The Health Project

What The Health Project does

The Health Project is a Maryland-incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1994 by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop and Carson E. Beadle. Its sole substantive activity is administering the C. Everett Koop National Health Award and the C. Everett Koop Innovation Award, which recognize employers operating evidence-based workplace health promotion and disease prevention programs that produce documented health improvements and cost savings. Applicants are evaluated by an expert panel against a three-question test ('What was done? Did it work? Was it worth it?'), with eligibility requiring programs to have operated for a minimum of three years (Koop Award) or one year (Innovation Award). Winning programs are published in a free, web-based best-practice repository accessible to other employers, and THP distributes research commentary through its Research Corner publication and quarterly newsletter.

THP operates no proprietary software, API, or mobile application; its 'platform' is the website (thehealthproject.com), the published best-practice repository, and the award ceremony hosted at the HERO Forum. The organization is staffed and governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Rebecca Kelly, PhD, with Ron Goetzel, PhD serving as President & CEO. There is no headcount disclosed publicly.

The organization is funded entirely by tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorships structured into Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers, with no application fee charged to award applicants. Sponsors include Johnson & Johnson, Baylor College of Medicine, BP, Novartis, Sentara Health, WebMD Health Services, Transamerica Institute, and the Ardmore Institute of Health. The organization announced a strategic planning hiatus for 2026, pausing the award application cycle to reorient its mission.

Name

The Health Project

Legal name

The Health Project, Inc.

Website

https://thehealthproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Health Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1994 that administers the C. Everett Koop National Health Award and Innovation Award, recognizing employers with evidence-based workplace health promotion programs and publishing winning programs in a free online best-practice repository. It is funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workplace Health Recognition & Awards

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Health Program Administration & Operations (HLAJAMAB)

Keywords

• Workplace health awards
• Employee wellness recognition
• Workplace wellness programs
• Occupational health promotion
• Evidence-based health practices

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

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. Sponsorships and Donations: The Health Project relies on tax-deductible donations and organizational sponsorships at Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels to fund administrative duties, website maintenance, the annual award ceremony, and dissemination of best practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Health Project is a non-profit that administers two recognition programs, the C. Everett Koop National Health Award and the C. Everett Koop Innovation Award, that honor employers with exemplary, evidence-based workplace health promotion and disease prevention programs. It also maintains a free online repository of winning program applications and an expert-panel application review service that delivers structured feedback to all applicants, regardless of winning status. All offerings are unified under the Koop Award brand and funded through tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorships (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers).

Product overview

The Health Project operates as a non-profit organization running two award programs—the C. Everett Koop National Health Award and the C. Everett Koop Innovation Award—that recognize organizations with exemplary workplace health promotion and disease prevention programs. The organization maintains a free web-based repository of best-practice programs from award winners and provides expert application review services. THP also publishes Research Corner insights on workplace health topics. The offerings are unified under the Koop Award brand rather than a modular product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C. Everett Koop National Health Awards: Prestigious award program recognizing employers with exemplary workplace health promotion and disease prevention programs
• C. Everett Koop Innovation Award

Products and services

• C. Everett Koop National Health Award Flagship recognition program that honors organizations with exemplary workplace health promotion and disease prevention programs (minimum 3 years in operation) demonstrating measurable health improvements and business results. Open to any business or organization via free application reviewed by an expert panel.
• C. Everett Koop Innovation Award Award recognizing employers who have introduced significant innovation into their workplace health and well-being programs, with programs in place for at least one year, well-integrated into the broader initiative, and providing provisional data showing positive health and economic benefits.
• Web-Based Best-Practice Repository Free online repository storing winning program applications and best-practice health promotion programs that public and private organizations can access to improve population health outcomes. Published online as a free resource for employers seeking to implement or improve workplace health programs.
• Award Application Review Service Expert-panel review of submitted Koop Award and Innovation Award applications. A panel of experts reviews each submission and provides structured feedback on program strengths and weaknesses or areas of improvement, regardless of whether the applicant wins. There is no fee to apply.
• THP Research Corner Research publications examining topics such as workplace well-being, leadership communication, and the role of AI in workplace health promotion, accessible via the organization's News and Notes section.

