Grant funding to support communities affected by domestic and family violence

Menchie Khairuddin September 7, 2023

6 min read

Nearly 60 organisations across Australia working with key groups affected by domestic and family violence (DFV) will receive funding to expand their reach and boost the level of support available through specialist programs to counter violence.

The Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), in partnership with the Australian Communities Foundation (ACF), today announced a total of $13.6 million in grant funding to 58 organisations including those working with First Nations women and communities, children, migrant and refugee women, rural and remote communities, pregnant women, LGBTIQA+ communities, single mothers, women with a disability, and perpetrators and users of violence. Twenty-seven of the 58 organisations are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led programs across each state and territory of Australia, which speaks to a significant investment in First Nations self-determined approaches to DFV.

Each of the organisations will receive a one-off grant of up to $250,000 to support the delivery of their specialist DFV programs, helping to build their capacity. Since 2017, PRF has granted more than $38 million to organisations improving the safety of women and children experiencing DFV.

PRF’s Head of Cohorts Jackie Ruddock said the grants were an opportunity to ease the extraordinary financial pressures facing DFV organisations, while also developing a stronger and better-connected sector.

“We hope these grants will alleviate some of the financial burden facing these community organisations, while supporting them to both continue and expand their specialist DFV programs,” said Ruddock.

“Domestic and family violence remains a complex and unending issue in Australia. The statistics are grim, and while DFV exists at all levels of our society we know the need is higher in the specific community cohorts which these grants seek to target.”

The grant recipients will also form a new network of specialist organisations with expertise in the prevention and mitigation of violence for key communities. PRF will consult with this network of partners to share insights and learnings, build relationships, and inform its future work to help tackle DFV in Australia. Leading the networking is ResearchCrowd and Innovation Unit, two specialist research and delivery partners with extensive experience working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the DFV and NFP sectors.

“We hope that building this national network of specialist organisations will strengthen the sector and its ability to tackle domestic and family violence through sharing experiences and information,” added Ruddock.

ACF’s Director of Philanthropic Services Georgia Mathews said the recipients represented a wide range of communities and geographic areas.

“We look forward to working with these organisations and distributing the funds to help support their critical services,” she said.

The recipient organisations from the Specialist DFV Programs National Open Grant Round are listed as follows (listed by two sections – First Nations-led programs and Cohort programs).

First Nations-led programs

Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative will extend its existing primary prevention program, Burron Guli “Boy to Man”, to secondary schools.
Boorndawam Willam Aboriginal Healing Service will use the funding to deliver a suite of workshops on culturally centred DFV responses.
Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit will expand its primary prevention and early intervention programs for young Aboriginal women and girls.
Circular Head Aboriginal Corp will grow its existing DFV program to include early intervention and prevention strategies.
Dardi Munworro will deliver culturally grounded and intersectional men’s healing, behaviour change and family violence prevention programs.
Deadly Connections Community and Justice Services will expand its culturally sensitive parent support program to reach more families experiencing DFV.
Djirra will use the funding to expand the delivery of its Koori Women’s Place Online Workshops, which employ cultural connection as a protective factor against DFV.
Ebenezer Aboriginal Corporation will enhance its Men Supporting Men program, a specialist male behaviour change program delivered in the Balga community.
Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women’s Service will channel the funding into its new Aboriginal Women’s Hub, a dedicated space run by and for Aboriginal women.
Gawooleng Yawoodeng Aboriginal Corporation will secure a venue to run early intervention, primary prevention and family support programs for Aboriginal women and their families.
Illawarra Koori Men’s Support Group (Gawura) will strengthen its Aboriginal-led DFV services including case management and behavioural change programs.
Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Regional Health and Community Services will expand and further develop the Katungul Women’s Healing Centre in Bega.
Kura Yerlo Incorporated will scale up its DFV programs to provide specialized workshops to community.
KWY Aboriginal Corporation will expand the reach of its existing Stronger Safer Family Outreach Hubs to deliver support services to more Aboriginal women.
Marnin Bowa Dumbara Family Healing Centre will develop and extend its current DFV support services to better meet community needs.
Mudgin-gal Aboriginal Corporation will extend its capacities to ensure that the current drop-in service can operate as a proper first contact for DFV support.
NPY Women’s Council will use the funding to continue the DFVS Malparara-Malparara project and develop an Anangu approach to primary DFV prevention.
Strong Women Talking (Marigurim Mubi Yangu Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders Corporation) will use the funding to deliver healing workshops for women, individual case support and other support services.
Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation will continue to grow its Tangentyere Men’s Behaviour Change Program with the addition of an Aboriginal peer support worker.
Taree Indigenous Development and Employment will use the funding to deliver emergency response services for Aboriginal women experiencing DFV, including crisis accommodation.
Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency will expand the delivery of its youth-focused DFV prevention program, Deadly Lovin’.
Waminda will scale up its Ulladulla Domestic and Family Violence Intervention program which provides culturally safe support to Aboriginal women in the Shoalhaven region.
Warringu Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders Corporation will use the funding to deepen its services and provide a more comprehensive model of support.
Aboriginal Family Legal Service WA will expand its Family Advocate Program in Perth.
Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation will scale up its DFV prevention programs, hiring a men’s worker to run programs for young men using violence.
Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre Incorporation will grow its capacity to offer legal and non-legal support to First Nations people experiencing DFV.
Yoowinna Wurnalung Aboriginal Healing Service will provide further employment to Aboriginal people in DFV prevention and education, continuing the Healing your Heart, Healing your Mind program.

