Be There Foundation exists to prevent domestic, family and personal violence by turning care into action equipping people and communities to show up early, safely and together.

Born from decades of frontline experience, the Foundation was created in response to a gap we saw again and again between intention and impact. We believe prevention must be practical, survivor-informed and community-owned. Our work focuses on doing the tangible things that make people safer, early, respectfully and in ways that last, guided by the belief that presence matters, and action changes outcomes.

The Foundation is led by Kirsty Tschirpig and Psychologist Shaan Ross-Smith, whose work has spanned prisons, community services and systems-level decision-making. After seven years on the board of DVConnect, including several years as Chair, alongside frontline work with the Domestic Violence Prevention Centre Gold Coast and current service on the Queensland Parole Board, Shaan has seen firsthand where systems work and where they fall short. Those experiences, combined with lived proximity to harm and recovery, shaped a clear conviction: knowledge alone does not change lives. Action does.

Be There Foundation directs resources into community-based education, early intervention and practical support for victim survivors, guided by the people most impacted. Our long-term vision is not only individual safety, but entire communities that are informed, connected and ready to be there, workplaces, neighbours, families and leaders who know what to do, and do it. For our supporters and philanthropic partners, this means your contribution goes directly toward real-world outcomes: fewer gaps, stronger responses, and a future where prevention is not an idea, but a shared responsibility in action.