Case Study: The Big Issue empowers homeless women into paid work and confidence with Salesforce

Empowering homeless women to work their way out of poverty with The Big Issue subscription service

The Big Issue is a not-for-profit social enterprise that helps homeless and marginalised people regain income and independence by selling its iconic magazine. Although about half of Australia’s homeless population is female, only 15% of vendors were women because many are reluctant to sell on the street. Faced with the challenge of creating a safe, viable pathway out of poverty for women, The Big Issue designed an alternative employment model focused on subscription sales.

Their Women's Subscription Enterprise uses a Salesforce-powered call centre and one-on-one mentoring to train disadvantaged women to sell subscriptions, pack magazines and build workplace skills in a supportive environment. The program has expanded to new centres in Melbourne and Adelaide, boosted participants’ confidence and incomes, and delivered tangible life changes—such as reconnecting with family—demonstrating a scalable way to help women work their way out of poverty.

The Big Issue

Emma O’Halloran

Head of Marketing