Cohort programs

Allambee Counselling Inc will use the funding to expand its Respectful Relationship Education programs in secondary schools across Western Australia’s Peel Region.
Anglicare Victoria will use the funding for an Individual Mens Behavioural Change program for fathers who use violence in the home.
Anglicare WA will extend its Young Hearts program, a free counselling service for young people who have experienced DFV.
Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights will strengthen its Supporting Muslim Women’s Safety program, which includes culturally sensitive DFV response and prevention services.
Berry Street Victoria will channel the funding into its Mother-Infant Village program, which provides independent accommodation and wraparound support to mothers who have experienced DFV.
Brisbane Youth Service will expand its K.I.N.D Program, which provides psycho-educational intervention to young people using violence in their relationships.
Centre Against Domestic Abuse will strengthen its Moreton Multicultural Unique Mums (MMUMs) project which engages with women from refugee and migrant backgrounds in Moreton to deepen its focus on DFV and sexual assault.
The Centre for Non-Violence are strengthening their current response to working with children and young people by appointing a case manager to work with children and young people directly in the new Growing Futures program across the Loddon area of central Victoria.
Domestic Violence Action Centre will extend its men’s behavioural intervention program, Positive Choices, Safer Families.
DVassist will use the funding to continue decreasing barriers to DFV support for people living in rural or remote areas of Western Australia.
Engender Equality will extend its phone and video counselling services to ensure more people experiencing DFV in Tasmania receive timely counselling.
Family Access Network will hire a DFV therapeutic arts practitioner to provide healing & recovery support to LGBTIQ+ young people & pregnant/parenting young people who have experienced DFV.
inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence will work towards building a national approach to family violence in migrant and refugee communities.
Karinya House for Mothers and Babies will develop an evaluation framework for its work supporting homeless women who are pregnant or parenting a newborn.
Liberty Domestic & Family Violence Specialist Services will use the funding to continue delivering its men’s behavioural change program, Safer Men Safer Families.
Micah Projects will extend its specialist support to women experiencing DFV during pregnancy, birth and post-birth.
Multicultural Families Organisation Inc will expand its Support Assistance, Recovery and Advocacy (SARA) program, which delivers DFV support to migrant and refugee women on the Gold Coast.
Multicultural Youth South Australia will enhance the therapeutic and outreach components of its DFV services.
Northern Rivers Women and Children’s Services will use the funding to expand and streamline its DFV services across multiple community cohorts, including women with a disability and children.
NT Legal Aid will increase the capacity of its Respondent Early Assistance Legal Service in the Katherine Local Court.
Parkerville Children and Youth Care will expand its capacity to deliver tailored support to children and young people experiencing DFV in Western Australia.
Refuge Victoria will use the funding to develop specialised refuge support for LGBTQIA+ people experiencing DFV.
Sisters Inside Inc will use the funding to employ a community-based counsellor under its North QLD Anti-Violence program to support women and children at risk of incarceration, and/or exiting prison.
Southern Women’s Group Incorporated will extend its community engagement and response program in the Eurobodalla region.
Stopping Family Violence will extend its early intervention and education program for West Australian adolescents who are or may be at risk of perpetuating DFV.
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation will use the funding to support an occupational therapist to deliver a trauma-informed practice within the Child Protection Unit (CPU) at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
The Royal Women’s Hospital will use the funding to support its Family Violence Prevention program to improve pathways to safety and wellbeing for pregnant women affected by DFV.
Top End Women’s Legal Service Inc. will scale up innovative and place-based services to women who are experiencing or are at risk of DFV in the Northern Territory, particularly women seeking refuge at the Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Shelter Indigenous Corporation and women incarcerated at the Darwin Correctional Centre.
Wellsprings for Women will extend its specialist housing support for migrant and refugee women who have experienced DFV.
Women’s Community Shelters will grow its Walk the Talk program, educating high school students in respectful relationships and consent.
YWCA Australia will extend its capacity to deliver DFV support services to rural towns in Wingecarribee.

Menchie Khairuddin

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Menchie Khairuddin is a writer Deputy Content Manager at Akolade and content producer for Third Sector News. She is passionate about social affairs specifically in mixed, multicultural heritage and not-for-profit organisations.