4x the Size. 4x the Funding. 4x the Reach.

When the FACES for the Future Coalition came to PHI in 2011 it was an innovative—but small—regional program supporting underserved youth interested in a career in the health professions. 100% of FACES for the future students graduate from high school.

It had a successful program model and a vision to grow, but it didn’t have the capacity to expand its work outside the local community. Dr. Tomás Magaña, the founder and director of FACES, says he came to PHI because he was tired of hearing ‘no.’

“In my first meeting with PHI they said, ‘We’re here to allow you to do the work you want to do.’ That was the first time anyone had ever told me that, and it’s exactly what PHI has done.

“In every capacity PHI has been adaptive, supportive, and flexible with the ever-changing nature of my organization. We now have a national footprint, and that is in large part due to PHI. Their grant and contract assistance helped us obtain the federal grant we needed to expand, and PHI’s network has empowered us by connecting us with stakeholders that have contributed to our sustainability.

“Being at PHI feels like being a kid in a candy shop – it offers many resources to support our work, fosters camaraderie and partnership among my peers, and provides an organizational culture that truly values our work by creating the systems and operations to allow it to happen.”

With PHI’s support, FACES quadrupled in size, funding and participants. It has a national footprint, with programs reaching students in multiple states.