Leading a small not‑for‑profit is never easy, especially in an environment that demands growth, high compliance, and financial sustainability.
“Easy” certainly wasn’t on Melissa Holmes’ mind when she stepped into the role of CEO at Stepping Out Program a few years ago. Her challenge was to sustain the organisation’s 40‑year legacy of creating a world where girls and women can move freely and participate fully without fear of sexual violence.
Stepping Out faced the threat of closure in 2022. Melissa stepped in to revitalise the organisation, refocusing on frontline service delivery, community collaboration, lived‑experience consultation, and clinical expertise — all grounded in feminism and social justice. She is clear that an organisation’s purpose should drive its activities.
A participant in ISV’s Leaders Room in 2025, Melissa shared that “…the temptation to chase funding opportunities is real, but the discipline lies in knowing what your organisation does well and staying true to it….”
Understanding purpose in relation to need is essential. The evidence is stark. Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a profound and lifelong trauma. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 11% of women report sexual abuse by an adult before the age of 15, and 69% of those report it happened more than once. In 88% of cases, the perpetrator was known to the child, and nearly half were family members. Most first incidents occurred between ages five and nine, involved a single perpetrator, and were never reported to police. In NSW in 2022, 59% of recorded sexual assault victims were under 18; of these, 79% were female. (ABS and Stepping Out, 2025)
Determining what an organisation can and should do requires a clear assessment of need, capability, discipline and support. Stepping Out is crystal clear: they are a specialist service supporting adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Their clinical expertise helps survivors feel heard, believed and less alone. Melissa believes their evidence‑based approach is reshaping how we support women to recover and live their best lives.
Today, Stepping Out offers:
- Social inclusion groups and activities for survivors experiencing isolation as a result of trauma
- Psychoeducational groups with the added benefit of peer support
- Information and trauma‑informed practice support for practitioners
Melissa says she is proud to lead a service with such an important mission and a long history of supporting female CSA survivors.