Empowering young women through practical, real-world financial education.
FBCF is currently leading an exciting new initiative, funded by MetLife Foundation, to support marginalised young women to build their financial skills, confidence and resilience.
Through this initiative, we are developing a suite of practical, strengths-based financial literacy resources tailored to the real-world needs of young women experiencing financial hardship. These new resources will build on the success of our trusted Financial Basics Foundation programs – including ESSI Money and Cashed Up – which are free, mapped to the Australian Curriculum, and widely used in schools and community organisations across Australia.
Listening, learning, and responding.
Since launching the initiative in May 2025, we have been reaching out to community organisations that work with marginalised young women every day. These early-stage conversations have highlighted a strong demand for resources that are culturally safe, engaging, flexible and accessible across diverse delivery environments – including remote and regional communities and high-need urban areas. We’ve also been identifying key topic areas and everyday financial challenges that young women are navigating, such as managing living costs, budgeting, understanding credit and debt, and planning for financial independence. This includes developing tools that support informed decision-making around spending, saving, and accessing financial support. Ultimately, our goal is to foster not just financial capability, but also a greater sense of autonomy, empowerment, and hope for the future.
What’s next?
The next phase of the initiative will involve more in-depth consultation and collaboration with our partner organisations. By working closely with those who support marginalised young women, we can ensure that the new resources are not only evidence-informed, but also genuinely relevant, accessible and tailored to meet young women where they are.
If your organisation would like to be part of the conversation or simply stay in the loop as we progress with this important work, we’d love to hear from you. Connect with Audrey Thomson, National Manager – Advocacy & Community Programs at:
Financial Basics Community Foundation
Phone: 0482 987 725
Email: audrey@financialbasics.org.au
Seeking Support & Donations:
Addressing low financial literacy among disadvantaged young women requires specialised expertise, strong community partnerships, and the development of practical, inclusive learning tools. Moving forward, FBCF will seek additional funding to continue building on the momentum of this important initiative, extending our reach to more communities and further developing and delivering tailored financial literacy resources. We welcome interest from funders, philanthropic partners, and supporters who share our commitment to financial inclusion and empowerment for young women.
The Financial Basics Community Foundation is a tax-deductible charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for profits Commission (https://www.acnc.gov.au/). For more information about making a donation or exploring partnership opportunities to support our work, please contact us directly on 0433 477 FBF (323) or email: info@financialbasics.org.au.
