Fostering the youth of Hepburn Shire.
Hepburn Shire’s own community foundation. Local giving, staying local: every dollar supports young people in Daylesford, Creswick, Clunes, Trentham and the towns in between.
Happening now
-
Applications open
Rural Chances Scholarships close Monday 19 October
$5,000 for TAFE or an apprenticeship, ages 16 to 24.
Check if you’re eligible
-
Scholarship story
Meet Maeve
Training to be a teacher at La Trobe University.
Read Maeve’s story
-
Our year in review
$324,584 back to Hepburn Shire
What our donors made possible in FY2026.
Read our annual report
Why we started
When Jim and Norma Foster moved to the Daylesford region, they searched for a local charity with clear goals, strong governance and minimal overheads. When they couldn't find one, they started their own. Today we support young people in every school across Hepburn Shire.
What we fund
Three ways we invest in young people and families across Hepburn Shire.
-
Schools Support
Schools across the Shire manage their own fund from us, so help reaches students straight away: school lunches and healthy breakfasts, literacy programs, uniforms, camps and swimming lessons.
$360,000+ to Shire schools since 2023
-
Scholarships
Most young people here have to move away to keep studying. Our scholarships help them get to university, TAFE or an apprenticeship.
34 scholarships since 2022
-
Local Impact
When need falls outside schools and scholarships, we step in, through trusted local partners or directly: from food and fuel to keeping a roof over a family's head.
2,000+ food and fuel vouchers since 2020
Where we work: all of Hepburn Shire
Daylesford is the postcard. Hepburn Shire is the whole story. The Daylesford Foundation supports young people in schools across the Shire, from Clunes and Creswick to Trentham and the small communities in between. We also fund trusted local partners who reach families where they are: Central Highlands Rural Health, CAFS, the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, Clunes Neighbourhood House, the Good Grub Club and the L2P learner driver program.
Daylesford
Daylesford Primary School, Daylesford Secondary College, St Michael's Primary School and Daylesford Dharma School.
Partners: Central Highlands Rural Health (emergency relief and the LIFT program), CAFS (rental support for families), the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, the Good Grub Club (Thursday lunches and a community pantry at the Neighbourhood Centre), Carmen's Legacy road safety education at Daylesford Secondary College, and the Daylesford Community Op Shop.
Creswick
Creswick Primary School, Creswick North Primary School and St Augustine's Creswick.
Partners: Central Highlands Rural Health (Creswick Health).
Clunes
Clunes Primary School.
Partners: Central Highlands Rural Health (Clunes Health) and Clunes Neighbourhood House (school lunches, funded by the Foundation).
Trentham
Trentham District Primary School.
Partners: Central Highlands Rural Health, Trentham Health.
Hepburn and Hepburn Springs
Hepburn Primary School.
Bullarto
Bullarto Primary School.
Newlyn
Newlyn Primary School.
Yandoit
Yandoit Primary School.
Glenlyon
Families here are part of the community we serve.
Smeaton
Families here are part of the community we serve.
Across the Shire: YouThrive Victoria delivers our scholarships with mentoring and leadership support. Inform and Empower brings cyber safety education into our schools. The L2P learner driver program, run locally by The Ballarat Foundation, pairs young people aged 16 to 21 with volunteer mentors, and we donated the car local learners drive. Meet all our partners.
Our impact since 2018
Here's what local giving has made possible.
Be part of it
Every dollar you give stays in Hepburn Shire and reaches local young people, because our founders cover our running costs.