From heart-warming stories to evidence and credibility

The Situation

After 75 years supporting women in and beyond prison, Hope Network had powerful stories but no structured evidence base, which meant funders, government, and the corrections system saw them as a small, well-meaning community group rather than a credible delivery partner. The organisation had no impact measurement framework in place.

What I Did

I worked with Hope Network to build their Theory of Change and deliver a full impact evaluation, including in-prison and post-release surveys, in-depth interviews, a systematic case file review, and benchmarking against Victorian state data. The result was a clear, evidence-based picture of what their programs were achieving and the language to describe it.

The Outcome

The headline result: a 5% recidivism rate among women supported by Hope Network, compared to the Victorian average of 36.3%.

That evidence base translated directly into funding and standing the organisation had never had before:

• $3.4 million in new funding directly attributed to the impact evaluation, including $2.1 million in government funding, the first in Hope Network's 75-year history

• A shift in how key stakeholders engaged with them. From "a little community group" to a credible agency with a seat at the table and system-shaping influence

• Internal insight that reshaped their service delivery, including a rework of their children's support program after the evaluation showed it was less effective than assumed.

"We went from warm-hearted anecdotal stories to real evidence that changed the trajectory of the organisation. It shifted us from being fragile to being credible and resourced and it has been the catalyst for significant growth, which in turn has enabled us to support more women, more deeply."  

Amelia Pickering, CEO, Hope Network