PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation

What PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation does

The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in June 2000 and headquartered in Cheltenham, Maryland. Its mission is to serve the education and research needs of the Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). The foundation operates a portfolio of grant, scholarship, fellowship, and training programs targeted primarily at active-duty USPHS Commissioned Corps officers, veterans, and their families, including the RADM Michael Fellowship (with the University of Maryland School of Public Health), Family Member Scholarships, the Mishoe 'Believe' Diversity Scholarship for underrepresented high school seniors, and the Georgetown Congressional Operations Seminar.

The foundation's core programs are supplemented by community-facing activities including the Barclay-Giel Seed Grants (sunsetted in June 2025 after distributing nearly $1M over eight years to community-based organizations), support for the DAISY Foundation nursing awards, and funding of CDR Abigail, the first official USPHS mascot (a Warrior Canine Connection facility dog). The organization also preserves USPHS heritage through historical publications and produced the PBS documentary 'Invisible Corps' in partnership with Christopher Productions, which premiered in May 2023. The annual USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium, co-sponsored with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, is in its 59th year and draws over 1,200 attendees.

Revenue is generated through a mix of individual and organizational donations (tiered from $100 to $10,000+), Combined Federal Campaign contributions (code 42884), symposium registration fees (tiered from free for students to $950 for late non-members), sponsor and exhibitor fees, planned giving via the John Adams Society, and publication sales. Operations are administered by a small team of fewer than 10 staff and contractors. The foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees including retired USPHS officers and professionals, with all former Surgeons General serving as Honorary Trustees.

Name

PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation

Legal name

PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health

Website

https://phscof.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships, fellowships, training grants, and professional development to USPHS Commissioned Corps officers, veterans, and their families, funded through donations, CFC giving, and its annual scientific symposium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Nonprofit Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government Public Health Grantmaking & Program Offices (HLAJALAA), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Public health foundation
• Scholarship programs
• Fellowship funding
• Annual symposium
• Community health grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual and organizational donations at various levels (Bronze $100, Silver $250, Gold $500, Platinum $1,000, Founder's Society $2,500, President's Society $5,000, Leadership Society $10,000). Includes direct online donations, planned gifts, and bequests through the John Adams Society.
2. Combined Federal Campaign (CFC): Federal employees can designate the foundation through CFC code 42884 during annual workplace giving campaigns.
3. Symposium Revenue: Registration fees for the annual USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium, with tiered pricing for COA members ($450-$750), non-members ($700-$950), and students (free). Additional revenue from sponsor and exhibitor fees.
4. Publication Sales: Sale of the book 'Service Before Self: Responding to the 2014-2016 Ebola Crisis' at $39.99, with proceeds supporting the Koop Living Legacy Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that provides scholarships, fellowships, training grants, and seed grants to support U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps officers, their families, and community public health initiatives. It also organizes the annual USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium, co-sponsors the 'Invisible Corps' PBS documentary, and runs heritage preservation programs.

Product overview

The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation operates as a unified portfolio of public health support programs rather than a traditional product platform. The core offerings include grant programs (Barclay-Giel Seed Grants, now sunsetted; COA Local Branch Support), fellowship and scholarship programs (RADM Michael Fellowship, RDML Helena Mishoe 'BELIEVE' Scholarship, Family Member Scholarships), and training opportunities (Georgetown Congressional Operations Seminar). Supporting programs include the annual USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium, the 'Invisible Corps' PBS Documentary, DAISY Foundation Awards support, and the USPHS Mascot Program featuring CDR Abigail. The Foundation also maintains heritage preservation initiatives and publishes annual reports and historical materials. The Koop Living Legacy Fund provides cross-cutting support for junior officer education and the Koop Speaker Series. All programs align with five strategic pillars: Awareness, Engagement, Communication, Education and Training, and Collaborative Partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Barclay-Giel Seed Grants

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $100,000 in annual seed grants distributed to communities nationwide
• +3 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 flagship, core and minor.

• Christopher Productions, LLCflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership to produce the 'Invisible Corps' documentary for PBS about the U.S. Public Health Service. CP has created over 100 TV programs with 26 Emmy Awards, focusing on educational and social documentaries.
• Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS (COA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2000COF was established to serve the education and research needs of the Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS. The two organizations work collaboratively on advocacy, member services, and annual symposium planning.
• University of Maryland School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the RADM Michael Fellowship, providing tuition for the Certificate in Global Health program (12 credits) for junior USPHS officers at in-state rates regardless of residency.
• Georgetown University Government Affairs InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOF provides funding for USPHS officers to attend the Congressional Operations Seminar through GAI, a 4-day course on congressional organization, processes and operations held on Capitol Hill.
• Warrior Canine Connection (WCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOF funds CDR Abigail, a WCC-trained facility dog who serves as the first official mascot of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, providing therapeutic care and supporting officer well-being.
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOF co-sponsors the annual USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium through agreement with OASH, the largest annual gathering of Public Health Service officers.
• Koop Living Legacy Fund SupportersminorOthersNamed after former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, the fund supports junior officer scholarships and the JOAG/COF Koop Speaker Series. Cora Hogue Koop, Dr. Koop's widow, is a supporter.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Military Officers Association of America (MOAA): Larger, established nonprofit supporting uniformed service officers and families across all branches. Comparable mission (advocacy, education, member benefits) but much broader scope across services rather than USPHS-only.
• American Public Health Association (APHA): Larger, broader professional association in the public health space with overlapping audience of federal health professionals, continuing-education offerings, and annual conference analogous to the USPHS Symposium.
• Air Force Aid Society: Nonprofit affiliate of the Air Force supporting emergency assistance, education grants, and community programs for airmen and families. Directly comparable uniformed-service nonprofit with similar program portfolio.
• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society: Established nonprofit providing financial assistance, education support, and emergency aid to Navy and Marine Corps families. Comparable member-services and educational-support model for a uniformed-service population.
• Army Emergency Relief: Long-standing nonprofit providing financial assistance, scholarships, and education support to Army soldiers and families. Closely analogous model in scale and function—scholarships, grants, and emergency aid for a single service's community.

Emerging players

• DAISY Foundation: Nonprofit recognizing extraordinary nurses through an awards program—COF directly funds quarterly DAISY Awards in the Office of the Surgeon General. Overlap on nurse-recognition programming within federal health agencies.
• Sigma Theta Tau International (Sigma Nursing): Honor society for nursing providing scholarships, leadership development, and research grants. Comparable audience overlap given COF Executive Director's FAANP credential and nurse-recognition programming.

Direct peers

• Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine: Federally connected nonprofit that funds education, research, and program administration for military medical personnel. Closely analogous model—nonprofit supporting a uniformed service's health workforce through grants, fellowships, and training.
• Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS (COA): The COA is the membership organization that COF was explicitly established to serve and with which it partners on advocacy, member services, and the annual symposium. Highly comparable beneficiary base and programmatic overlap.
• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance: Nonprofit providing financial aid, education grants, and counseling to Coast Guard personnel and families. Most analogous to COF given smaller, single-service scope and reliance on CFC-style federal giving.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phscof
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phs-commissioned-officers-fdn-for-the-advancement-of-public-health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation