Pathways to Independence

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
330148082
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Los Alamitos, CA, USA
Phone
7148874568
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,421,212
Expenses
$2,496,378
Assets
$5,918,564
Liabilities
$106,169

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DIANA HILL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • DIANA HILL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $146,350 total reported compensation
  • LISA MAIS (FUND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER): $121,646 total reported compensation
  • JAN POLLITT (THERAPY DIRECTOR): $106,600 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To transform the lives of disadvantaged single young women through education, therapy, mentoring, housing, and healthcare, to break the cycle of poverty and abuse.

What it reported doing in 2025

Pathways to independence provides support to single women ages 18-35, with no dependents, from disadvantaged backgrounds who are pursuing higher education. Through education assistance, therapy, mentoring, housing, and healthcareservices, pathways empowers women to achieve self-sufficiency and build brighterfutures.pathways owns and operates three residential buildings in huntington beach, known as thedunbar residences, which provide housing for up to 31 clients. These properties are owned freeand clear of all encumbrances and offer a safe, stable, and peaceful living environment thatsupports residents as they pursue their educational and personal goals.in 2025, pathways served 45 women, with 40 active clients enrolled in the program at year-end. Since its founding, pathways has served a total of 498 women, helping them overcome barriersand create lasting change in their lives and communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 63% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 73% for direct work, and 27% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 83%; rating input score 83
  • Program expense ratio: 79.5%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.12 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.1%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.37; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.4% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 83% of revenue deployed · 79.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $146K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 18/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.