The Commonwealth Bank Foundation

In 2003, we established the Commonwealth Bank Foundation, building on the Bank's long history of working with young people through the School Banking program, and other community activities and contributions towards education and financial literacy over the last 70 years.

The Foundation was established to encourage developments in education, with particular focus on helping to improve the financial literacy skills of young Australians and Indigenous Australians. In achieving this, the Foundation supports teachers and students through skill building programs, while also working to create awareness and understanding of the benefits of a more financially literate community.

The Foundation's programs and initiatives include:

StartSmart

Our award winning StartSmart program, is offered free of charge to primary and secondary school students across Australia. Since StartSmart originally started in 2007, we have delivered to over 150,000 secondary students across Australia. The StartSmart Primary program was introduced in 2010 and has already reached 50,000 primary students in the first six months.

National Financial Literacy Curriculum Resource

In assisting educators, the Commonwealth Bank Foundation also developed the National Financial Literacy Curriculum Resource, a free resource to help teachers improve their Year 7 to 10 students' knowledge, skills and understanding of financial literacy.

Financial Literacy Research

The Foundation also commissions financial literacy research to help us understand the state of financial literacy in Australia. The results highlight the effects of a more financially literate community.

The Commonwealth Bank Foundation's support materials and school programs have received positive feedback from the educational community, gaining credibility with Australian teachers. In 2009, we were the proud recipients of the Australian Business Award for Community Contribution, which recognised our commitment to developing financial literacy skills in the Australian community, and most notably the work done by the Commonwealth Bank Foundation through its StartSmart program and other initiatives.

In 2010 the Foundation was awarded the Australian Business Award for Innovation, recognising the development of the StartSmart Primary program.