Compass Caboolture - trainee cooking a bbq

What if…

communities came together through participation

Every person deserves the opportunity to discover their strengths, build confidence, build relationships and contribute to their community.

Every year, Compass supports more than 200 trainees across South East Queensland through campuses, social enterprises, community programmes and employment pathways. While the NDIS funds many important supports, some of the opportunities that create the greatest sense of belonging, participation and growth rely on community support.

That’s where local communities make an extraordinary difference.

Whether it’s a birthday fundraiser, a community event, a personal challenge or a fundraising campaign in memory of someone special, every fundraiser helps create opportunities for people with disability to learn, grow and thrive.

Create Your Fundraiser

The Compass difference

Compass was founded on a simple belief.

People are not defined by their disability. They are defined by their gifts, strengths, aspirations and potential.

Today, Compass supports more than 200 trainees across campuses in Caboolture, Caloundra, Nambour, Gympie and Palmwoods, along with social enterprises including cafés, retail, hospitality and community programmes that create real opportunities for participation.

We don’t focus on what people can’t do.

We focus on what becomes possible when people are given the opportunity to contribute, connect and grow.

Six people pose and smile beside a vintage Volkswagen Beetle decorated with plants on its bonnet at Connections Café Nambour. The cheerful group, some raising their arms, enjoys a sunny day outdoors near a wooden fence and lush greenery.

What your fundraiser makes possible

Many people assume the NDIS funds everything needed for a person to participate, grow and belong.

It doesn’t.

While the NDIS funds participant supports, it does not fund all the practical infrastructure, dignified environments, essential resources, community experiences and social enterprise settings that help turn a funded placement into real-world opportunity and inclusion.

That is where community fundraising makes a meaningful difference.

Your support contributes toward the spaces, tools, experiences and environments wrapped around Compass trainees and programmes, helping create the conditions where participation can continue to grow over the long term.

Welcoming Learning Environments: Practical, well-equipped spaces where trainees can build confidence, explore their strengths and take part in meaningful activities.

Dignified Facilities: Safe, accessible and respectful environments that support participation, independence and a genuine sense of belonging.

Essential Tools and Resources: The everyday equipment, materials and practical resources that help create real-world learning and participation opportunities.

Community Experiences: Opportunities for connection, contribution and involvement beyond the walls of a campus.

Social Enterprise Settings: The cafés, retail, hospitality and community-facing environments where trainees can build confidence, develop skills and be part of everyday community life.

Fundraising does not replace NDIS funding.

It helps build the world around it.

Two people stand and talk at an outdoor event with informational stalls and tents, including one for Disability Services. Others mingle in the background. Trees and bunting decorate the area, creating a festive, community atmosphere.

Local communities helping opportunity grow

The most powerful thing about fundraising isn’t the money, it’s what it says.

It says that people belong.

It says that communities care.

It says that everyone deserves the opportunity to participate.

Across the Sunshine Coast and beyond, local businesses, schools, sporting clubs, community groups and individuals are helping create opportunities through fundraising, volunteering, sponsorship and advocacy.

When communities come together, opportunities grow.

Create Your Fundraiser

A smiling young woman wearing glasses and a blue shirt stands outside a shop, holding a wooden board with keyrings on it—perhaps inspiring others to ask, "What If?" as she stands confidently like a compass guiding new possibilities.

Join a movement creating opportunity

Every trainee who walks through a Compass campus brings unique strengths, talents and potential. The opportunities that help those gifts grow often begin with ordinary people deciding to do something extraordinary.

A birthday.

A morning tea.

A golf day.

A community event.

A personal challenge.

A fundraiser may seem small when it begins. For someone building confidence, independence, friendships and community connection, it can create opportunities that last a lifetime.

Together, we can create more opportunities for people with disability to learn, grow and thrive.

Create Your Fundraiser