When Soroptimist International Victoria (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.
Founded in 1921, Soroptimist International is made up of five federations, each comprised of smaller divisions. Volunteers advocate across the world for the education, empowerment, and enablement of women and girls to improve their lives. This includes Soroptimist International Victoria of the Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific Federation.
With a shared commitment to tackling inequality, partnering with Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) was a natural step forward for Soroptimist International Victoria.
“We began our engagement with ACF when we were still exploring what structure we might adopt and how we might operate,” says Kerry Beer, President of Soroptimist International Victoria.
“ACF has been very helpful as we navigated the possibilities. We needed to work with someone who could provide us with the compliance services required of a Fund of our size, but at the same time could help us in our journey from a grassroots volunteer movement to having a greater involvement in philanthropic activities.
“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.
“We are guided by principles including the advancement of education, human rights, equality, and ethical standards.”
We began our engagement with ACF when we were still exploring what structure we might adopt… they have been very helpful as we navigated the possibilities
ACF Advisory has supported Soroptimist International Victoria from the early stages of Fund development in 2024 (the Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation Fund (SIVF)) through to the launch of its granting strategy.
Two-stream granting strategy
SIVF will launch its first grant rounds in August 2025, with Kerry explaining they “can’t wait” to see which organisations will be the first grant recipients.
The grant rounds will 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.
Our vision is that women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential
“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,” says Kerry.
Looking to the future
Kerry also hopes younger generations will engage with Soroptimist’s values and work.
“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.”
She highlights the many benefits of Soroptimist membership, including supporting community projects, contributing to national and international initiatives, advocating for policy change, accessing UN agencies, and developing leadership skills.
“Today, we are a strong international network of some 65,000 women, who are powerful and effective advocates of women’s and girls’ rights,” notes Kerry.
“Every day, around the world, Soroptimists make a positive difference to the lives of women and girls, and I am sure we will continue to do so.”
Lessons from Soroptimist’s journey
As the Fund prepares for its first grant rounds, 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.
“A two-stream approach – multi-year major grants alongside smaller, responsive grants – balances long-term change with agility.”
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
For Fund Advisors refining their approach, Carly recommends engaging early: “Work with our team on compliance, governance and grant design; it shortens the runway and keeps your Fund values-aligned.” She adds: “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.”
With SIVF’s focus and structure in place ahead of the inaugural grant rounds, their model offers a practical blueprint for Fund Advisors looking to get more from their Named Fund.
To donate to the Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation Fund, click here.
