Philanthropy Spotlight: The Daniel Scott Charitable Trust and The Samuel Nissen Charitable Foundation

In a Year 7 classroom in regional Australia, some students read confidently. Others struggle with the same page, already years behind their peers.

By Year 9, students from low socio-economic communities trail their classmates in reading by more than four years, up from two years and three months in Year 3. Government data citing a 2022 assessment by the OECD, an international economic and policy body, tells a similar story: 15-year-olds from low-income families sit roughly five years of schooling behind. Gaps like these don’t close on their own. They take committed teachers and sustained investment.

Since 2018, Teach For Australia has received philanthropic funding through Trusts supported by Perpetual Wealth.

In FY26, two of those Trusts backed Teach For Australia – The Samuel Nissen Charitable Foundation and the Daniel Scott Charitable Trust.

Daniel Scott Charitable Trust: widening our Undergraduate Teaching Program (UTP)

We launched the Undergraduate Teaching Program in Victoria in 2025 with 10 teachers. Recruits include teacher assistants, Aboriginal and Islander Education Officers, certificate holders and school leavers. Through a four-year Bachelor of Education, we train people already living and working in these regional, rural and remote communities. Funding from the Daniel Scott Charitable Trust aims to expand the program into other states and territories. Training local people helps address chronic teacher shortages and builds a stable, long-term workforce in schools that may struggle to attract staff.

The Samuel Nissen Charitable Foundation: boosting our Leadership Development Program (LDP)

The Samuel Nissen Charitable Foundation is funding our next phase of growth: recruiting, developing and retaining more teachers in schools facing disadvantage. Improving student attendance and engagement remains a critical challenge in these communities. Through our two-year Leadership Development Program, participants complete a Master of Teaching (Secondary) while working in hard-to-staff regional and remote schools.

The grant sharpens our recruitment, including, clearer messaging for graduates, stronger university partnerships, better digital tools and a smoother onboarding journey. Their investment also grows our Access and Equity Fund, giving incoming teachers up to $3,500 towards housing, food and childcare costs to participate in the program. Candidates can focus on study, not financial hardship, and walk into classrooms ready to lead.

Thank you

We’re grateful to the Co-Trustees of the Daniel Scott Charitable Trust and The Samuel Nissen Charitable Foundation for standing behind our teachers and future leaders.

Get involved

Donations fund teacher training and support in classrooms that need it most. To find out how to give, please contact Olivia Oh at philanthropy@teachforaustralia.org or visit teachforaustralia.org/about-us/support-and-donate