Help families get out of debt, not just through the month.
Support the Financial Resilience Pilot. Secure giving via DonorPearl.
When a family comes to NZF struggling with debt, our financial aid can relieve some of that burden. But paying a debt or a notice is not always the best solution.
Interest, fees and collection costs keep growing. Other debts stay unresolved. Without addressing the underlying situation, a family can end up facing the same difficulties again.
A qualified financial counsellor can change that. Before any Zakat is spent, the counsellor can check whether a debt is valid, negotiate with banks, utilities and debt collectors, and secure the hardship arrangements, waivers and concessions a family is entitled to.
Families who apply to NZF and are struggling with debt, including:
It is especially for families facing eviction, repossession, disconnection or legal action, where a creditor has refused a hardship request, or where earlier help has not led to stability.
Families who arrive already owing money are more likely to receive financial support from us, and they receive more of it. A typical family carrying a debt or arrear receives $2,000, against $1,000 for a family without one. On average, they receive around 60% more.
went to families who came to us already carrying a debt or arrear this year. If earlier, expert help stopped even one in ten of those situations reaching crisis, that would be around $138,000 a year, more than the $125,000 this pilot costs.
All statistics are based on the 12 months ending September 2026.
No separate application is needed. When a family's application involves complex debt, our caseworkers refer it to the financial counsellor, with the family's consent.
A family presents with a $14,000 unsecured debt. A financial counsellor might secure:
NZF can then resolve the family's hardship with substantially less Zakat, leaving more for the next family.
A counsellor cannot force a creditor to forgive a debt. Their strength is the family's legal rights, creditors' hardship obligations, clear evidence of what the family can afford, and the option to take disputes to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).
Financial counsellors are qualified, independent advocates for people in financial difficulty. They hold the specialist CHC51122 Diploma of Financial Counselling and are trained in consumer credit, bankruptcy and social-security law. Their service is always free, confidential and independent.
Banks and major creditors treat them as credible specialist representatives.
Financial Counselling Australia reports that financial counselling clients commonly:
National outcomes published by Financial Counselling Australia, not NZF results.
The pilot combines immediate help with lasting capability. We will bring in an experienced financial counsellor for 12 months and, at the same time, train one of our own team through the Diploma, mentored on real cases.
| Experienced financial counsellor, 3 to 4 days a week, including on-costs | $80,000–$110,000 |
| Diploma, study support and backfill for an NZF team member | $20,000–$35,000 |
| Supervision, membership, policies and systems | $5,000–$10,000 |
| Our appeal goal | $125,000 |
Estimated range $105,000–$155,000. The goal is the pilot's planning budget.
Any amount helps us reach $125,000 sooner.
We will report on what the pilot achieves at six and twelve months.
The counsellor advises each family independently. They never approve their own Zakat recommendation, and they are not rewarded for maximising debt waivers.
Support the Financial Resilience Pilot. Secure giving via DonorPearl.