What We’re Hearing from Our Partners: Key Insights from the 2025 Eastside Pathways Partnership Survey 

Biannually, Eastside Pathways backbone staff asks our partners to pause, reflect, and share honestly about what’s happening in their organizations and communities. The 2025 Partnership Survey brought together voices from across East King County and beyond—schools, nonprofits, healthcare providers, community‑based organizations, faith partners, philanthropy, and local government. 

What we heard is both affirming and instructive. 

Partners remain deeply committed to equity and collective impact, even as they navigate increasing financial pressure, rising basic needs, and growing mental health concerns for children, youth, and families. At the same time, partners are asking for deeper connection, practical strategies, and support to move from shared commitment to sustained action. 

Below are the key themes that emerged—and how they will shape our work together in the year ahead. 

A Strong, Shared Commitment to Equity and Cradle‑to‑Career Success 

Across the survey, partners expressed high levels of commitment to Eastside Pathways’ core goals:

• • Ensuring every child is ready to learn
  • Advancing racial equity so race does not determine outcomes
  • Supporting the mental, behavioral, and physical health of children and youth
  • Creating pathways to post‑secondary education, training, and meaningful careers
  • Advancing inclusion for LGBTQIA+ youth and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities 

This commitment spans sectors and roles—from frontline staff to executive leadership—and reflects a shared belief that systems can and must work better for children, youth, and families. 

This collective alignment remains one of Eastside Pathways’ greatest strengths. 

 

From Commitment to Action: Where Partners Need Support 

While commitment is strong, many partners noted that taking action is harder than ever. Compared to their stated commitment, fewer organizations reported being “very active” in certain goal areas—particularly post‑secondary attainment and LGBTQIA+ equity. 

This gap is not about lack of will. Instead, partners cited:

• • Limited staff capacity
  • Funding uncertainty
  • Competing urgent needs
  • Lack of clear, scalable strategies 

The message was clear: partners want help turning shared values into doable, sustainable action. 

Urgent Challenges Facing Our Communities 

When asked to name the most pressing issues they are facing right now, several themes rose to the top: 

1. Funding and Financial Instability

Partners across sectors are grappling with:

• • Budget cuts
  • Uncertainty in federal, state, and county funding
  • Rising operational costs 

These pressures directly impact staffing, program sustainability, and the ability to plan long‑term. 

2. Basic Needs for Families

Housing insecurity, food access, childcare availability, and transportation continue to affect families across East King County—often in communities where these challenges are less visible but deeply felt. 

3. Youth Mental Health

Partners consistently named youth mental health as a growing concern, noting increased complexity, acuity, and demand for services—especially in school‑based and community settings. 

4. Immigration‑Related Fear and Uncertainty

Organizations serving immigrant and undocumented families described heightened anxiety, reduced service engagement, and the need for culturally responsive, trust‑based approaches. 

5. Academic Gaps and K–12 System Pressures

Partners highlighted persistent disparities in student outcomes, particularly in literacy, graduation pathways, and access to rigorous, equitable instruction. 

 

What Partners Are Actively Working On 

Despite these challenges, partners are not standing still. Many reported actively addressing:

• • Basic needs support (food, housing, emergency assistance)
  • Advocacy for education, healthcare, and mental health funding
  • K–12 policy change and student academic outcomes
  • Multilingual and culturally responsive family engagement
  • Mental health and wellbeing services 

This reflects a field that is resilient, adaptive, and deeply invested, even under strain. 

 

What Partners Want Most from Eastside Pathways 

When asked about expectations of the partnership, five priorities stood out: 

1. Deeper relationships with the communities they serve 
2. Stronger relationships with other organizations 
3. Practical strategies they can apply in their work 
4. Resources that support their mission 
5. A clearer understanding of how collective impact strengthens results 

Above all, partners want Eastside Pathways to continue being a connector—bringing people together across silos—and a translator, helping turn data, equity commitments, and shared goals into coordinated action. 

 

How Eastside Pathways Is Making a Difference 

• • Partners shared that Eastside Pathways has been most valuable as:
  • A space to build meaningful relationships across sectors
  • A source of information about local needs, challenges, and successes
  • A connector that reduces duplication and aligns efforts
  • A partnership that centers racial equity in collective work 

Many partners also reported measurable changes, especially:

• • Deeper collaboration with other organizations
  • Shifts in organizational practices and mindset
  • Expanded services or partnerships in their communities 

At the same time, several partners noted it is “too soon to tell” or difficult to directly attribute outcomes—highlighting an opportunity to strengthen shared measurement and storytelling. 

 

What This Means for the Year Ahead 

The survey results point to a clear path forward. 

In the coming year, Eastside Pathways will focus on:

• • Bridging the commitment‑to‑action gap with practical tools, tested strategies, and peer learning
  • Deepening relationship‑building through more intentional, facilitated connections
  • Providing ready‑to‑use communications and data tools to support partner advocacy and storytelling
  • Supporting capacity‑building in accessible, low‑lift ways that respect partners’ limited time and resources
  • Strengthening shared measures of progress, so partners can better see—and show—the impact of collective work 

Thank You for Your Partnership 

We are grateful to every partner who took the time to share their experiences, challenges, and hopes. Your honesty strengthens this partnership and helps ensure our work remains grounded in real community needs. 

Eastside Pathways exists because of—and for—our partners. Together, we remain committed to building systems where every child, youth, and young adult in East King County can thrive. 

We look forward to continuing this work with you.