Heluna Health

What Heluna Health does

Heluna Health (legally Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 and headquartered in City of Industry, California. It functions as a fiscal sponsor and program administrator for public-health work, providing four core service lines: Fiscal Sponsorship and Third Party Administration, Program Design and Management, Program Evaluation and Research, and Medi-Cal Billing and Administration. The organization supports roughly 300+ partner entities - community-based organizations, county and state health departments, and academic researchers - by handling their back-office infrastructure (HR, accounting, grants administration, compliance) so partners can focus on service delivery.

Its operational footprint is anchored by PHFE WIC, described as the nation's largest Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children network, serving 190,000+ women, children, and families monthly across nine-plus Southern California sites and administering $180M+ in annual food benefits. Adjacent direct-service programs include CinnaMoms (breastfeeding and postpartum support for Black/African American families), Little by Little School Readiness (early literacy), Contra Costa CORE (homelessness outreach), and Poquita's Garden (a 2025 children's book). On the technology and data side, Heluna Health provides operational backing to LANES, a qualified health information organization connecting 13M+ patients across 300+ California healthcare providers, and runs the Center for Outbreak Preparedness Insights (COPI) with its Local Public Health Resources Index data tool. PHFE WIC also maintains the only in-house WIC research department in the nation, publishing in journals such as the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The business model is managed-services revenue funded primarily by federal, state, and county government contracts (CDC, CDPH, LA County Department of Public Health, San Francisco DPH) - including the $36.5M EHE fiscal-intermediary mandate - supplemented by WIC administrative allocations, Medi-Cal billing fees, philanthropic contributions (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, California Wellness Foundation, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.), and fiscal-sponsorship service fees. The go-to-market is sales-led and consultative: direct engagement with public-health agencies via RFP responses and relationship management, layered with community-led outreach through LANES, EHE, and WIC touchpoints, plus event-driven demand generation through conferences and program launches. The organization reports 1001-5000 employees and operates offices in City of Industry and Oakland.

Name

Heluna Health

Legal name

Public Health Foundation Enterprises

Website

https://helunahealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Heluna Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing fiscal sponsorship, program design, evaluation, and Medi-Cal billing services to 300+ public-health partners, and runs the nation's largest WIC network (190,000+ monthly participants) plus the LANES health information exchange covering 13M+ California patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Program Services and Fiscal Sponsorship

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Individual and Family Services (6241), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Program Administrative Services (Medicare/Medicaid ASO/TPA) (HLAEALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eligibility, Enrollment & Benefits Administration (HLAEALAH), Maternal, Infant & Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Programs (BPADAJAC), Chronic Disease & Health Promotion Program Funding (HLAJALAJ), Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage) (BPAIAKAH)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Fiscal sponsorship
• WIC program administration
• Health information exchange
• Community health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

City Of Industry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Heluna Health primarily generates revenue through contracts and grants from federal, state, and local government agencies including the CDC, California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and other public health agencies. These contracts fund program administration, fiscal sponsorship services, and direct service delivery.
2. WIC Program Administration: As the nation's largest WIC program administrator, Heluna Health receives federal funding through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children to provide healthy food benefits, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and early literacy services to over 190,000 participants monthly.
3. Donations and Philanthropic Support: The organization receives contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals. Major supporters include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, California Wellness Foundation, and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (for specific initiatives like Poquita's Garden).
4. Fiscal Sponsorship Services: Heluna Health provides fiscal sponsorship and third-party administration services to nonprofits and public health organizations, offering financial management, grants administration, and operational support for partner organizations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heluna Health provides fiscal sponsorship, program design, program evaluation and research, and Medi-Cal billing and administration services to public health agencies, healthcare systems, and community-based organizations. It operates direct service programs including the nation's largest WIC network (PHFE WIC) serving 190,000+ participants monthly, the CinnaMoms breastfeeding support program, and the Contra Costa CORE program for unhoused individuals.

