What Aurora Education Foundation does

Aurora Education Foundation is an Australian Indigenous-led not-for-profit organisation that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from high school through university and into the workforce. Founded in 2006 (originally as the Aurora Project), the foundation operates an interconnected portfolio of programs including the High School Program (HSP), the RISE longitudinal study (Redefining Indigenous Success in Education), the Internship Program, the Study Tour and Scholarships suite (Charlie Perkins, Roberta Sykes, Executive Scholarships, First Nations Cancer Scholarship), and the Indigenous Pathways Portal. The foundation is governed by a majority Indigenous Board, led by an Indigenous CEO (Leila Smith) and Indigenous Deputy CEO (Tamara Murdock), with approximately 31 staff operating from offices in Sydney (Waterloo, NSW) and Perth (WA).

The foundation is funded through a diversified not-for-profit revenue model comprising individual donations, major gifts and bequests, workplace giving, philanthropic foundation grants, and government grants from partners including Cancer Australia, the National Indigenous Australians Agency, and the Department of Education. Distributions and programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries through direct engagement with schools, community organisations, Elders, and Indigenous mentors, supplemented by the Indigenous Pathways Portal (a self-serve online scholarship discovery platform). Reported program outcomes include double Year 12 completion rates, triple ATAR attainment, and double university transition rates for High School Program participants relative to Indigenous students nationally, plus 3,300+ interns placed across 240+ host organisations and 50+ scholars at Oxford and Cambridge.

Aurora's go-to-market is community-led, relying on partnerships with universities (University of Sydney, ANU, Curtin, Griffith, University of Queensland, UCL, Exeter), international institutions (Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, INSEAD, Columbia, NYU, Cambridge, LSE, Oxford), corporate supporters (BCG, PwC, Gilbert + Tobin, Nous Group, TPG Telecom), and philanthropic partners (Paul Ramsay Foundation, Industry Super Holdings, Sidney Myer Fund, Roberta Pike Foundation). The organisation is an Indigenous-led entity with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no proprietary technology stack beyond its scholarship portal and website.

Name

Aurora Education Foundation

Legal name

Aurora Education Foundation Limited

Website

https://aurorafoundation.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aurora Education Foundation is an Indigenous-led Australian not-for-profit, founded in 2006, that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from high school through university and into the workforce via scholarships, internships, mentoring, and a longitudinal education research program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD), International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Indigenous education
• Aboriginal student support
• Tertiary scholarships
• Educational pathway programs
• Student internship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Aurora accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, with any donation over $2 being 100% tax deductible as the organization is a registered charity with deductible gift recipient status.
2. Major Giving / Major Gifts: Significant financial donations from individuals, businesses, charitable trusts, foundations, or Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs), made as one-off donations or multi-year partnerships, potentially directed to specific program areas.
3. Workplace Giving: Employees can make regular donations through their employer's workplace giving program.
4. Gifts in Wills: Bequests and legacy giving through supporters leaving gifts to Aurora in their wills.
5. Government Grants and Partnerships: Funding from government partners including the Commonwealth Government, National Indigenous Australians Agency, Department of Education, and Cancer Australia to support specific programs such as the Internship Program and First Nations Cancer Scholarship.
6. Philanthropic Foundation Grants: Multi-year investments from foundations such as the Paul Ramsay Foundation for specific initiatives like RISE.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aurora Education Foundation is an Indigenous-led not-for-profit organization in Australia that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from high school through postgraduate study. It delivers structured programs including a High School Program, the RISE program, an Internship Program, Study Tour and Scholarship offerings, and the Indigenous Pathways Portal that connects students to educational pathways.

Product overview

Aurora Education Foundation operates as an interconnected suite of programs supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from high school through to university and the workplace. The core portfolio includes the High School Program (HSP), RISE (Redefining Indigenous Success in Education), Internship Program, and Study Tour and Scholarships Program. Supporting these programs is the Indigenous Pathways Portal, an online platform for scholarship discovery and applications. The scholarship sub-brand includes the Charlie Perkins Scholarship, Roberta Sykes Scholarship, Executive Scholarships, and the First Nations Cancer Scholarship. All programs are designed to walk with students through interconnected pathways, redefining Indigenous educational and employment success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RISE (Redefining Indigenous Success in Education): A five-year longitudinal study investigating what works in Indigenous education, working with over 600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students.
• High School Program
• Internship Program
• Study Tour and Scholarships
• Indigenous Pathways Portal

Products and services

• High School Program Educational support program designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students to prepare for and transition into tertiary education.
• RISE Program Program supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students during tertiary studies.
• Internship Program Internship placements provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students in partner organizations.
• Study Tour and Scholarships Study tour opportunities combined with scholarship offerings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
• Indigenous Pathways Portal Online portal providing information and resources on educational pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Double Year 12 completion compared to Indigenous students nationally
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, university and corporate.

