Guest speaker, SisterWorks CEO Ifrin Fittock, shared the powerful story of how Impact100 Melbourne’s 2016 grant helped transform the organisation. The support enabled SisterWorks to secure its first shopfront on Swan Street Richmond, expand operations and grow its mission. SisterWorks is a not-for-profit social enterprise that supports women from migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking backgrounds to gain skills, confidence, and independence through employment and entrepreneurship. It has grown to become one of Australia’s most respected social enterprises. Today, SisterWorks has three empowerment hubs, a hospitality hub, a manufacturing hub, and it has supported more than 3,000 women from 105 nationalities into meaningful employment. “Receiving this grant was such a significant moment for SisterWorks. Our retail activity at the time consisted of weekend market stalls. We used these funds to open a permanent shop which enabled us to build a sustainable retail business with training and employment opportunities for our Sisters. “The grant also enabled us to secure other significant funding, giving us the capacity to support and employ more women from migrant backgrounds, particularly those who had newly arrived in Melbourne, including women with refugee status.” In addition to the retail store, the organisation has opened a café in Carlton, established a catering business called Crafted Culture, and developed business partnerships with L’Oréal, Yarra Trams, and several football clubs. “We now have important partnerships that provide opportunities for women to develop workplace skills and gain employment, which is important for building confidence and gaining valuable work experience.” Impact100 Melbourne’s grant in 2016 provided the momentum the organisation needed to reach the next level of its development. “I can credit Impact100 Melbourne’s grant as one of the important contributors to the successful growth of SisterWorks today.” Impact100 is a popular collective giving model, where 100 people each donate $1,000 to create a $100,000 grant for a not-for-profit organisation. There are six Impact100s around Australia. Co-founder and advisory committee member Rikki Andrews said, “By being part of Impact100 Melbourne, your $1,000 donation, pooled together with others, provides local organisations with access to a high-impact grant. It can be a transformative grant for many not-for-profit organisations.” New advisory member James Pryor spoke to guests about how joining Impact100 Melbourne helped him settle into Melbourne life. “I was a member of Impact100 Sydney, so when I moved to Melbourne it was wonderful to find such a welcoming Impact100 Melbourne group. I instantly connected with like-minded people and could make a difference in a way that I was already familiar with,” he said.
By joining Impact100 Melbourne, you will contribute to funding the next transformative grant for a local charitable organisation in Greater Melbourne. If you haven't already, we encourage you to donate and join Impact100 Melbourne for 2026. There has never been a better time to get involved, connect with like-minded Melburnians, learn about inspiring local initiatives, and discover how you can be part of this collective movement for good. Donate and join Impact100 Melbourne
As Australia is experiencing a widening divide between those housed and unhoused, communities either side of the wafer-thin line of homelessness are left with looming questions. How do those experiencing homelessness and complex hardship reclaim their own humanity on their own terms, and how can we bridge the class divide and coexist meaningfully? These questions are explored through the deeply vulnerable and contagious stories of a group of residents living in Servants Community Housing. Watch the 'love in the walls' documentary via SBS On Demand.