Twenty Years in, We're Just Getting Started

Health Impact Community launches as an independent 501(c)(3) — and what that means for Arizona

Twenty years ago, Hess III Consulting was founded on a single conviction: that people with firsthand experience of broken systems are exactly the people who should be designing better ones.

That conviction has driven nearly 300 client engagements across 47 states. It has shaped Medicaid managed care systems, psychiatric crisis infrastructure, child welfare programs, and behavioral health networks serving an estimated 85 million lives. It is the foundation of everything Hess III Consulting does.

And now, as we mark this milestone, we are taking that conviction one step further.

We are proud to announce that the Health Impact Community — the charitable arm of Hess III Consulting — has officially launched as a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

“This isn’t a new initiative. It’s the formalization of work we’ve been doing all along — and a commitment to doing significantly more of it.”

What Is the Health Impact Community?

The Health Impact Community exists to build capacity by reinvesting in the organizations doing the hardest work in our communities — the grassroots nonprofits, community health organizations, and small businesses that serve people others overlook. It centers community voice, practical action, and measurable impact.

As an independent nonprofit, the Health Impact Community can now expand its work in five key areas:

Discounted and pro-bono advisory services for organizations that need expert guidance but lack the budget to access it

Micro-grants directed to community-based organizations with urgent, specific needs

Scholarships for individuals pursuing careers in health and human services through the Waymond Lee Pace Scholarship Program, investing in workforce development by funding certifications for Peer Support Specialists, Community Health Workers and Nursing Assistants. 

Volunteer mobilization connecting professionals and community members to organizations where their time and skills can make a direct difference

Capacity building through professional networking, forging new relationships and aligning resources where the community needs them the most. 

The Numbers Behind the Mission

This is not a launch built on aspiration alone. Here is what the Health Impact Community has already accomplished:

• 47 pro-bono consulting projects completed

• $300,000+ in discounted services delivered to organizations in need; including $100,000 in  in Q1 2026 alone

• $55,500+ in direct charitable donations

• 2,000+ volunteer hours logged in support of community organizations

What’s Happening Right Now

The Health Impact Community hosts monthly professional networking events statewide connecting nonprofit leaders, health professionals, and community advocates. We recently expanded to Tucson, and will be back in Tucson in June, and will be returning to northern Arizona in July. 

Applications are now open for the Waymond Lee Pace Scholarship Program, which will award scholarships later this year to individuals pursuing careers in health and human services. This program is part of our long-term investment in Arizona’s health workforce.

Monthly, we partner with local community-based organizations where volunteers show up and strengthen their capacity to meet the needs of our community. 

“We are not waiting for systems to change from the top down. We are building from the ground up — one organization, one meal, one scholarship at a time.”

How to Get Involved

The Health Impact Community is built on the idea that impact is a collective effort. Here’s how you can be part of it:

Volunteer. Join us at upcoming community events and lend your time where it matters most.

Donate. Contributions fund micro-grants, scholarships, and pro-bono services for organizations that need them.

Connect. Attend our monthly networking events across the State. Bring a colleague. Bring a neighbor.

Spread the word. Know an organization that could benefit from pro-bono advisory support or a micro-grant? Send them our way.

Learn more and get involved at hess3.com/healthimpactcommunity.

About the Health Impact Community

The Health Impact Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization administered by Hess III Consulting. It centers community voice, practical action, and measurable impact through micro-grants, scholarships, volunteerism, and cross-sector collaboration — supporting community-led solutions that meet urgent health needs while advancing longer-term stability and systems change.