that if a child falls behind by Year 3, it becomes much harder for them to catch up later. Reading and maths are the building blocks for everything that follows, from educational achievement to employment and participation in society. When those foundations aren’t strong, the impacts can last a lifetime.

 

Improving literacy and numeracy is one of the most direct ways to break cycles of disadvantage.

History

We’ve been helping people in need for over 145 years

In 1879, Westpac became the first company in Australia to establish a charitable organisation. Launched by then CEO Thomas Buckland, the Buckland Fund (now part of Westpac Foundation) originally helped widows and orphans of bank employees.

 

Since then, we’ve grown our philanthropic footprint, with foundations across our brands — St.George, Bank of Melbourne and BankSA Foundations — to support local communities and strengthen our collective impact.

 

In 2014, we also launched Westpac Scholars Trust with a $100 million gift to fund 100 scholarships every year, forever, the largest philanthropic commitment by an Australian corporate at the time.