In the 2023 financial year, the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation partnered with three charities: Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA), Raise Foundation and Motherless Daughters Australia, focusing on women and mental health. 

These charity partners support causes such as advocating for the needs of people with perinatal anxiety and depression, mentoring pregnant and young women, as well as supporting girls and women who have experienced the loss of their mother.

Following a national survey of more than 25,000 respondents, the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation Board selected these three charity partners on the basis that they covered a range of causes that were important to women. They were also chosen because of their alignment with the Foundation’s vision and focus, with an emphasis on service-delivery, and are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

The number of charities the Foundation partners with is generally between three to six, and each charity partner has an approximate tenure of three years, which is likely to be further renewed. The aim of the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation is to ensure charity partners become self-sustaining through the funding and support provided to them. 

The value of funds allocated to charity partners is provided at the beginning of their tenure. Twice a year, the charities present to the Board their strategic plans and goals, outlining resources and details on how the donated funds have been used.

Fundraising activities

During the 2023 financial year, Priceline launched an exclusive line of ‘Sisterhoodies’, designed by Priceline Ambassador Chrissie Swan and fashion designer Rebecca Thompson, which customers could win as part of the annual Priceline Sisterhood Foundation fundraising campaign. Customers who chose to round up their in-store transaction by $3 or more were eligible to win one of four limited edition hoodies. The campaign raised more than $800,000, becoming the most successful Foundation campaign since 2019.

Funds for the Foundation are collected through donations by customers and team members within stores, from vendors, at conferences, and at standalone events, such as the annual Priceline Sisterhood Foundation Charity Golf Day event. This event was held in March 2023 and raised approximately $100,000.

The Foundation raised almost $1.7 million in the 2023 financial year. This money allows the Foundation to provide essential funding for on-the-ground support services, medical research and sustainable programs through its charity partners.

Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA)

PANDA has been one of the Foundation’s charity partners since 2016. PANDA is a national not-for-profit organisation that was formed in Victoria in 1983 and dedicated to supporting women, men and families across Australia to recover from perinatal anxiety and depression and postnatal psychosis, during the first 12 months of a new baby. 

One in five new mums and one in 10 new dads are affected by perinatal depression and anxiety, impacting approximately 100,000 families in Australia each year¹. These numbers are increasing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, as parents are facing mental and physical struggles in caring for new babies without enough support.

PANDA’s National Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Helpline is the only national dedicated service for mums and dads experiencing perinatal anxiety and depression and postnatal psychosis. 

Callers to PANDA’s Helpline are supported by someone who understands how they are feeling and knows how to help them take the first step to recovery. Many of PANDA’s trained counsellors (a combination of professional staff and volunteers) have a personal experience of perinatal anxiety or depression.

PANDA also runs a Care Coordination program in Victoria and Adelaide, which provides ongoing counselling and support for expecting and new parents with more complex perinatal mental health experiences.

PANDA also provides training and secondary consultations for health professionals, as well as community education programs facilitated by volunteers. 

The funding from the Sisterhood Foundation has been used to upgrade the PANDA website as well as the PANDA Learning Hub, which features various courses and learning materials for health professionals, including evidence and practice-based information and tools. These improvements go to the core of the Sisterhood Foundation’s focus to build the capacity and self-sufficiency of its charity partners over time.

Demand for perinatal mental health support increased by 45 per cent during the pandemic. After the easing of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, this number was expected to drop significantly. Instead, new data shows that not only has demand failed to return to pre-COVID levels, it increased in 2022.² The role of organisations like PANDA during these times is crucial, in order to provide support and resources to struggling individuals and families.  

¹_{‘About Panda’ PANDA. https://panda.org.au/about/about-panda.}

^{2 Reid, Cayle. ‘New Dads Suffer from Perinatal Depression Too - We Just Don't Hear about It.’ Men's Health Magazine Australia, November 7, 2022. https://www.menshealth.com.au/perinatal-mental-health-week/.}