Public Health Advocates

What Public Health Advocates does

Public Health Advocates is a California-based nonprofit policy advocacy organization founded in 1999 that uses community organizing, coalition building, and policy development to address health disparities and advance health equity. Headquartered in Davis, California with approximately 25 staff members, the organization runs seven active campaign programs: All Children Thrive - California (ACT-CA) for childhood trauma prevention across over 30 cities; Emergency Resilience Project for disaster preparedness; First Response Transformation for alternative emergency response; Neighborhood Change Champions for youth-led advocacy in San Joaquin County; Thriving Climate Communities for climate justice; Within Our REACH for community health in Stockton; and State Policy Advocacy for legislative change. Their work has produced more than a dozen California state laws and secured $600 million in state funding for public health initiatives, including landmark achievements in school nutrition (1999-2006), menu labeling (SB 1420, 2008), sugary drink taxation, children's meal default beverages (SB 1192, 2018), and Medi-Cal diabetes prevention program access (2017).

The organization's business model is grant-funded, with revenue derived from foundation grants (Blue Shield of California Foundation, The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, CARESTAR Foundation), federal grants (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Office of Minority Health), state funding (California Strategic Growth Council, state of California for ACT-CA), and individual donations. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, though audited financial statements for 2016-2018 are available upon request. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on grassroots organizing, coalition partnerships with organizations such as UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Kaiser Permanente, League of California Cities, American Heart Association, and YMCAs of California, and direct engagement with community residents and local government officials. The organization has no technology product offerings; its core deliverable is policy change and community empowerment, supported by research capabilities including the proprietary Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI).

Name

Public Health Advocates

Legal name

Public Health Advocates

Website

https://phadvocates.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public Health Advocates is a Davis, California-based nonprofit founded in 1999 that uses community organizing and policy advocacy to advance health equity, having secured over a dozen state laws and $600 million in California public health funding across programs targeting childhood trauma, nutrition, emergency resilience, and climate justice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK), Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Public health policy advocacy
• Community health organizing
• Health equity campaigns
• Legislative policy reform
• Nonprofit coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Government Grants: Primary funding comes from grants from foundations and government agencies including Blue Shield of California Foundation, The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, CARESTAR Foundation, U.S. Office of Minority Health, California Strategic Growth Council, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals via online donation pages, PayPal, Facebook, mail-in checks, and Donor-Advised Funds (DAF) Direct.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Public Health Advocates is a non-profit policy advocacy organization that helps California communities pass laws, reform systems, and establish norms that foster health, equity, and racial justice. The organization combines community organizing, policy research, coalition building, and direct legislative advocacy to address issues including childhood obesity, sugary drink consumption, childhood trauma, emergency preparedness, first response transformation, and climate resilience. Their portfolio spans seven active campaign programs plus multiple documented policy victories spanning more than 25 years.

Product overview

Public Health Advocates operates as a unified non-profit policy advocacy organization offering multiple interconnected campaign programs and case study initiatives, rather than a traditional product-based company. The organization's portfolio includes seven core campaign programs: All Children Thrive – California (ACT-CA) for childhood trauma prevention, Emergency Resilience Project for disaster preparedness, First Response Transformation for alternative emergency response, Neighborhood Change Champions for youth advocacy, Thriving Climate Communities for climate justice, Within Our REACH for community health in Stockton, and State Policy Advocacy for legislative change. Additionally, the organization documents eight documented policy campaign case studies (Sugary Drinks, School Food, Menu Labeling, Restaurant Children's Meals, HEAL Cities, Diabetes Prevention, School Water Fountains, and REACH) that showcase their methodology and outcomes. These campaigns and case studies collectively form an integrated approach to public health advocacy, combining grassroots community organizing, policy development, research, media advocacy, and coalition building to advance health, equity, and racial justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• All Children Thrive – California (ACT-CA): A campaign empowering residents in over 30 California cities to change policies to help children and families prevent and mitigate childhood trauma.
• Emergency Resilience Project
• First Response Transformation Campaign
• Neighborhood Change Champions (NCC)
• Within Our REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health)
• HEAL Cities Campaign

