Imagine you’re overseeing a mission to terraform Mars. Forget a single rocket; you’re sending an armada, packed with all sorts of technology, life-support systems and, of course, a human crew. You can’t afford to rely solely on pre-calculated models because the universe doesn’t play by fixed rules that we understand. You need help. You need the power of pattern recognition.

Let’s say that one day you’re meticulously scanning through data from previous space missions, both successful and failed. You notice that fuel consumption tends to spike when passing through certain cosmic conditions. Aha! That’s a pattern. Or maybe you observe recurring minor failures in the life-support systems, but only when the spacecraft is closest to the Sun. Bang on, another pat- tern. Recognising these patterns allows you to adapt, in real-time. Maybe you alter the spacecraft’s trajectory or tweak the life-support systems to withstand those solar flares better.

If you want to know more follow this link!

In the book we talk about these topics for each of our Spark’s, including;

• When to use these Sparks,

• How to use them

• The outcomes of using them

• Dangers to be aware of

• Capability-building tools & techniques, and

• Case Studies

and children escaping domestic violence. The non-profit’s journey began in 2015 when community members identified a critical service gap — a shortage of resources due to government funding being allocated elsewhere in the city. This recognition sparked a grassroots movement that, by 2016, had gathered enough donations to open the doors to a renovated sanctuary.

However, the organisation quickly realised that refuge alone wasn’t sufficient. The complexities surrounding domestic violence — from the financial restrictions to the difficulties of maintaining connections with children and navigating government assistance — demanded a more holistic approach. This understanding led to the establishment of The Daisy Centre in December 2020. Here, women in the community, can access a suite of services including individualised case management, therapeutic group programs, legal advice, financial counselling, and cyber safety support, all designed to empower them to make choices to safely leave abusive relationships and work towards their goals.

With a 16-member team, about half dedicated to service delivery, and growing demand in the community, Mary’s House Services feels the pressing need to expand. Collaborating with Spark, they’ve set ambitious strategic goals including: to increase their refuge capacity to provide self-contained units for 8-12 women and their children, assist more women to find permanent housing, and support them to achieve financial independence. But Mary’s House Services faces a challenge — government grants are sporadic and time-limited, and there’s little funding available for essential operating and service delivery expenses, an area where federal and state governments lack coordination.
The demand is undeniable, with over 2000 monthly calls to police for domestic violence support in the region, a number that’s rising. The stark reality is that for every woman or child killed, countless others remain unheard, with about 60% never reporting their abuse. “We have no hesitation in telling anyone who’ll listen that we need the funding and the partnerships,” the CEO, Yvette Vignando, states, underlining the urgency of their mission to provide hope and save lives.

Mary’s House Services aims to cultivate lasting relationships with donors and partners, emphasising the critical nature of funding not just service delivery but essential operational costs to maximise impact on women’s and children’s safety and lives.

The call to action is clear: Mary’s House Services invites philanthropic leaders and funders to join their courageous and optimistic vision.

Yvette encourages viewing “Uncharitable,” a film that underscores the global change driven by for-purpose organisations, urging investment in organisations that lead such transformative initiatives.

When asked what stays on her mind, Yvette shared that her thoughts are often consumed by how to inspire the next philanthropist and how to communicate the pressing need for investment in essential operational support in NFPs.

Yvette is also acutely aware that the next woman they support, and the next child who is with her, may well have their lives in danger. “Just last week, one of our residents gave birth to a baby – that’s the next generation we are protecting too – and they deserve the opportunity for a safe and happy childhood.”

Mary’s House Services seeks not just donations from their partners but a shared belief in women’s and children’s rights to be safe from abuse and violence, and to nurturing a community in which safety and independence are accessible to all.

In the video below, our Managing Director, George Liacos, shares 6 Tips for Running a Strategic Planning Workshop.
George sits down to talk about the common pitfalls leaders stumble over when facilitating their strategic planning workshop. Don’t waste another session!

“Facilitation is essentially about creating impactful conversations. As humans, it’s completely natural for us to engage in this way and it can also be a relief that, even if you’re an expert in your field, it shouldn’t be up to one person alone to come up with all of the answers.”

Want some more helpful tips or resources? Read more tips from a 25+ year veteran facilitator at our website.

Want to hire an expert facilitator to run your workshop?
Reach out to us at info@sparkstrategy.com.au or (03) 8804 1731.