• University of SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Three-year partnership agreement renewed in 2026, expanding pathways into undergraduate study and strengthening career and postgraduate opportunities. Includes 45 paid internship placements (up from 10), 6 reserved places on international study tours, and employment of 12 University of Sydney students as paid mentors in the High School Program. Aligns with University's One Sydney, Many People Strategy 2025-2032.
• Mary Ward InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Partnered with Aurora and The Loreto Sisters to support First Nations students. Mary Ward International is part of the Loreto Sisters network.
• UK Government (Chevening Scholarship Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Aurora since 2009 to support the Charlie Perkins Scholarship, enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars to study at Oxford, Cambridge, and other UK universities. In 15 years, over 50 scholars have studied at these top universities.
• ANU Centre for Social Research and MethodsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership on the RISE project, providing academic rigor and methodological expertise for the longitudinal study on Indigenous education outcomes.
• Roberta Pike FoundationmajorMajor philanthropic partner supporting Aurora's work with Indigenous students.
• Australian National UniversityuniversityStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner supporting Indigenous student pathways and programs.
• Curtin UniversityuniversityStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner supporting Indigenous student pathways and programs.
• Griffith UniversityuniversityStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner supporting Indigenous student pathways and programs.
• University College LondonuniversityStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partner supporting Indigenous student pathways.
• University of ExeteruniversityStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partner supporting Indigenous student pathways.
• University of QueenslanduniversityStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner supporting Indigenous student pathways and hosting First Nations Cancer Scholarship recipients.
• Boston Consulting GroupcorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing strategic expertise and support for Aurora's programs.
• PwCcorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing professional expertise and support.
• Gilbert + TobincorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing legal and business expertise.
• Nous GroupcorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing consulting and advisory expertise.
• TPG TelecomcorporateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting Aurora's work.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF): AIEF is a private-sector funded charity providing scholarships and career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from secondary school through university, directly comparable to Aurora's High School Program and scholarship offerings.
• Stronger Smarter Institute: Stronger Smarter Institute focuses on Indigenous education excellence in schools and trains educators in culturally responsive practice, overlapping with Aurora's High School Program and academic support delivery. Aurora's Head of Impact previously led Research and Impact there.
• AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience): AIME delivers school-based mentoring and university transition support for Indigenous Australian students, closely aligned with Aurora's High School Program tutoring, mentorship, and cultural enrichment model.
• Stars Foundation: Stars Foundation supports Indigenous girls and young women through full-time mentors in schools, comparable to Aurora's Indigenous Mentor model within the High School Program.
• Brookfield Multiplex Indigenous Programs / CareerTrackers: CareerTrackers is a non-profit creating internship pathways for Indigenous Australian university students, directly comparable to Aurora's Internship Program and partner host network.
• Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF): ALNF delivers literacy and education programs targeted at Indigenous and disadvantaged communities in Australia, representing a thematic peer in Indigenous education delivery.
• Yalari: Yalari provides private secondary school scholarships and post-school support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, comparable to Aurora's pathway thinking and scholarship administration role.

Broad incumbents

• The Smith Family: The Smith Family is a large Australian education charity supporting disadvantaged students through learning support, scholarships, and mentoring - a broader incumbent operating in similar educational equity territory to Aurora but without the Indigenous-specific focus.

Others

• Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation (now merged): RSIEF's prior scholarships and bursaries were integrated into Aurora in 2023, making it a historical/predecessor entity directly relevant to Aurora's current scholarship offering.

Emerging players

• CSIRO Indigenous STEM Education: CSIRO's Indigenous STEM and education programs overlap with Aurora's RISE longitudinal research and internship host network, having previously employed Aurora's Head of Impact.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AuroraEducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/auroraeducationfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auroraeducationfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aurora Education Foundation