Name

BHHS Legacy Foundation

Legal name

BHHS Legacy Foundation

Website

https://bhhslegacy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Charitable grantmaking foundation
• Community health programs
• Nonprofit endowment funding
• Youth support services
• Healthcare workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: BHHS Legacy Foundation raises funds through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and other organizations. Donations support the Foundation's grantmaking activities and Legacy Connection's youth programs, including the Backpack Buddies program. The Foundation's website features a donate-now portal accepting credit card donations with options to direct funds to Phoenix Region or Tri-State Region Backpack Buddies Youth Programs. As of 2026, the Foundation is no longer a Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO) under the Arizona Tax Credit program, but donations remain fully tax-deductible.
2. Grant Awards from Endowment: The Foundation was established in 2000 from the sale of Baptist Hospitals and Health Systems, creating an endowment that funds ongoing grantmaking. To date, more than $150 million has been invested in nonprofits. The Foundation awards grants across four strategic priorities: increasing access to healthcare, improving community health, expanding Arizona's healthcare workforce, and strengthening communities. Grant amounts range from under $5,000 to over $100,000 per award.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BHHS Legacy Foundation is a charitable grantmaking foundation that awards grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits across four strategic priorities (healthcare access, community health, healthcare workforce, community strengthening) and operates direct youth support programs including Backpack Buddies, which equips underserved elementary schoolchildren with clothing, school supplies, hygiene items, and health screenings. It also operates the Legacy Place campus, a multi-building nonprofit shared workspace in downtown Phoenix.

Product overview

BHHS Legacy Foundation is a charitable foundation established in 2000 from the sale of Baptist Hospitals and Health Systems. The Foundation operates as a unified grantmaking and community programs organization rather than a multi-product platform. Its core offerings include the Backpack Buddies program providing essential supplies to underserved youth, Legacy Place (a multi-building nonprofit campus housing partner organizations), a Grantmaking Program funding health-related community projects, and a Donation Portal for charitable contributions. The Foundation's four strategic funding priorities are: increasing access to healthcare, improving community health, expanding Arizona's healthcare workforce, and strengthening communities. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $150 million in nonprofits across the Greater Phoenix and Tri-State regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Backpack Buddies: A youth programs initiative that equips elementary schoolchildren from low-income families with clothing, back-to-school supplies, and health and hygiene staples. The program serves more than 15,000 children in Greater Phoenix and the Tri-State region.
• Legacy Place

