PLATINUM2022

Phoenix Zones Initiative

Advancing the rights, health, and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet through research, education, and advocacy

Albuquerque, NM   |  https://phoenixzonesinitiative.org

Mission

Phoenix Zones Initiative (PZI) advances the interdependent rights, health, and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet through research, education, and advocacy. Led by physicians and an interdisciplinary team, our work draws on our expertise in medicine, global public health, research, and ethics. PZI promotes social, economic, and environmental policy to uplift the most vulnerable, and we provide resources to empower others to advocate for similar changes.

Ruling year info

2019

President/CEO

Dr. Hope Ferdowsian

Co-founder

Dr. Nik Kulkarni

Main address

13170-B Central Ave SE PMB 385

Albuquerque, NM 87123 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

84-2337171

NTEE code info

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (W01)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (R01)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (D01)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2020.
Register now

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Disease patterns, the climate crisis, and countless patterns of exploitation have shown that the rights, health, and wellbeing of people and animals are intimately connected. Emerging pandemics and social and environmental injustices illustrate these interconnections in real time. The novel coronavirus pandemic has shed a light on these important connections and gross inequities in society, and it has also created opportunities to re-envision our relationships with each other, animals, and our life-sustaining planet.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Phoenix Zones Initiative Programs

Phoenix Zones Initiative (PZI) advances the interdependent rights, health, and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet through education, research, and advocacy. Led by physicians and an interdisciplinary team, our work draws on our expertise in medicine, global public health, research, and ethics. PZI promotes social, economic, and environmental policy to uplift the most vulnerable, and we provide resources to empower others to advocate for similar changes.

We work with partners to ensure that intergovernmental and government policies and funding mechanisms that are socially and ecologically just. Our vision is grounded in meeting the needs of the most vulnerable populations, communities, and individuals. We also work toward the widespread adoption of economic metrics and policies that emphasize the right to health and the right to a healthy and safe home and environment for people and animals.

Learn more about our work and programs: https://www.phoenixzonesinitiative.org

Population(s) Served
Adults
Children and youth
Health
Victims and oppressed people
Academics

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of reports written/published

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Phoenix Zones Initiative Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

To learn more about Phoenix Zones Initiative's publications, please visit the Resource Center: https://www.phoenixzonesinitiative.org/resources/.

Number of organizational partners

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Phoenix Zones Initiative Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Number of partners brought together in coalition, partnership, or alliance.

Number of rallies/events/conferences/lectures held to further mission

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Phoenix Zones Initiative Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Includes virtual gatherings and trainings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Number of pro bono hours contributed

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Phoenix Zones Initiative Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

A conservative estimate based on data from Results and Reporting Form.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Phoenix Zones Initiative focuses on widespread ethical and structural change. We push forward social, economic, and environmental policy to advocate for the most vulnerable and marginalized people and animals. Our programs center on the intersections between people, animals, and the planet’s wellbeing.

Phoenix Zones Initiative focuses on education and outreach, research and analysis, and advocacy and policy changes.

Phoenix Zones Initiative is led by physicians and a diverse cross-sectoral team.

The organization’s co-founder, president, and volunteer CEO, Dr. Hope Ferdowsian, is a double-board certified internal medicine and preventive medicine physician with expertise in ethics and public health. Over the past two decades, she has worked across six continents. In the US, she has provided healthcare and advocacy for homeless, veteran, immigrant, and other vulnerable populations, while also working to end the exploitation of people and animals in industry and other areas of society. She has led key educational, research, and policy initiatives, collaborated with the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States on global public health issues, and developed resources for nongovernmental organizations, national governments, and intergovernmental forums and organizations such as the United Nations High-Level Political Forum and the World Health Organization. She has authored highly cited publications and spoken at academic institutions and through media outlets across the globe about connections between human, animal, and planetary wellbeing.

Phoenix Zones Initiative’s team consists of professionals with expertise in medicine, public health, the law, education, public relations, nonprofit management, research, and advocacy. The team's expertise includes decades of programmatic and executive leadership experience, as well as experience with strategic campaigns to advance social and environmental policy. Members of the team have also written critically acclaimed books and articles on the connections between people, animals, and the planet.

Phoenix Zones Initiative's strategic plan includes multi-year financial projections.

Between 2019 and 2022, Phoenix Zones Initiative:
1) Published or was featured in more than 40 prominent international articles, editorials, and multi-media platforms.
2) Built bridges between hundreds of organizations in human and veterinary medicine, public health, the sciences, law and policy, and other fields.
3) Hosted more than 40 events that educated and engaged professionals and advocates across 6 continents.
4) Conducted a series of research projects to identify scalable, sustainable, and evidence-based interventions to advance changes in public policy, economic policy, and community-based reforms.
5) Partnered with Project ECHO to fill the need for inter-professional and open access educational resources and technical expertise to advance holistic, inclusive, and evidence-based social and ecological justice interventions that serve the public health needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities.
6) Helped draft the NGO Major Group’s 2021 and 2022 Position Papers, which address how governments should implement the SDGs and related targets, and the role civil society can play in achieving the SDGs, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
7) Provided expertise on preparations for the UNHLPF on Sustainable Development. The HLPF is the UN’s core platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Goals.
8) Addressed United Nations Member States on the nexus between sustainable development and the treatment of people and animals.
9) Partnered with the Harvard FXB Health and Human Rights Consortium for a Health and Human Rights Journal issue section on ecological justice and the right to health.
10) Advanced key legislation to transform medical research.

Learn more about Phoenix Zones Initiative's programs and progress at https://phoenixzonesinitiative.org.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

Financials

Phoenix Zones Initiative
lock

Unlock financial insights by subscribing to our monthly plan.

Subscribe

Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more about GuideStar Pro.

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Phoenix Zones Initiative

Board of directors
as of 12/25/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Hope Ferdowsian, MD, MPH

Nik Kulkarni, MD

Kavita Rajasekhar, MD

Sonia Silva, MPA

John Gluck, PhD

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 12/25/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Asian/Asian American
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 12/25/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.