Product overview

Heluna Health is a national nonprofit offering a comprehensive suite of public health services organized around four core offerings: Fiscal Sponsorship and Third Party Administration, Program Design and Management, Program Evaluation and Research, and Medi-Cal Billing and Administration. The organization supports 300+ partners through fiscal management and population health implementation. Key direct service programs include PHFE WIC (the nation's largest WIC network serving 190,000+ monthly participants), CinnaMoms (breastfeeding support for Black/African American families), and the Little by Little School Readiness Program. The organization also partners with LANES (health information exchange serving 13M+ patients) and manages the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative as a fiscal intermediary. COPI (Center for Outbreak Preparedness Insights) and its Local Public Health Resources Index provide research and data tools. In 2025, Heluna Health launched its first children's book, Poquita's Garden, expanding into community publishing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PHFE WIC: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - the nation's largest WIC network serving over 190,000 women, children, and families each month.
• CinnaMoms
• Little by Little School Readiness Program
• COPI (Center for Outbreak Preparedness Insights)
• LANES Partnership

Products and services

• Fiscal Sponsorship and Third Party Administration Provides comprehensive fiscal management services including financial oversight, grants management, and administrative support for partner nonprofit organizations and public health agencies.
• Program Design and Management Offers end-to-end program development services including planning, implementation, and ongoing management of public health and social service initiatives for partner organizations.
• Program Evaluation and Research Conducts rigorous program evaluations and original research to assess outcomes, strengthen evidence bases, and demonstrate impact of public health investments.
• Medi-Cal Billing and Administration Provides billing and administrative services for Medi-Cal programs supporting healthcare access and reimbursement for eligible populations.
• PHFE WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) The nation's largest WIC network serving over 190,000 women, children, and families monthly with healthy food benefits, nutrition counseling, parenting groups, and visits with Registered Dietitians and Lactation Consultants at no cost.
• CinnaMoms A culturally centered program for Black/African American families providing breastfeeding support, parenting resources, and mental health services through peer support groups and dedicated staff at nine PHFE WIC sites.
• Little by Little School Readiness Program An evidence-based early literacy program providing free high-quality books and research-backed guidance to empower parents as their child's first teacher, addressing barriers to early learning.
• Contra Costa CORE (Coordinate Outreach Referral, Engagement) Partners with Contra Costa Health to engage and stabilize individuals experiencing homelessness through consistent outreach to deliver health and basic need services and secure permanent housing, supporting over 6,000 unhoused individuals annually.
• Center for Outbreak Preparedness Insights (COPI) Dedicated to improving community health by advancing local-level preparedness and response through research insights, field stories, and tools to strengthen outbreak detection, response, and recovery.
• Local Public Health Resources Index (LPHRI) A data tool enabling quick comparisons of key public health resources including workforce levels, clinical laboratory and pharmacy workforce, public health expenditures, and wastewater surveillance across communities.
• Poquita's Garden Children's Book Heluna Health's first children's book, co-authored with award-winning artist Lalo Alcaraz, addressing food access and early literacy through the story of a young girl transforming an urban lot into a community garden.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced youth tobacco use to lowest level in 25 years (1.4% of students)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs (DHSP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Heluna Health serves as fiscal intermediary for LA County DPH's Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, managing $36.5M in federal funding to support community organizations, program evaluation, workforce development, and behavioral health interventions for people living with HIV.
• LANES (Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Services)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Since 2011, Heluna Health has provided critical financial and operational support to LANES, a qualified health information organization connecting health data for 13M+ patients across 300+ California healthcare organizations. Partnership enables care coordination and emergency preparedness.
• California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 199727-year partnership supporting CYAN's youth tobacco prevention and advocacy programs. Heluna Health provides financial and administrative foundation, handling legal fees and day-to-day logistics while CYAN focuses on empowering youth advocates.
• Contra Costa Health, Housing, and Homeless Services (H3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCORE (Coordinate Outreach Referral, Engagement) program partners with Contra Costa Health to engage and stabilize individuals experiencing homelessness, providing health services, basic needs support, and housing connections for 7,000+ individuals annually.
• East Los Angeles Women's Center (ELAWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supports ELAWC's HIV prevention and support services for women, including trauma-informed care and support groups for women living with HIV. Heluna Health's EHE funding enables dedicated staff positions.
• Expecting JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supports the Abundant Birth Project Guaranteed Income Pilot, expanding to 425+ pregnant individuals across 5 California counties to reduce birth disparities among Black and Pacific Islander communities.
