The Mary Potter Foundation is a charitable organisation incorporated under the provisions of the Associations and Incorporations Act in South Australia. It was formally incorporated in 1988 and is a Public Benevolent Institution with Deductible Gift Recipient status.

The Foundation assists the Mary Potter Hospice based at Calvary Health Care North Adelaide in the provision of dedicated and superior care to people suffering with a terminal illness.

The Mary Potter Hospice is South Australia's only privately funded palliative care facility and receives no government grants or church funding. The cost of providing this dedicated palliative care is expensive and the cost significantly exceeds the income received.

The Mary Potter Foundation uses its funds to support the Mary Potter Hospice by

• Funding the annual operating deficit incurred by the Hospice (currently in excess of $650,000)
• Funding the education and training of doctors in palliative medicine in partnership with the University of Adelaide Medical School
• Purchasing aids and equipment designed to enhance patient comfort, control symptoms and provide pain relief
• Funding programs such as bereavement counselling for patients and their families to assist them to come to terms with grief and loss
• Funding the Fra Angelico Creative Arts Program which assists patients to leave tangible mementoes for their loved ones, such as ceramics and other creative art
• Funding Treasure Boxes for little children to help them cope with the loss of a parent or grandparent

The Mary Potter Foundation also has responsibility for processing donations on behalf of Calvary Cancer Services which is also based at Calvary North Adelaide.