Quantifiable outcome

• Koop Award winners have significantly outperformed the S&P 500 index over 14 years according to a study led by Dr. Ron Goetzel

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Ardmore Institute of HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of The Health Project. The Ardmore Institute of Health supports workplace health promotion initiatives and has established The Dexter Shurney, MD Well-being Fellowship by HERO in memory of a THP Board advisor.
• Baylor College of MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor and past award winner (2019 Koop Award winner; 2023 Honorable Mention). BCM's BeWELL program represents exemplary workplace health promotion.
• BPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of The Health Project's award programs.
• Element HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of The Health Project's award programs.
• Johnson & JohnsonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing corporate sponsor of The Health Project. JJ is a major advocate for workplace health promotion.
• NovartisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of The Health Project's award programs.
• Sentara HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of The Health Project's award programs. Sentara was a 1998 Koop Award winner.
• Transamerica InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of The Health Project's award programs, focusing on workforce well-being.
• WebMD Health ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of The Health Project's award programs.
• WWCMAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor of The Health Project's award programs.
• HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHP collaborates closely with HERO. Koop Award ceremonies are held at the HERO Forum. The Dexter Shurney fellowship was established in partnership with HERO, Ardmore Institute of Health, Blue Zones, and Bon Secours Mercy Health Foundation.
• Blue ZonesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in establishing The Dexter Shurney, MD Well-being Fellowship by HERO.
• Bon Secours Mercy Health FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in establishing The Dexter Shurney, MD Well-being Fellowship by HERO in memory of THP Board advisor Dr. Dexter Shurney.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Blue Zones: An organization that works with employers and communities to apply longevity and well-being best practices. Comparable as a partner in the Dexter Shurney fellowship and a peer in translating workforce well-being into measurable organizational outcomes.
• American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM): A professional medical association advancing lifestyle and preventive medicine in clinical and workplace settings. Comparable as a peer organization promoting evidence-based preventive health practices and engaging overlapping health-focused employer audiences.

Direct peers

• WELCOA (Wellness Council of America): A non-profit dedicated to helping employers build effective wellness programs through recognition (Well Workplace Awards) and benchmarking. Directly comparable as both organizations confer employer wellness awards to drive best-practice adoption across industries.
• Ardmore Institute of Health: A non-profit focused on advancing whole-person health through research, education, and community programs. Comparable as a long-time sponsor of THP and a peer organization promoting evidence-based workplace and population health initiatives.
• HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization): A non-profit research organization focused on workplace health and well-being. Directly comparable as THP co-hosts Koop Award ceremonies at the HERO Forum and co-funds the Dexter Shurney fellowship, serving overlapping employer audiences with complementary recognition and research offerings.
• Global Wellness Institute (GWI): A non-profit research and education organization tracking the global wellness economy. Comparable as both organizations produce research and educational content on workplace and population wellness and engage overlapping corporate audiences.
• National Wellness Institute (NWI): A non-profit that provides wellness programming, credentialing, and recognition for organizations and individuals practicing workplace and community wellness. Comparable as a mission-aligned peer promoting evidence-based health practices to employers.
• Population Health Alliance (PHA): A non-profit trade association focused on advancing population health management. Comparable as a peer convening employers, health plans, and providers around measurable health improvement and workplace wellness best practices.

Broad incumbents

• CDC Workplace Health Resource Center: A government resource hub providing employer-facing tools, guidelines, and assessment instruments for workplace health programs. Comparable as a major source of evidence-based workplace wellness content that overlaps with THP's best-practice repository mission.
• American Heart Association (AHA) - Workplace Health: A large voluntary health organization offering employer-facing recognition programs (e.g., Fit-Friendly Worksites) and well-being resources. Comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping workplace health promotion mission and substantially larger scale and funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-health-project-koop-award

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The Health Project