In 2009, Betty established the $5 million Arts Education Endowment for Children, one of the largest philanthropic gifts in Australian performing arts history. Her generosity continued in 2013, with a $1 million donation to support a program of large-scale public events celebrating community participation in the arts.

Launched in 2014, the Betty Amsden Participation Program, reflects Betty’s deep belief in the power of the arts to inspire, unite and surprise people from all walks of life. The program has become one of Arts Centre Melbourne’s most impactful and enduring initiatives, bringing people together through shared, large-scale creative experience.

Highlights include Play Me, I’m Yours placing more than 20 artist-decorated pianos in the streets of Melbourne to encourage spontaneous musical collaboration. Dominoes encouraged a different kind of play through a kinetic installation of 7,000 breezeblocks weaving through city streets.

Most recently, Home Bound (2025) saw artists and communities collaborating to weave a vast social tapestry, symbolising the richness of life.

Learn more about Betty’s impact at Arts Centre Melbourne.

Details coming soon

The Epworth Medical Foundation Staff Scholarship program is an integral part of caring for Epworth patients and is the largest of its kind in any Australian hospital. This program has been supporting Epworth staff since 2008. 

Epworth is determined to provide the highest standard of healthcare across Victoria and Australia. And to do this, they must have exceptional staff who are the best they can be. It is why Scholarships represent one of the greatest examples of philanthropic impact at Epworth. Each and every scholarship is made possible by donors who believe in the staff and want to create opportunities that allow them to advance and grow in their career. 

The Betty Amsden Foundation has been supporting scholarships for midwives since 2018. In that time the Betty Amsden AO Midwifery Scholarship has supported Epworth midwives to learn, develop and grow, so that they can provide the very best care.

These scholarships reflect Epworth and Betty’s commitment to continuous learning and innovation. As healthcare continually evolves, and new and better treatments come to the forefront, scholarships help the Epworth team develop and grow for the future, to ensure that patients who enter hospitals in the years to come receive the very best care.

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Betty’s bequest to Melbourne Recital Centre brings to life a range of free and low-cost programs for kids and families, helping to ensure that the Centre is a place of joy and discovery for everyone. Past examples of projects delivered under the banner of the Betty Amsden Kids and Families Program have included the commissioning and presentation of new participatory musical works in collaboration with organisations such as Polyglot Theatre, and the Federation Handbells. Most recently, Betty’s gift has enabled the Centre to offer a wide range of interactive foyer activities during their Music Play children’s festival.

Betty’s visionary and generous support is proudly acknowledged through her appointment as “Kids and Families Benefactor”, and she is remembered with great fondness by many of the Centre’s staff and artists.

During her lifetime, Betty was a passionate supporter of Melbourne Recital Centre’s work to ensure that live music is accessible to everyone – in particular children and young people who face physical, financial, or geographic barriers to participating in live music.

Donors wishing to join Betty in supporting this important ongoing work are invited to make a gift to the “Learning and Access” pillar of out philanthropy program. More information is available here

Details coming soon