Products and services

• Backpack Buddies A comprehensive youth support program providing uniforms, shoes, hygiene items, and school supplies (valued at $450 per student) to children in foster care, Title I schools, and military families across Maricopa County and Tri-State region. Includes Emergency Clothing Closets on school campuses, Legacy Library literacy initiatives, and Stitches of Love handmade items program. Equips more than 15,000 elementary schoolchildren from low-income families annually.
• Legacy Place A nonprofit shared-space campus in downtown Phoenix housing 30+ nonprofit agencies dedicated to improving community quality of life. Legacy Place I (opened 2014), Legacy Place II (opened 2018), and Legacy Place III together house tenants including AZ Impact for Good, Autism Life and Living, Children's Action Alliance, Mission of Mercy, and others, with conference room facilities available for tenant reservations.
• Grantmaking Program Grant funding program supporting health-related projects across four strategic priorities: increasing access to healthcare, improving community health, expanding Arizona's healthcare workforce, and strengthening communities. Operates searchable grants database and accepts applications via online system following Letter of Inquiry process. Award amounts range from under $5,000 to over $100,000. More than $150 million has been invested in nonprofits since inception.
• Donation Portal Online donation platform accepting credit card payments (American Express, MasterCard, Visa) with matching fund campaigns. Supports designated giving to Phoenix Region or Tri-State Region Backpack Buddies Youth Programs. Donations are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law; the Foundation is no longer a Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO) for Arizona state tax credit program starting in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 426,000+ children supported via Backpack Buddies program since establishment
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Fiesta Sports FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2026BHHS Legacy Foundation partnered with Fiesta Sports Foundation to donate the Rate Bowl football field (75,000+ sq ft natural turf), two multi-sport courts, and a digital solar-powered scoreboard to C.O. Greenfield Academy of Design and Innovation. This was the 11th football field donation by the Fiesta Sports Foundation, with BHHS Legacy Foundation serving as community funding partner for the 6th time.
• Check for a LumpsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026BHHS Legacy Foundation sponsored free mobile mammograms through Check for a Lump, partnering with SimonMed Imaging's Mobile On-site Mammography (MOM) unit. Event held April 30, 2026 at 360 E Coronado Rd, Phoenix, providing free breast screenings to eligible women who face financial or access barriers.
• Autism Life & LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026BHHS Legacy Foundation provided early support enabling Autism Life & Living to open the Autism Center for Well-being at Legacy Place III in Phoenix. The center serves neurodiverse youth and adults with life skills education, workforce readiness, and community-based learning. Gerald Wissink (BHHS Legacy Foundation CEO) was described as the first to stand alongside the organization.
• Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026BHHS Legacy Foundation partnered with PCA to underwrite a minimum of 50 youth sports and mental health workshops in 2026 across Maricopa County, targeting Valley of The Sun YMCA facilities and Title 1 schools. The initiative addresses Arizona's ranking as 50th nationally for youth mental health and 49th for youth sports participation.
• Virginia G. Piper Charitable TrustsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor funding partner supporting Backpack Buddies events. Piper Trust is a prominent Arizona foundation focused on health, human services, and arts/culture, frequently co-funding with BHHS Legacy Foundation in the Phoenix community.
• Midwestern UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidwestern University partners with BHHS Legacy Foundation on healthcare workforce development. The Foundation funded the Arizona Regional Brain Bee at Midwestern (2026: 71 students from 18 schools). Midwestern provides student volunteers, faculty, and facilities for Foundation-supported healthcare education initiatives.
• Delta Dental of ArizonasecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerFunding and volunteer partner for Backpack Buddies program, providing dental screenings and support for children in need in Greater Phoenix.
• St. Mary's Food Bank AlliancesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor food bank partner in the $625,000 hunger-relief initiative. One of 25 food banks receiving $25,000 grants as part of BHHS Legacy Foundation's 25th anniversary celebration. Primary partner in addressing food insecurity in the Phoenix region.
• Arizona Friends of Foster Children FoundationsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerTenant at Legacy Place I and partner in Backpack Buddies events. Focuses on children in foster care, aligning with BHHS Legacy Foundation's youth support programs.
• Gregory's Fresh Market (Diana Gregory Outreach Services)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the $625,000 hunger-relief initiative. DGOS operates mobile farmers' markets delivering fresh produce to seniors, veterans, and underserved communities, complementing the Foundation's food security goals.
• Legacy Place Nonprofit Tenants (30+ organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy Place I (2014), II (2018), and III house 30+ nonprofit organizations including AZ Impact for Good, Children's Action Alliance, Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), Mission of Mercy, and others. The Foundation serves as landlord, creating a collaborative ecosystem for community health nonprofits.
• Phoenix CollegesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerBHHS Legacy Foundation awarded $25,000 to Phoenix College's Bumstead Resource Room (food insecurity program). Phoenix College hosts Backpack Buddies distribution events and is a tenant at Legacy Place I. Foundation President Gerald Wissink noted 66% of PC students experience food/housing insecurity.
• AZ Impact for GoodsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time grantee of BHHS Legacy Foundation, receiving $75,000 in 2025 for the Nonprofit Lifecycles Program (supported since 2018). AZ Impact for Good is housed at Legacy Place III as the owner and host of their home at Legacy Place.
• The Challenge Foundation - PhoenixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteer partner at Backpack Buddies events, contributing team members (including Dr. Ken Snyder for dental screenings, Lona Lee, Betzy Leyva) to support distributions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust: Major Arizona-based grantmaking foundation focused on health, human services, arts/culture, and education. Frequently co-funds with BHHS Legacy Foundation in the Phoenix community (e.g., Backpack Buddies), making it the most direct comparable peer in mission and geography.
• Arizona Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation managing charitable assets and distributing grants across Arizona in health, education, arts, and community development. Directly comparable as a regional grantmaker with multi-cause strategic priorities serving overlapping geographies.
• The Steele Foundation: Phoenix-based family foundation supporting programs in Arizona with emphasis on children and youth, education, and community services. Comparable in scale, regional focus, and beneficiary populations (children, vulnerable populations).
• Valley of the Sun United Way: Maricopa County-based nonprofit that funds and convenes health and human services programs across Greater Phoenix. Overlapping donor base and grantee network with BHHS Legacy Foundation, with a similar community-impact lens on vulnerable populations.
• Helios Education Foundation: Arizona-based education-focused philanthropy working to improve educational attainment for Latino and underrepresented students. Comparable as a regional Arizona foundation with strategic-pillar-driven grantmaking and scholarship programs similar to BHHS's workforce-development focus.
• Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust: Phoenix-based foundation supporting causes in greater Indianapolis and Arizona, with priorities including helping people in need, protecting animals and natural resources, and arts/culture. Operates with a similar geographic focus and grantmaking-plus-direct-engagement model.

Emerging players

• Mission of Mercy (Arizona): Arizona nonprofit providing free medical and dental care to uninsured patients. BHHS has funded Mission of Mercy ($75K Visionary Award grant), making it a comparable peer as a healthcare-focused nonprofit operating in the same Phoenix geography with similar beneficiary populations.
• St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance: Major Phoenix-area food bank that received grants from BHHS's $625K hunger-relief initiative. Comparable as a regional food-security organization dependent on foundation grantmaking, and an adjacent operational model rather than direct grantmaker competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BHHSLegacy
• Facebookfacebook.com/bhhslegacy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bhhslegacyfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about BHHS Legacy Foundation