Soroptimist International Victoria (SIV) officially launched the Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation, a $5 million fund dedicated to empowering women and children across the state in November 2025.
When SIV sold its South Yarra headquarters after more than 50 years, members saw an opportunity to turn bricks and mortar into a legacy that would continue advancing women’s and girls’ rights for generations to come.
“Our vision is that women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide,” says Kerry Beer, Chair - Management Committee Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation (SIVF).
“We are guided by Soroptimist principles including the advancement of education, human rights, equality, and ethical standards.”
“With gender equality at our heart, we are dedicated to finding solutions that empower women and girls to be their best. We hope that the funds we have available will assist in increasing the rate of change required to achieve this.”
Kerry also hopes younger generations will engage with Soroptimist’s values and work through the Foundation. “Our organisation provides a perfect vehicle to become involved in to bring about change. I hope more young women see the opportunity that becoming a Soroptimist brings.”
Two-stream granting strategy
The SIVF grant rounds have two distinct streams: The major grant stream will provide up to $100,000 per year for five years, focused on supporting older women (55+) facing housing insecurity or homelessness.
The second stream will offer smaller grants of up to $20,000, aimed at projects that support education, mental health, and community building, and focused on women and girls, women at risk of homelessness, victim-survivors of family and domestic violence, newly arrived migrants and refugees, and girls at risk.
Domestic and family violence remains a leading driver of homelessness among women.
Investment in education, community building, and mental health provides long-term pathways to equality.
At an official Launch Ceremony held at Queens Hall on the 26th of November at the Victoria Parliament buildings the Foundation awarded its Inaugural Grant Round of almost $680,000 through these two funding streams:
One Major Grant of $100,000 per year for five years to support older women (55+) experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness has been awarded to Women’s Property Initiatives to enable establishment of a new Housing Fund (100 Homes for 100 Women).
Older women are the fastest-growing group experiencing housing insecurity in Australia.
The WPI Women’s Housing Fund is a bold, scalable new model designed to deliver 100 homes for 100 women experiencing housing insecurity. This SIVF grant supports the essential operational foundations required to establish and scale the Women’s Housing Fund.
Nine Community Grants totaling $179,075 which support projects that promote education, mental health, family violence recovery, refugee and migrant support, and girls at risk.
The Nine Community Grant recipients were as follows:
Caroline Chisholm Society – Shepparton - $20,000
Keeping the Shepparton Site open to provide critical early intervention and family support services for vulnerable women, children and families.
North Geelong Secondary College - $20,000
BE BOLD, BE HEARD - Empowering Teenage Girls in Secondary Schools across the Greater Geelong Area to raise their voices, lead with confidence, and drive meaningful change in their schools and communities.
McAuley Community Services for Women – Ballarat - $20,000
Building social resilience through community engagement and wellbeing for Women at risk of or experiencing Homelessness.
SisterWorks Inc – Carlton -$20,000
Taste of Opportunity: Innovative Training and Pathways to Hospitality Employment for Refugee & Migrant Women.
River Nile School – Melbourne - $20,000
Literacy development Program for Secondary School Age Refugee Girls where they do not speak English at proficiency levels required to continue/complete their education.
The Les Twentyman Foundation - $20,000
SHE (Supporting Her Education) FUTURES - new program for Wyndham Locality which empowers disadvantaged young women to overcome barriers including school disengagement, family instability, and social isolation.
Southern Peninsula Community Support - $20,000
Family Support Services - Expansion of Services to support Women especially Single Parents on the Southern Mornington Peninsula.
Global Care Community Meals - Cobram & Surrounding Areas - $20,000
Ensuring no vulnerable resident - especially children, women facing illness, grief, or hardship - goes without nourishment, companionship and care.
Wyndham Park Primary School Community Hub - $19,075
Stronger Together: Connecting Women, Building Communities. Services for women from CALD backgrounds designed to build confidence, safety and independence while reducing social isolation.
In setting up the Foundation SIV has partnered with the Australian Communities Foundation to support its investing, compliance and operational requirements. As the Fund awarded its first round of grants, Carly Severino, ACF Director of Community & Philanthropy, says there’s a lot for other donors to learn from Soroptimist Victoria’s approach.
“Converting a one-off asset like the sale of a property into a Named Fund is one of the smartest ways to turn today’s resources into tomorrow’s grantmaking,” says Carly.
“There’s so much value in giving with intention – choose a primary issue so you can make multi-year commitments and be clear about what you’ll back.”
Soroptimist International Victoria believes that a two-stream approach – multi-year major grants alongside smaller, responsive grants – gives us the opportunity to effect long-term change while at the same time being able to respond to current community needs.
