How We Are Funded
Commencing in July 2022, WAM received funding from the State government to expand our mentoring program over the next four years. This grant specifically covers our program-related and administration costs. It means more women can access our community one-to-one mentoring program, and we can also expand into regional areas. We are very grateful to be able to continue this work.
The grant, however, does not cover any new and emerging needs and other sections of our charitable purpose, so we still need to fundraise. We also need to prove that we can eventually become self-sustaining.
What the government grant covers:
Administration costs
Wages
Volunteer training and upskilling
Some mentor program expenses
What doesn’t the government grant cover:
The ability to supply our participants with vouchers for food, transport and other essential items when in need.
Developing responses to emerging needs
Building our organisational capacity so we can create efficiencies and seek sustainability
WAM is lucky, we've had wonderful supporters who believe in our work and impact.
Philanthropic trusts, grants and, most of all, donations from our supporters have kept us going. We thank all those who have helped us over the last 13 years, empowering over 200 women to create positive change and build connections in their community. We began with one part-time Coordinator, and we’ve grown to a team of eleven passionate part-timers. We've expanded from one local area to support women across metro greater Melbourne and Ballarat.
You can see all our funders and supporters here
Our new initiatives
Peer Mentoring project
WAM asked women what they needed in the program. They told us - a peer-to-peer group mentoring model focused on learning from each other’s lived experience, whether that’s seeking employment, being released from custody, building their confidence, and finding their voice in a setting where someone has travelled a similar journey.
We're launching this now in 2023 with a paid facilitator who utilises her own lived experience to create a safe and welcoming space for women to share their stories.
We will support justice-involved women to undertake training, build their skills and confidence, and gain valuable experience in telling their stories. This is a focused mentoring model all about influencing policy, building awareness and creating systemic change.
This project is not covered by the government grant.
Need some stats?
In 2021, Women and Mentoring (WAM) launched its 2021 Evaluation Report at the Melbourne offices of Minter Ellison. The report is a three-year study of the impact of WAM's work mentoring women who have encountered the justice system to get their lives back on track, reduce recidivism and address the issues behind their offending."
“Over the past three years, just 13% of WAM mentees reported re-offending, which is more than 30% lower than the Victorian state average. This is an amazing achievement for women who face complex challenges and have experienced significant social and economic disadvantage before they begin their mentoring program relationship,” said Tricia Ciampa, WAM Executive Officer
In addition to producing lower rates of recidivism, WAM’s mentoring program also offers a crime prevention solution that delivers better economic outcomes at a time of rising costs for the prison system.
“Our report demonstrates that WAM is an effective and cost-efficient crime prevention initiative that addresses the root causes of reoffending – rather than just the symptoms alone”.
Issues such as homelessness, family violence, mental health issues, drug and alcohol misuse, trauma from abuse, and poverty contribute to women’s offending. Often these issues also play a role in creating barriers to engagement with services.
The cost of keeping a person in prison per day in 2019-2020 was $323 ($118,059 per year), and the cost of Community Corrections per day is $47 ($17,096 per year).
"For just $22 per day, we can provide the support of a trained and screened mentor who offers practical assistance, social connection and encouragement to help a woman change her life and keep her out of the justice system," said Ms Ciampa.
Access the full evaluation report here