Five Hands Foundation

The power of five

One family, five hands

The Five Hands Foundation is built on the personal dedication of the Kostalas family. The five hands are the five of us: two parents and three children, coming together to create tangible, supportive impact in our community.

At the heart of everything is our mark: a stylised ‘h’, a continuous, embracing loop that cradles a smaller handprint. It stands for protection, intergenerational care, and the warmth of a helping hand.

A parent’s embrace, a child’s hand. The mark that carries our name.

5Hands

2Parents

3Children

1Promise

Vision

A community where every individual feels supported, uplifted, and connected through the power of shared compassion.

Mission

To extend the warmth and care of our family to yours by fostering genuine connections, providing hands-on support, and sharing authentic stories that bring people together.

Our purpose

Five hands, five purposes

Our constitution commits us to exclusively charitable purposes in the Australian community. Five purposes sit at its heart, one for each hand.

Standing with survivors

Relieving the distress and hardship experienced by victim-survivors of domestic and family violence and their families, directly and by raising funds for the specialist services dedicated to that relief.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000. For free, confidential support, 24 hours a day, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Relief when life is hard

Easing need arising from financial hardship, geographic isolation, ill health, age or disability: crisis accommodation, safety planning, counselling and transitional support, provided directly or by funding the services that deliver them.

Practical assistance

Practical and financial help for individuals and families who face barriers to accessing essential services.

Stronger communities

Advancing social and public welfare in Australia, and strengthening the resilience of communities affected by hardship or disadvantage, with a particular focus on regional communities.

Backing trusted charities

Raising funds and providing support for Public Benevolent Institutions and other registered charities working on the front line of benevolent need.

What guides us

The nurturing neighbour

We keep things personal, local and human: an extension of the community’s own support system, a family reaching out to help other families.

Genuine connections

Fostering real relationships in our community, so that nobody has to navigate hard times alone.

Hands-on support

Practical help given directly and with respect, so that receiving support never comes with judgment.

Authentic stories

Sharing true stories of care and resilience that bring people together and inspire others to lend a hand.

“People support causes they trust. Our value lies in a direct, human-to-human approach.”

Warm & Empathetic Grounded & Authentic Community-Driven Steadfast & Reliable

The five hands

The family behind the foundation

Professor Stuart Kostalas

Co-founder · Director

Dr Kristy Kostalas

Co-founder · Director

Our three children

The three smallest hands

The reason behind our name, and the heart of why we do this.

Get involved

Every hand helps

Whether you can give, partner with us, or simply pass our story along, you are helping a family help families.

Donate Email us

Our online donation page is being connected. For now this button opens an email to us, and we will reply with the details.

Five Hands Foundation Pty Ltd is not-for-profit by constitution: income and assets may only ever fund our charitable purposes.

Local business, school or community group? We partner with people who share our community-first values.

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Real help from a real family.