Jay Reid, 67, was a manager of Argyll and Bute Women’s Aid in Dunoon when she stole the money over a five-year period.
She spent some of the cash on foreign holidays, expensive jewellery, designer perfume and purchases on Amazon.
Prosecutors presented evidence that laid bare the scale of Reid’s offending between December 2016 and January 2021.
She was sentenced at Greenock Sheriff Court after a jury found her guilty of embezzlement.
Anne Marie Hicks, Procurator Fiscal for North Strathclyde, said:
“Jay Reid committed an egregious betrayal of trust by taking advantage of her position to embezzle money from her employers.
“She showed no regard for the impact her crimes would have on vulnerable women and children who relied on support from Women’s Aid or the effect it would have on those trying to run such an important charity.
“The public will rightly be appalled.
“Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. As prosecutors, we are fully committed to tackling financial crime of this kind.”
Reid worked as a manager of the children’s service at the Dunoon office and had control of the branch’s bank account.
Her crimes were revealed when other members of staff at Women’s Aid discovered that payments had not been made to their pensions.
Charity officials then investigated and Reid’s offending was fully identified following a Scottish Government audit.
A financial investigator established that Reid used a Women’s Aid credit card to finance illegitimate purchases totalling £39,726. 63 and highlighted the frequency of transactions.
None of the outlay was spent on service users who rely on Women’s Aid for support.
Spending included holidays to Tenerife and Amsterdam, furniture from IKEA, a Weightwatcher’s membership as well as vet bills.