When Elaine Henry joined The Smith Family as chief executive in 1998, the national charity was in need of an overhaul. During the previous 20 years, things had got worse, not better; more and more disadvantaged families were returning for handouts week after week, year after year, with little hope of ever standing on their own two feet.

“I don't like to use the term but the board wanted a change agent,” says Henry, 64, who realised the priority had to be supporting the education of disadvantaged children. “I knew it was going to be a complete transformation and it would take at least seven years.”

The Smith Family had been founded with the aim of helping children – in 1922, five Sydney businessmen gave toys and sweets to an orphanage just before Christmas and told the matron all their surnames were Smith.

But over the years it had branched into other areas, such as aged care accommodation.

It was also struggling to meet the growing demand for handouts of food and clothing from needy families.

Henry – a scientist by training – dug around for hard evidence of what was required.

She found it in a 1987 survey of Smith Family clients, which showed that disadvantaged families were desperate for support to get their kids educated. She also found an already established Smith Family program called “Learning for Life”, which supported 60 children with a scholarship to help their schooling. Fast-forward 11 years and the much-expanded Learning for Life program is The Smith Family's main focus, helping more than 70,000 children.

As well as scholarships to pay for items such as excursions, books and uniforms, the program supplies volunteer mentors and tutors.

Before she transformed The Smith Family, Sydney-born Henry spent 16 years at the Cancer Council of NSW, including 12 as executive director.

When she joined the council in 1981, after 10 years studying and working in public health in Britain, she was shocked at the lack of data on issues such as the prevalence and mortality rates of the most common cancers.

“In those days people didn't talk about cancer,” she says. “Doctors didn't use the word; they didn't want to frighten the patients. They talked of tumours and lumps.”

Henry was determined to “bring cancer out of the closet”. Her initiatives included the Slip, Slop, Slap skin cancer campaign and the introduction of Daffodil Day in 1987 (which made $1400 the first year but now raises about $10 million a year).

The inspiration for Henry's passion for public health was a London epidemiologist, Professor Charles Fletcher, with whom she worked for three years after completing an honours science degree at Oxford Brookes University.

“I think by osmosis a lot of his views rubbed off on me,” she says. “He believed first and foremost that you bring issues into the sunlight and then you do something about them.”

The big questions

Biggest break Having a great mentor and tutor in Professor Charles Fletcher, although I didn't realise it at the time. He really helped to shape my working life.

Biggest achievement Transforming The Smith Family from a handout organisation to a hand-up organisation (through supporting the education of disadvantaged children).

Biggest regret Not having enough funding to achieve the level of impact we need to change not just individuals but communities and the nation.

Best investment When The Smith Family was opening in an official capacity in Western Australia, we paid to fly a tertiary student we had supported from Sydney to Perth to tell her story. After dinner, she said she'd like to go straight back to her hotel room because she'd never had a room of her own. She went on to become a corporate lawyer in a major law firm and won a scholarship to Cambridge University. That $150 for the room was a very good investment.

Worst investment I once bought a car in not very good light one evening. When I drove it downhill, the engine caught on fire – but luckily I pulled up outside a fire station.

Attitude to money I was brought up in the era when you were taught to buy the best you can possibly afford but to save your money up first before you spend it.

Personal philosophy I always tell graduating students to follow their passion, not their pension. It's no good being in a job you don't love – it's really important to be passionate about what you do.