Now in its eighth year, the Officeworks Make a Difference Appeal raises money and awareness for charities and special organisations around Australia. Each June, we invite our customers to make a donation of any amount, both in-store and online, which could be tax deductible. 

In 2025, the Officeworks Make a Difference Appeal will be raising funds for local children's health, education and environmental organisations right across the country. We’re supporting 20 incredible organisations that promote inclusion and enable children to learn, create and connect for a sustainable future:

  • Alannah & Madeline Foundation works with children recovering from traumatic experiences.
  • Backpacks 4 SA Kids supports any child who is displaced from home within South Australia.
  • Dandelions WA thoughtfully curates care packages and kits for students in Western Australia. 
  • The Daniel Morcombe Foundation offers free personal safety education to children.
  • DeadlyScience offers STEM resources and workshops for Indigenous children in remote areas of Australia.
  • Kids Are Kids! helps children living with disabilities or learning difficulties through individualised services.
  • Kids First Australia provides youth and family services to help shape brighter futures.
  • Kids in Need Association supports children living with disability or serious illness.
  • KYDS Youth Development Service provides free mental health services to young people and their families.
  • The Mirabel Foundation supports children who are impacted by carers’ drug abuse.
  • Nature Foundation teaches employability skills to Indigenous children through its Kids on Country™ Junior Ranger Program.
  • Peggy’s Place shelters and supports women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
  • PROJECT ROCKIT, Australia's youth-driven movement against bullying.
  • Reach runs workshops for young people to help them build emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.
  • Roundabout Canberra donates essential supplies to families in need through sustainable processes.
  • The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation is raising money for Tuning in to Thriving – a world of paediatric music therapy.
  • The Shepherd Centre supports children living with hearing loss to develop their listening and spoken language, literacy and social skills.
  • Tassie Mums provides essentials to support all vulnerable and at-risk children across Tasmania.
  • Youth Insearch is a peer-led organisation that helps children and young adults recover from trauma.
  • Zephyr Education provides essential supplies and educational resources to children in domestic violence shelters. 

Together, we can help make a positive difference and change the lives of children in our local communities. We spoke to four of the organisations partnering with Officeworks this year to learn more about how the Make A Difference Appeal will help them to support children and families across Australia.  

DeadlyScience, New South Wales

An Indigenous child seated at a table engaging in a scientific activity using colourful counters.

DeadlyScience is an organisation dedicated to making Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) more accessible to Indigenous children throughout Australia. “I didn't want kids like me not to have the opportunities to follow their passion,” says founder and CEO Corey Tutt. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have so much potential and someone believing in them or giving them the resources [they need] can be the difference.

“[DeadlyScience] is about increasing the number of Indigenous people in STEM. We're trying to equalise the education system [through our workshops, programs and resources] and provide sustainable employment to Aboriginal people as well. I’m really proud of the organisation and how it’s brought Aboriginal people into STEM and science. I've even employed some of the teachers that I first started working with in remote communities. 

“I’m hopeful [the Make A Difference Appeal] will raise awareness for the issues we’re trying to solve and help us get to more kids out there. I want to be able to make a difference in so many ways and this campaign with Officeworks is going to be crucial for us in building our capacity.”

Tassie Mums, Tasmania

Tassie Mums Founder and CEO Clair Harris smiling, holding a box filled with assorted clothing and items, standing in a room with shelves and storage boxes.

Tassie Mums is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting children living in poverty in Tasmania. Through volunteers, donations and working alongside other organisations, Tassie Mums provides everyday essentials, including nappies, clothing, toys and educational resources, to children in need.

Founder and CEO Clair Harris started Tassie Mums when she moved to Tasmania almost 10 years ago. “Before I moved, I was volunteering with St Kilda Mums, now called Our Village. I didn't know at the time, but I was learning everything I needed for when I got to Tasmania,” says Clair. “I quickly discovered Tasmania had, and still has, one of the highest rates of childhood poverty in Australia. And I couldn't go along and volunteer anywhere because it didn't exist. The concept was entirely new here.”

Since its inception, Tassie Mums has continued to increase its reach. In 2024, it provided supplies to more than 2,500 children and diverted roughly 160,000 items of clothing from landfill. “Our main goal is supporting children first and foremost. We just had our largest month on record and supported 329 children in March (2025),” says Clair. “We want to make sure we continue to meet the needs of children here in Tasmania, and that's where support of the Make a Difference Appeal is invaluable, because without community support like that, we just can’t continue to reach that number of children every month.”

Zephyr Education, Queensland

Three Zephyr Education helpers in a warehouse setting, filling backpacks with education supplies, including project books and watercolour paints. Shelves filled with various education supplies are visible in the background.

Zephyr Education is a family-founded charity that provides essential supplies and resources to children in domestic violence shelters. The organisation began in 2013 after President and Co-founder Isabella Bevan read an article highlighting the needs of children and families living in domestic violence shelters. “The article broke my heart; I felt compelled to do something about it,” says Isabella. “I showed the article to my husband and my sister and her husband, and we decided that we were going to try and meet this need. Twelve years later we went from an idea and two shelters to now looking after 250 organisations Australia wide.

“We firmly believe that education is part of the key to giving these young people, who have suffered so much, a chance to move forward. It's about meeting this critical need at that precise moment that it's needed, when the family first arrives. So far this financial year, the total value of the support we’ve provided exceeds $1 million, which has provided uniforms for 2,137 children, 501 digital devices and accessories, 2,290 school backpacks, 1,612 shoes and socks, 1,973 stationery packs including 554 high school packs and 34 TAFE packs. That's probably our biggest milestone to date.” 

Through Zephyr’s partnership with Officeworks’ Make a Difference Appeal, Isabella hopes to help raise more awareness of the organisation and continue reaching and supporting more children for generations to come.

The Shepherd Centre, New South Wales

A young child with a hearing implant, smiling and standing outdoors near greenery at school.

The Shepherd Centre is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing support to children living with hearing loss. It was founded in 1970 by the late Dr Bruce Shepherd AM and his late wife, Annette, when their own children were born with hearing loss. In their pursuit of more support for their children, the Shepherds attended the John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles and its auditory-oral therapy programs. It was this journey that inspired the foundation and approach The Shepherd Centre still uses today.

“We [provide] evidence-based care that helps children thrive from birth to young adulthood. We specialise in early intervention, giving babies, toddlers and young children the best possible start,” says Community Engagement Manager, Nicola Lloyd. “We combine audiology, counselling and speech therapy to help your child develop the crucial listening, speaking and social skills they need to connect with the hearing world.

“In 2024, we expanded our services to school-aged children, formalising support beyond the early years. Our Hear For You Program, led by people who are deaf, is making significant strides in empowering school-aged children and teens. These initiatives are pivotal as we continue to build a pathway of support that extends into the later stages of life. The generosity of the Officeworks community is helping to transform lives. While we receive NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme), over half our funding comes from our community. There is a $1405 funding gap for every child attending the Off to School program – delivering this program would not be possible without Officeworks’ support.” 

How to Make a Difference

By taking part in this Appeal, you’ll positively impact the lives of children in communities across the country. To find out more about all 20 organisations being supported, and to make a donation to one or more of your choice, visit Officeworks Make a Difference Appeal.

Because, together, we can truly make a positive difference. 

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This article was originally published in 2023 and has since been updated.