Krista Seddon is the Director of Prevention of Violence against Women at the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria. She has ample experience in establishing non-profit organisations and teams, and developing strategies to help achieve change. Prior to her advocacy work she was a teacher with the Department of Education Victoria.

Oversaturated and severely underfunded, the non-profit sector can be a difficult arena to impact change. But Krista’s strategic acumen has allowed her to navigate such tricky territory and be a catalyst for it.

To influence change in government from a grassroots level requires sacrifice and dedication. But for Krista Seddon, the most important element is strategy.

"I think while grassroots advocacy is so important, it also needs systems and mechanisms to sit behind that to enable people, particularly young people, to have a seat at the table," Krista said.

Krista led the expansion of the Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC), the only peak body in Australia representing the views of children and young people in policy and dialogue.

The VicSRC brought Krista on as State Manager and the sole employee in 2012. Reporting to a board of student leaders, Krista managed a passionate staff team and over 30 volunteers to advocate for transformational change within the education system.

To strengthen the organisation’s profile and influence, Krista built relationships with government and education stakeholders over a period of four years, securing a three-year funding agreement and generating significant policy reform.

It was in 2015 that Krista achieved the transformational change the organisation had been advocating for.

After an extensive campaign, changes were made to the Victorian Ministerial Order mandating the presence of students on school councils.

"Over a number of years through research papers, meeting with ministers, government and our grassroots advocacy campaigns we were successful," Krista said.

"Last year the minister came to one of our events and announced that the Ministerial Order that describes the make-up of school councils would change to make sure that students in government schools will have a mandated seat at the table."

The campaign was a success for students, but for Krista her personal involvement gave tangible weight to her belief in the capacity for grassroots organisations to make a difference.

It shows how grassroots activism can really start from an idea about what people are passionate about and go right through the process to the end where we see the kind of change we want to see."

Since her success with the VicSRC, Krista is using her expertise to champion a different cause within the non-profit sector.

Krista is now the Director of Prevention of Violence Against Women for the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria. Through advocacy, training and resources, Krista is broadening the capacity of the Centre to make a difference in the outcomes of women affected by family violence.

Changing careers successfully: from education to the non-profit

Krista was a secondary teacher before she entered into the non-profit sector.

Trading in a full-time job with the Department of Education Victoria for a part-time position for the VicSRC, Krista didn’t need hindsight to realise it was a risky move.

But having being introduced to grassroots activism and the theoretical foundations of feminism during her Arts degree at Monash, Krista always knew that working in the non-profit gender equality space was where her passion lay.

"I was inspired to change careers… because of the passion that I was able to explore and cultivate during my Arts degree around the ideas of feminism and gender equality," Krista said.

Knowing what you want to do is half the battle, and the Arts degree allowed me to explore lots of different passions of mine which meant I knew what I really wanted to do with my life."

Using skills from her Arts degree

To make the transition a success, Krista relied on the skills she developed during her Arts degree.

"Things like communication, critical thinking and the value of networks were reinforced through my Arts degree," Krista said.

"The work that I do wouldn’t be effective without [building] relationships."

Krista’s advice for anyone looking to change careers stems from her own experiences: volunteer and work for the industry you’re interested in, think about where your passion and energy lies, and maintain your relationships.

"The arts degree taught me the value in volunteering, in extracurricular activities, in supporting the community around you.

"Monash gave me a lot of opportunities to get involved with lots of different activities outside of my academic studies which is something I’ve continued on for the next decade."

Krista has held a range of volunteer governance and leadership roles with community and NGO organisations.  She served as Vice President of YWCA Victoria, National Board Director of YWCA Australia, and international advisor for FRIDA the Young Feminist Fund.

These positions strengthened her networks within the movement as well as her ability to work collaboratively and strategically with boards when in leadership roles.

"I always stayed connected to the feminist sector in Australia and Victoria even when I was working as a teacher," Krista said.

"I was involved with different organisations and even though I wasn’t working in that space, it meant I stayed connected through networks and was kept up to date with information as it came out.

"You never know what opportunities will come up."