Products and services

• All Children Thrive – California (ACT-CA) A community empowerment initiative that partners with community-based organizations, youth, and residents in over 30 California cities to prevent and mitigate childhood trauma through training, coaching, and resources that help access data, raise awareness about adverse childhood experiences, and reform public policy. The program serves California residents in cities facing health disparities and is funded in part by the state of California.
• Emergency Resilience Project A public health equity initiative that builds California's capacity to prepare for and respond to future emergencies and disasters by repairing inequities in emergency preparedness and response systems. Originally named California COVID Justice, the project is funded by Blue Shield of California Foundation, The California Endowment, and The California Wellness Foundation.
• First Response Transformation Campaign A campaign that helps local champions throughout California create and sustain alternative first response programs that better address issues like homelessness and mental health crises, providing services more aligned with community needs than traditional police, fire, and emergency medical services. Funded by CARESTAR Foundation.
• Neighborhood Change Champions (NCC) A youth-driven campaign that advocates for healthier communities in San Joaquin County census tracts with the greatest health disparities, training youth advocates to choose and address issues they want to see changed. Funded by the U.S. Office of Minority Health.
• Thriving Climate Communities

Quantifiable outcome

• Daily water consumption increased 12% in participating churches; daily soda consumption declined 16%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UCLA for All Children Thrive - California (ACT-CA) campaign, providing research and technical expertise for childhood trauma prevention initiatives across California.
• League of California CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in HEAL Cities Campaign, collaborating to help California cities establish health-promoting policies.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in HEAL Cities Campaign, supporting municipal health initiatives across California.
• YMCAs of CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to sponsor state legislation (SB 1192) making water or milk the default beverage in restaurant children's meals.
• American Heart AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to sponsor SB 1192 legislation on restaurant children's meals, advocating for children's cardiovascular health.
• Latino Coalition for Healthy CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to sponsor SB 1192 legislation, representing Latino community health interests in policy advocacy.
• UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health EquitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in REACH Stockton evaluation, providing research and evaluation support for the program's health interventions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio: A national research and advocacy program addressing Latino childhood obesity and health equity through community organizing and digital storytelling. Comparable in upstream health-equity focus and community-led advocacy approach, though embedded in an academic institution and serving a different geography.

Direct peers

• Prevention Institute: A California-based nonprofit focused on advancing primary prevention and health equity through policy advocacy, community capacity-building, and research. Directly comparable in mission, California focus, and advocacy-driven model for addressing upstream determinants of health.
• ChangeLab Solutions: A national nonprofit that provides legal and policy tools to advance equitable laws on healthy housing, food, active living, and tobacco. Comparable as a public-health law and policy advocacy nonprofit producing model legislation and policy frameworks, overlapping directly with PHA's campaign portfolio.
• California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEN): A statewide policy and advocacy nonprofit advancing health equity for communities of color in California through coalition organizing, legislative advocacy, and research. Directly comparable in California focus, racial-equity framing, and Sacramento-centered policy advocacy model.
• Healthy Places by Design: A nonprofit that partners with local communities to advance equitable healthy community design through active living, healthy eating, and connected neighborhoods. Directly comparable to PHA's HEAL Cities Campaign in focus on municipal-level policy for active living and nutrition.

Broad incumbents

• Public Health Institute: A large California-based nonprofit that conducts public health research, builds community partnerships, and runs programs on chronic disease, equity, and emerging health threats. Comparable in California-based public-health mission and grant-funded advocacy operations, though much larger in scope and headcount.
• Trust for America's Health: A national nonprofit focused on disease prevention, health equity, and emergency preparedness through policy analysis and federal advocacy. Comparable as a public-health policy advocacy organization, though operating at the federal rather than state level.
• PolicyLink: A national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity through policy change at the local, state, and federal levels. Comparable in equity-centered policy advocacy and community-driven approach, though broader in scope (housing, transportation, economy) beyond health.
• American Public Health Association (APHA): The largest U.S. professional association for public health professionals, engaged in policy advocacy, education, and publication. Comparable as a national public-health advocacy body, though more membership- and science-driven rather than community-organizing driven.

Regional players

• Community Health Councils: A Los Angeles-based nonprofit advancing health equity through policy advocacy, community engagement, and research focused on South LA and other under-resourced communities. Comparable in California-focused health-equity advocacy and coalition-building, but more localized than PHA's statewide reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearepha
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqR0gR4TwKLdZO2MLNdD2MQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/PHAdvocates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-health-advocates
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearephadvocates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Public Health Advocates