JULY 2025
Creating pathways for youth
One of the PNI Foundation’s core focus areas is supporting disadvantaged children and young people — those who are at greater risk of social exclusion, trauma and reduced access to education and stable support networks.
Our NFP partners in this space work to empower young people and help break cycles of disadvantage through connection, education and care. Each organisation plays a unique role in creating safe, nurturing environments and meaningful opportunities for children and youth to thrive.
The team at Mirabel is dedicated to breaking the cycle of drug addiction by supporting children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental drug use. Funding support from the Foundation and Firetrail contributes to Mirabel’s Intensive Youth Support Program, offering both one-on-one crisis support for families and therapeutic group activities that connect young people through shared experience. In FY25, this support continued alongside a long-standing partnership with Resolution Capital, which began with the much-loved “Big Day Out” events. Together, in FY25 the Foundation and Resolution Capital funded peer support groups for grandparents and kinship carers, as well as social inclusion activities that give children the chance to connect, grow, and feel a true sense of belonging.
The Foundation and Resolution Capital have partnered with Yalari since FY19 supporting the organisation’s flagship annual Orientation Camp, which marks the beginning of the boarding school journey for new Year 7 students. Additionally, Resolution Capital is proudly sponsoring Lilli, a young Kamilaroi student as she undertakes her boarding school journey. Lilli is currently in Year 11 and has just been announced as Deputy Head Boarder at Kambala for Year 12 in 2026, and is also a Yalari Captain. When selecting a Captain, the Yalari team looks for students who engage closely with Yalari, and who demonstrate strong leadership skills in the boarding environment. We are all very proud of Lilli’s achievements.
Lilli, a young Kamilaroi student studying at Kambala
Further expanding support for Indigenous education, the Foundation and Firetrail support the annual NASCA CareerFit Program. NASCA’s school-based programs are expertly designed to boost the educational attainment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, recognizing that education is key to enhancing socio-economic outcomes and expanding opportunities beyond school. The CareerFit program gathers selected students together in Sydney for a dynamic week of workshops—including one created and hosted by the Firetrail team just recently in May—alongside networking and cultural experiences. This initiative empowers students to explore diverse career pathways and envision their futures with confidence and clarity.
NASCA students take part in the Firetrail workshop in CareerFit 2025
Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF)
The ILF are dedicated to supporting remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities with the tools and resources they request to shape their children’s literacy futures. Together with Five V Capital, the Foundation is supporting three of ILF’s key programs: Book Buzz, which fosters early literacy in children under five and supports translation of stories into First Languages; Book Supply, which delivers culturally relevant books to schools, health centres, and families in remote communities; and the Community Publishing Project, empowering Communities to create and publish their own stories in their chosen languages.
This year we were proud to contribute to the publishing of Sweet Home, a moving collection of stories by students from Dawurr Boarding House. ILF also joined us for National Reconciliation Week, where along with Pinnacle and Affiliates we recognised their ongoing contribution to strengthening literacy and storytelling across First Nations Communities.
The PNI Foundation and Spheria have partnered with Lighthouse since 2021, supporting young people in Victoria facing homelessness. Through this partnership, funding contributed to the renovation of Lighthouse’s critically important Youth Resource Centre, the establishment of their Peer Support Program, and most recently a Community Connect Program. These initiatives all help young people access emergency support and build pathways to safe, sustainable housing. As the partnership came to a close in June 2025 the PNI Foundation acknowledged the vital impact Lighthouse continues to make in creating a sense of safety, belonging, and hope for vulnerable young people.
The Lighthouse Youth Resource Centre
Together, these partnerships reflect a strong commitment to empowering disadvantaged children and young people, providing them with the education, support and opportunities they need to build brighter futures.
Subscribe to our updates
Stay up to date with the latest news and insights from Pinnacle and Affiliates.
