An update, and thank you, from Routes
Thanks to your support, Routes has a future!
Earlier this year we reached out for help because, like so many organisations in our sector, Routes’ future was at risk. Thanks to the support you showed us, we’re thrilled to say that Routes is staying open: our flagship mentoring programme will continue, and the women in our alumni community will keep learning, connecting and growing together.
To everyone who made a donation, whether it was £5 or £500, a one-off gift or a monthly commitment, thank you. To the partners who stepped up their support this year, and to the organisations who generously shared their resources and expertise, thank you. To friends of Routes who fundraised on our behalf, and everyone who shared the campaign, sent it to a friend, posted it on their social media, thank you.
Alongside the good news, we also want to be honest about what this year has cost. Securing Routes' future has meant making decisions we wished we didn't have to make. We’ve had to say goodbye to team members who gave so much to the organisation and to our community, and will be pausing our Routes to Employment programme that has made a real difference to the women it reached. These were not easy decisions, and we do not take lightly the impact they have had on the people involved. We are grateful to everyone who has been part of Routes' journey, including those whose chapters with us have come to a close (for now).
However, we know, more than ever, that our work is worth fighting for. We have a team that believes deeply in what we do, a community of over 300 women who are building futures they once couldn't imagine, a mentoring programme that we know changes lives, and a renewed commitment to building an organisation that is as sustainable as it is ambitious.
Pictured to the left: wonderful mentees from our 16th mentoring programme cohort.
What we have learnt
Inspired by IMIX’s generosity to sharing their learnings after going through their own funding challenges this year, we wanted to share what helped us:
Communicating openly and early. Telling our partners, supporters and team how precarious things were felt exposing, but we chose to do it while there was still something that could be done, rather than once it was too late. We didn't want to be left with any "what ifs", and the response showed us we were right to trust our community.
Guiding every decision by our organisational values. In a crisis, with resources stretched, prioritising our community’s interests and staying true to the kind of organisation that we are and want to continue being, made even the hardest decisions clearer.
Finding the balance between being responsible, responsive and ambitious. We adapted quickly to changing needs and circumstances, while ensuring care for our team, community and finances, and always keeping sight of the impact we want to make for our community and wider society. Consistently holding these three aims together remained a useful touchstone throughout this difficult period.
Boldly exploring new ways to increase our funding opportunities. Facing such a difficult funding landscape, we finally prioritised those creative fundraising ideas we'd wanted to try for a while: supporters took on sponsored events and runs and held bake sales and raffles for Routes, and we hosted our own fundraising events. There is so much goodwill in our community, and it really paid off finding different ways for people to get involved. Converting to a CIO is also a big part of this ongoing commitment to diversify our income further.
Keep asking how people are experiencing uncertainty and change. On top of regular team check-ins, we held additional meetings to speak openly with the team about the challenges we faced, our plans to navigate them, and how it was affecting them. Regular communication helped us develop a shared language for talking about uncertainty, and it shaped our thinking as things progressed. How change lands can shift from one week to the next, so we’ve learnt to keep asking rather than assume.
Leading together is more sustainable. Going through this as co-CEOs made the pressure and worry far more manageable than it would have been for one person alone. Working very closely with our board during this challenging period was equally a huge support, and input from our Lived Experience Leadership Group and team was essential to stronger decision-making.
This doesn’t mean the road ahead is going to be easy - fundraising for a small organisation requires constant work. But because of the support you’ve shown us this year, we’re still here to continue putting in the effort.
Join our community!
If you'd like to be part of what comes next for Routes, there are lots of ways to support our work:
an introduction to anyone who might be interested in our work;
join our mentoring programme;
stay up-to-date with our work via our monthly newsletter.
Every bit of it is appreciated, and it makes a huge difference to the women we work with.
With love and gratitude,
Leyla and Yeri
Co-CEOs, Routes