• First 5 LAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership producing critical data on families served by PHFE WIC, including studies on childhood obesity, nutrition, and breastfeeding published in leading journals.
• Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance (HMHBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supports maternal health services in underserved Los Angeles communities through doula care, training, and postpartum support via the GAAINS program serving 135 clients annually.
• San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships with SFDPH including Bridge HIV research, Center for Public Health Research, Behavioral Health Services, and Homeless Outreach Team (SFHOT) supporting public health initiatives.
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with multiple CDPH divisions including California Emerging Infections Program, Tobacco Control Program, Center for Infectious Diseases, and Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program.
• Tarzana Treatment CentersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBehavioral healthcare organization using LANES platform to reduce emergency room visits and connect patients with social services, behavioral health care, and follow-up support.
• Lalo AlcarazmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning artist and co-author of Poquita's Garden children's book, creating illustrations and content addressing food access and nutrition themes for community engagement.
• SisterWeb San Francisco Community Doula NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Super Doulas animated short addressing adverse birth outcomes experienced by women of color, and ongoing maternal health initiatives.
• Public Health AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with public health agencies at federal, state, and local levels to implement evidence-based population health programs and increase access to vital services.
• Healthcare SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with healthcare systems to improve program delivery, implement innovative health interventions, and enhance care coordination through health information exchange.
• Community-Based OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiscal sponsorship and operational support for 300+ community-based organizations working in public health, enabling them to focus on mission while Heluna Health handles administration.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Public Health Institute: National nonprofit providing fiscal sponsorship, program administration, and workforce development for public health agencies and initiatives. Highly comparable to Heluna's third-party administration model, partner network, and population health focus, though PHI emphasizes research/policy while Heluna emphasizes direct service programs like WIC.
• Tides Foundation: One of the largest nonprofit fiscal sponsors in the US, providing financial management, grants administration, and operational support to hundreds of mission-driven organizations. Comparable fiscal sponsorship infrastructure serving advocacy and social justice projects, though broader in mission than Heluna's public-health-specific focus.
• ETR: National nonprofit providing capacity building, training, program design, and evaluation services for public health and education organizations. Directly comparable to Heluna's program design, evaluation, and CBO support functions, with similar revenue model of government contracts and grants.
• Cicatelli Associates (CA International): Public-health-focused nonprofit providing capacity building, training, and technical assistance to community-based organizations and health agencies. Strongly comparable to Heluna's program design and partner support offerings, with overlap in HIV/STI, maternal/child health, and CBO capacity domains.
• National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ): National nonprofit focused on improving children's health outcomes through quality improvement, program design, and evaluation. Highly comparable in maternal/child health focus and in operating federal- and state-funded program initiatives with similar partner-network and government-grant revenue structure.
• The Praxis Project: National nonprofit dedicated to health equity and community organizing that also operates as a fiscal sponsor/infrastructure provider for community-led public health initiatives. Comparable in fiscal sponsorship role, racial health equity focus, and CBO-empowerment mission.

Broad incumbents

• The California Endowment: Large private statewide health foundation headquartered in California. While structurally a foundation (not an operating NGO), it is a major funder of the same CBOs and initiatives that Heluna fiscally sponsors, and operates comparable community-focused health programs in overlapping geographies.

Others

• Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP): National membership organization supporting state-level maternal and child health programs. Thematically connected through shared maternal/child health and WIC-adjacent constituencies, though AMCHP is an association/capacity-building body rather than a direct service operator or fiscal sponsor.
• National WIC Association: National nonprofit advocacy and education association representing WIC program staff and participants. Directly thematically linked to Heluna's largest direct service program (PHFE WIC), with overlapping staff (Samar McGregor elected Chair-Elect of NWA), but operates in policy/advocacy rather than as a service administrator.
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): National membership organization representing the country's local public health departments, which are Heluna's primary government customers. Thematically adjacent given Heluna's deep contracting relationships with county DPHs (LA, SF, Contra Costa), though NACCHO itself is an association rather than a service operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helunahealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@helunahealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/helunahealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/helunahealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heluna Health