Northcote Thrive's Empower Fund

Helping students in need

Northcote Thrive's Empower Fund is set up to relieve financial hardship for students at NHS. If your family is experiencing financial hardship, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Business Manager, Sarah Burns by email Sarah.Burns2@education.vic.gov.au  or the Head of Student Services, Leanne Petroff at Leanne.petroff@education.vic.gov.au as we may be able to assist with school-related costs.

The Empower Fund is the first of its kind to be established in a Victorian State School and is an Australian Tax Office (ATO) approved deductible gift recipient (DGR) Necessitous Circumstances fund. This means that the school community can make tax deductible donations to the Fund and 100% of the donations will be spent on helping NHS students who are experiencing financial hardship.

The Department of Education and Training (DET) approved the operation of the Empower Fund on the basis that it would be a 12-month pilot project, to be followed by an independent review, to ensure that it was complaint with ATO DGR requirements, that there were adequate assurances around expenditure and that processes were in place to comply with privacy requirements.

The independent report (Report) was provided pro-bono by prominent Melbourne law firm, Maddocks. It represents a comprehensive review of the Fund, including our compliance with applicable legislation and regulations as well as the charter, rules and processes governing the Northcote Thrive Committee of Management.

We are proud that the Report concluded that the Empower Fund is a demonstrable success. Maddocks state:

It is evident that there are NHS students whose families are significantly financially disadvantaged. The equipment provided though the Fund in a sensitive, non-stigmatising manner redresses this disadvantage to some degree. For example, it has provided a welcome introduction to NHS for some Year 7 students who otherwise would not have had the same equipment as other students. For these students, NHS is seen as a positive educational environment and their equipment enables them to participate more fully in the educational experience.

The Fund is well supported by the school community, as attested by the high level of funds raised in its first year. There is a high level of transparency and accountability for the management of Fund finances. There is a high level of support from senior NHS staff, which appears essential for the effective and efficient operation of the Fund.

To date the Empower Fund has financed the purchase of a variety of school uniform, books and ebooks, computer devices and/or MYKI cards for 18 financially disadvantaged students at NHS.

NHS gratefully acknowledges the time and efforts of Maddocks, particularly the report’s author, Special Counsel, Miriam McDonald.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Empower Fund please click here. 

With thanks,

The Thrive Empower Committee