The Pinnacle Foundation

About

Founded in 2007, The Pinnacle Foundation is Australia’s national charity that provides educational scholarships, mentoring and opportunities for young LGBTIQ+ Australians to realise their full potential and overcome challenges arising from their identity.

Our vision is for a more diverse and inclusive society with visible LGBTIQ+ role models.

The Foundation awards multi-year scholarships nationally to students aged between 18 and 26 for fulltime study at public higher education institutions in Australia to achieve educational or vocational qualifications in any profession, trade, or the arts.

Scholarship applications open on 1 July and close on 31 August each year. Scholarships are awarded in December.

Every Pinnacle scholar is carefully matched with a mentor who will typically share the same academic and professional interests, gender identity and sexual orientation. The mentor acts as a role model. They will have walked the scholar’s path – and provide the encouragement, counsel and inspiration to support the scholar’s rounded development and successful completion of their studies.

Additionally, scholars and alumni receive opportunities through the wider Pinnacle “family”.

Program donations fund:

Please help fund our program to provide educational scholarships, carefully matched mentors and opportunities to young LGBTIQ+ Sydney-siders (and indeed, in need young LGBTIQ+ people across Australia), many who have faced family, faith and community rejection just because of how they identify. Your support will help to sustainably transform young lives. Every scholar will be carefully matched with a mentor who will have walked the scholar's path, and provide the encouragement and inspiration to successfully complete their studies.