McAuley

What McAuley does

McAuley Community Services for Women is a Victorian-based nonprofit organization that delivers crisis accommodation, medium-term housing, and community-based support services to women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness. Formed in 2008 through the merger of Regina Coeli (est. 1986) and Mercy Care (est. 1988), both founded by the Sisters of Mercy, the organization continues the legacy of Catherine McAuley. Its core programs include Heywood House, a 14-unit family violence crisis refuge with 24/7 frontline support; Wilma's Place, 12 architecturally designed apartments for long-term accommodation; the Safe at Home trial in Geelong; McAuley Learning Support and an Enhanced Maternal Child Health Nurse for children's developmental and educational needs; and a Food for Life program. Co-delivered services are provided through strategic partners, including WEstjustice for legal aid and Bolton Clarke for in-house nursing.

The organization is funded primarily through Victorian Government grants, supplemented by philanthropic contributions from foundations such as the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, and Australian Communities Foundation, as well as individual donations, workplace giving, monthly giving programs, and bequests. Services are delivered free of charge to clients, with gifts of AUD $2 or more being tax deductible under its ACNC-registered charity status. In 2024-25, McAuley supported 1,002 women and children. The organization has 68 employees, is led by CEO Jocelyn Bignold OAM, and is governed by a board. Its geographic footprint spans metropolitan Melbourne and regional Geelong, with an April 2026 launch of an emergency accommodation coordination platform signaling growing digital infrastructure investment.

Name

McAuley

Legal name

McAuley Community Services for Women

Website

https://mcauley.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

McAuley Community Services for Women is a Victorian nonprofit, formed in 2008 by the Sisters of Mercy, providing crisis accommodation, medium-term housing, and support services to women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness across Melbourne and Geelong.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Violence and Homelessness Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Education in Emergencies (EiE) & Safe Schools (BPADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Crisis accommodation services
• Family violence support
• Homelessness services
• Women's housing programs
• Community social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Primary funding from Victorian Government and other government bodies for family violence response, homelessness services, and accommodation programs.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, organizations, and workplace giving programs. Monthly giving programs available.
3. Bequests and Wills: Legacy giving through wills and bequests from supporters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McAuley Community Services for Women provides free, trauma-informed crisis accommodation, medium- and long-term housing, family violence case management, and children's programs to women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness in Victoria, Australia. Service delivery is direct and in-person, anchored in physical refuges (Heywood House, McAuley Houses) and long-term housing (Wilma's Place), supplemented by partner-delivered legal, nursing, and educational support.

Product overview

McAuley Community Services for Women is a not-for-profit social services organization, not a technology company. It does not offer software products, platforms, or modules in the traditional SaaS sense. McAuley provides direct community services for women and children experiencing family violence and homelessness in Victoria, Australia. The organization operates a portfolio of service programs including crisis accommodation (Heywood House), long-term housing (Wilma's Place), children's programs (McAuley Learning Support, EMCHN), and advocacy initiatives (Safe at Home trial). The services are delivered directly by staff and do not constitute a software product offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heywood House: Family violence crisis accommodation with 14 self-contained units (seven family suites and seven single units)
• Wilma's Place
• McAuley Houses
• McAuley Care

Products and services

• Heywood House Family violence crisis accommodation with 14 self-contained units (seven family suites and seven single units), communal spaces, a children's room, and a 24/7 frontline support team, providing women who have experienced family violence a place to rest, recover, and plan next steps.
• Wilma's Place Long-term accommodation development with 12 architecturally designed one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for women and children who have been homeless, with six-star energy ratings, fully appointed kitchens, secure entry, and proximity to Maribyrnong River amenities, housing up to 26 residents.
• Family Violence Case Management Case management support for families experiencing family violence, including safety planning, legal, financial, and employment support services, delivered in coordination with WEstjustice and other partner programs.
• Safe at Home Trial Victorian-first trial response to family violence that aims to keep women and children safe in their own homes rather than requiring them to flee, currently supporting households in Geelong.
• McAuley Learning Support Children's educational support program, including online tutoring, designed to help children who have experienced family violence and homelessness develop academic skills and progress in their education.
• Enhanced Maternal Child Health Nurse Specialized nursing service supporting babies, young children, and their mothers in family violence refuges, working with children up to 11 years to support developmental milestones, assess risks and needs, and strengthen mother-child bonds.
• Food for Life Food and nutrition support program for women and children experiencing homelessness, part of McAuley's broader homelessness services.
• Skills for Life Life skills program helping women and children experiencing homelessness develop practical skills for independent living.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1002 women and children helped in 2024-25
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WEstjusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEstjustice provides legal support services to McAuley clients, offering advice on debt, employment law, family law, family violence, financial counselling and tenancy issues.
• Bolton ClarkecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBolton Clarke provides nursing services through a dedicated nurse at McAuley facilities.
• Balmain & CominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBalmain & Co provided quality workmanship in delivering the Wilma's Place development.
• IN8 ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIN8 Architects designed the 12 architecturally designed apartments at Wilma's Place.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Women's Community Shelters: NSW-based network of women's crisis accommodation shelters offering comparable family violence refuge services. Comparable model of refuge-based crisis accommodation, though operating in a different state.
• Elizabeth Morgan House: Aboriginal-community-controlled family violence service for women and children in Victoria. Directly comparable niche focus on family violence refuges and specialist support, with similar scale and Victorian Government funding dependency.
• Launch Housing: Major Melbourne-based provider of crisis, transitional, and medium-term housing for people experiencing homelessness, including women and children fleeing family violence. Operates similar integrated support models and competes for the same Victorian Government funding streams as McAuley.
• Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre: Victoria's state-wide 24/7 family violence crisis telephone response and referral service. Directly comparable as the primary Victorian front-door service for women experiencing family violence, with overlapping client pathways and government funding relationships.
• Sacred Heart Mission: Melbourne-based nonprofit providing accommodation, food, and support services to people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. Operates overlapping homelessness service streams and competes for similar Victorian Government and philanthropic funding.

Broad incumbents

• Berry Street: One of Victoria's largest family services organisations providing family violence, out-of-home care, child and family services across a much broader portfolio. A broader incumbent with overlapping family violence and children's services, but far larger and more diversified.
• Melbourne City Mission: Large Melbourne-based nonprofit delivering homelessness, family, youth, and disability services. Comparable in providing crisis and medium-term accommodation in Melbourne and competing for similar government and philanthropic funding.
• Anglicare Victoria: Large statewide Victorian social services organisation delivering homelessness, family services, and youth programs. A broad incumbent competing for the same government family violence and homelessness contracts but operating at much greater scale and program breadth.
• The Salvation Army Crossroads and Crisis Services: Major national provider of crisis accommodation, family violence, and homelessness services across Australia. A broad incumbent with overlapping family violence crisis services and significant Victorian footprint, but operating nationally as part of a much larger organisation.

Regional players

• The WEAVER Centre / Domestic Violence Victoria: Peak body for family violence services in Victoria, coordinating sector advocacy, training, and policy across specialist family violence providers including refuges. Adjacent ecosystem player whose member organisations include McAuley and its closest direct competitors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcauley-community-services-for-women

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McAuley