School Impact Program

Helping fund vital projects at schools to support the next generation of South Australians.

Credit Union SA is offering South Australian schools a chance to receive funding for vital programs with the School Impact Program!

Applications for 2025 will open soon!

Please note: the School Impact Program is only open to Department of Education schools in 2024. From 2025 onwards, we're excited to extend the opportunity to include every single school in South Australia including applications from all Catholic and Independent schools.

Funding of up to $20,000 is available to schools through our new program. The only thing we ask is that schools use the awarded funds for projects or activities that help their students and staff thrive.

Such activities could include:

Equipment or facility upgrades on campus;
Student experiences such as school camps or excursions;
Teacher wellbeing including training; or
Student support such as lunch programs or sporting programs.

We trust schools know what their community needs, and that’s why we’re giving them the freedom to choose projects that are tailored to their individual needs.

🎉 Congratulations to our successful 2024 Round 1 schools. 🎉

Why have we created the School Impact Program?

Education is in our DNA! Over 60 years ago, we were started by teachers, for teachers, and we continue to support the South Australian education community with:

Exclusive education banking benefits through Knowledge Counts;
A dedicated team working directly with education employees, so they can get the best out of their banking; and
Ongoing sponsorship of South Australian education associations including SAPPA, SASPA, Uni SA, Adelaide Uni, Flinders Uni, Area Schools, and many more.

Our School Impact Program is just another way that we are supporting the South Australian education community. It’s all about allowing schools to make improvements for their school community without having to donate their valuable time or money through ongoing fundraising efforts.

Applying is quick and easy! You just need to submit the online application form below. We don’t require any quotes or invoices, just a little bit of information about how you are going to use the funds.

2024 Applications

Applications for Round 2 are now closed.

Round 2

Applications open on 22 July 2024 at 12:00am (ACST) and close 13 September 2024 at 11:59pm (ACST).

Assessment will take place in the Term 3 school holidays and the winners will be contacted Week 1 of Term 4.

Have a question? Call Eliza Pryce, Community Program Specialist, on 0499 772 966 for more information.

Frequently asked questions

View all School Impact Program FAQs

If I’m successful in receiving funding, do I need to send you an invoice?

No, we trust that you have used the funds to best suit your community.

When will payment be made and when does it have to be sent by?

Payment will be made in the Term following your round of applications.

Will you contact me even if my application is unsuccessful?

Yes. We will let you know if your application was successful or unsuccessful via email.

My school has been selected to receive School Impact Program funding. How do I organise payment?

Congratulations! We are really excited to be helping fund your project.

Our community team will reach out to all successful recipients with an agreement form and payment form. These forms will highlight the program terms and payment date.

We will send this to the email you provided on your application.

What information will I need to provide as part of the School Impact Program application?

You will need to share with us:

Your school’s name
Your contact details and position
Some information about the project you would like funding for.

We will also ask you about ways that we can promote our exclusive Knowledge Counts education banking benefits and funding outcomes to your staff and school community.

What are the open and closing dates for applications?

Applications are invited in 2 rounds.

Round 1

Applications are open from 12:00am (ACST) 29 January 2024 and close 22 March 2024 at 11:59pm (ACST).

Judging will take place in the Term 1 holidays and the winners will be contacted Week 1 of Term 2.

Round 2

Applications open on 22 July 2024 at 12:00am (ACST) and close 13 September 2024 at 11:59pm (ACST).

Judging will take place in the Term 3 holidays and the winners will be contacted Week 1 of Term 4.

I applied in Round 1, but I wasn’t successful. What now?

We will automatically include your school in Round 2 applications. However, we know that with time, things change. If you need to change your ultimate funding purpose please reach out to our friendly team on schoolimpact@creditunionsa.com.au to chat further.

Can funding go towards an existing or unfinished project or part of a larger scale project?

Yes, you can spend the funding however you choose as long as it benefits your students, staff and/or wider school community.

Please note that the final impact funding amount for successful applicants may be adjusted by the selection panel.

Do I need to be a Credit Union SA member to apply?

Not at all. While we would love for you to join us, you don’t need to be a member to apply for funding.

Can we receive funding multiple times in the year?

Unfortunately, no. We want to benefit as many schools as possible and spread the funding around evenly. This means if your school is successful and receives funding through our School Impact Program, your school will need to wait another two calendar years before they can apply again. For example, if your school receives funding in February 2024, they will need to wait until February 2026 to apply for funding again.

How much funding can I apply for?

Funding will be available in the following amounts:

$2,000
$5,000
$10,000
$20,000

What can the School Impact Program funding be used for?

Funding can only be provided for activities or projects that benefit students or provide support and wellbeing to students, staff and/or the wider school community, such as:

Equipment or facility upgrades on campus;
Student experiences such as school camps or excursions;
Teacher wellbeing including training; or
Student support such as lunch programs or sporting programs.