Pathways to Independence
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Abuse for Young Women
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Pathways to Independence
Pathways to Independence is a comprehensive program providing education, health care, counseling, mentoring, housing and automotive support to women living below the poverty level. While in receipt of this support, these young women commit to a program of education that will lead them to social and financial independence.Currently 45-50 young women are in the program, all who have suffered poverty. 70% are recovering from chemical dependency, 60% have experienced sexual abuse and have specialized therapists treating that issue and about 60% of our clients have experienced homelessness. Clients remain in the Pathways program approximately 3-5 years, the large majority receiving a Bachelor's degree.Since inception, Pathways to Independence has operated with a relatively high program efficiency ratio (program services / total expenses), which averages 80%. This reflects the tremendous contributions from close to 300 volunteers. No one who serves on the Board of Directors receive any remuneration.
Where we work
Awards
External reviews

Photos
Videos
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve single young women ages 18-35, with no dependents, who are pursuing higher education. The women we serve all come from backgrounds of surviving abuse, neglect, violence and homelessness.
-
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
SMS text surveys, Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Case management notes, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email,
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
-
What significant change resulted from feedback?
Due to a suggestion and obvious need pointed out by a current client, we created a COVID safe study lounge, a safe communal space for our clients to study, equipped with internet, coffee and snacks.
-
With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board,
-
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
They guide the process and guide the service delivery and expectations, both for us on how to serve clients better, and how to make our process more accessible to clients so they can utilize our program well.
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Pathways to Independence
Board of directorsas of 08/08/2022
Mr. Raymond Cervantez
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Term: 2021 - 2022
Lisa Fluke
Executive Legal Assistant
Nikki Harris
MFT
Tracey Hutton
Retired Nurse
Jerry Green
Community Volunteer
Raymond Cervantes
Banker
Anita Beltran-Sutt
Banker
Sharon Dickson
LCSW
Joseph Dzida
Attorney
Lindsay Mais
Financial Planner
Christina Stricklin
Pathways Alumni
Sylvia Hendron
CDF
Leslie Wulff
Business Woman
Robert Casares
Insurance Agent
Ana C Lopez
Division Officer for Long Beach
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.