Founded in 2001, Pathways to Education works in communities across Canada to reduce high school dropout rates in low-income areas. Its flagship program is the Pathways to Education Program (Pathways). The program offers tutoring, group and career mentoring, transit and lunch vouchers and one-on-one support to enrolled students. The charity teams with public schools, post-secondary institutions, community organizations, families, the government, and corporate donors to run Pathways. Pathways to Education also conducts research on topics related to its mission, releases monthly research summaries, and provides financial aid for post-secondary education to Pathways alumni.  

There are 20 Pathways to Education Program locations in 8 provinces across Canada, including 2 new Pathways locations launched in Edmonton and Saskatoon in September 2017. The charity supported 5,747 Pathways students in the 2016-17 school year, of which 863 graduated high school within the year. New in 2017, Pathways Vancouver introduced Family Engagement Nights, as caregiver and parent involvement in the Pathways Program translates to improved attendance in Pathways students. Pathways Winnipeg also implemented a Peer Helper Program in 2017 based on key learning about how to better support Indigenous youth in its Pathways program. 

In F2018, the charity’s program spending totaled $24.9m. Pathways to Education program delivery spending of $20.6m represents funding to Pathways Program Partners who deliver the flagship program to students in the community. The charity provided $1.9m in scholarships to Pathways alumni pursuing post-secondary education or training. Of the remaining $2.3m, $1.2m was spent on program growth and $1.1m was spent on program research and evaluation.

Results and Impact: Based on 2016-17 school year figures, 71% of students who graduated high school while in a Pathways Program went on to pursue post-secondary education. Goss Gilroy Inc. (GGI) evaluated the Pathways Program in 2017 and found that on-time graduation rates in Ontario are 10 to 19 percentage points higher in Pathways students compared to non-Pathways students. The GGI report also states that 88% of students involved in the study remained in the Pathways Program throughout high school, indicating a high retention rate. Boston Consulting Group assessed the Pathways program in 2010 and found a $24 return on investment per $1 invested in the Pathways Program, and a cumulative lifetime benefit to society of $600k per Pathways graduate.

Pathways to Education is a large charity that received $9.2m in donations in F2018. Administrative costs are 5% of revenues and fundraising costs are 32% of donations. For every $1 donated to the charity, 66 cents is put toward its programs, which does not fall within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. Funding reserves of $14.1m can cover 57% of annual program costs (under 7 months of programming), indicating a need for funding.

With this funding challenge, Pathways Canada has reduced the amount of scholarship funding to youth.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Pathways to Education for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on November 10, 2018 by Katie Khodawandi.