named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Active Design Guidelines 2.0
Updated toolkit providing evidence-based design strategies to promote physical activity, mental wellbeing, social connection, and equity in urban environments.
FSP™ Scale Certification
Enterprise-level certification program enabling organizations to assess and improve health outcomes across entire portfolios of buildings or sites.
Fitwel Ambassador and Champion Programs
Training and recognition programs that equip professionals with expertise to advance healthy building practices and expedite certification reviews.
Fitwel Certification
Science-based certification system that guides the design and operation of healthier buildings and spaces to improve occupant health and wellbeing.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Professional Certification and Continuing Education 5 activities
- Delivering professional education and trainingProvides accredited educational courses, including AIA/CES Learning Units (HSW), to build capacity among professionals in applying active design principles and certification processes.
- Operating Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP)Provides Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP) to enable organizations to measure and improve health performance across their entire real estate portfolios. Certification is valid for one year, with fees of $1,000 per building asset and $1,500 per site asset.
- Operating Fitwel certification programsOperates a global, evidence-based certification system (Fitwel) that evaluates and certifies buildings and sites based on design and operational strategies that improve occupant health, increase asset value, and support sustainability. Offers Building Certification (valid 3 years), Site Certification, and recertification services.
- Providing digital tools and technical assistance for healthy designOffers digital tools such as the Smart Scorecard Wizard to streamline Fitwel certification, along with tailored scorecards, technical assistance, and a Resource Library to support implementation of healthy design strategies across diverse project types.
- Providing technical review and remediation services for Fitwel certificationReviews submitted Fitwel certification projects within 16 weeks and offers a paid remediation process allowing project teams to improve their score or star rating by submitting additional documentation at a cost of $1,000 per review (covering up to 10 strategies), with discounts for Champion and Provider companies.
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Urban Resilience Planning & Advocacy 3 activities
- Advancing healthy design practices through advocacyAdvocates for the integration of health and equity into design and development practices to support access to vibrant public and private spaces, promoting active living and civic engagement.
- Conducting research to inform healthy design standardsConducts and leverages original research, including analysis of over 7,000 academic studies, to develop and update evidence-based design guidelines and certification standards such as Fitwel and Active Design Guidelines 2.0. Publishes findings to support public health outcomes in the built environment.
- Publishing design guidelines and research reportsDevelops and publishes authoritative resources such as the _Assembly: Civic Design Guidelines_ (2018) and updated Active Design Guidelines that present evidence-based strategies for creating buildings and public spaces that promote physical activity, mental wellbeing, social connection, and equity.
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Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
- Operating recognition programs for healthy building leadershipRecognizes industry leaders through the annual Best in Building Health® Awards and operates a Loyalty Program that provides benefits and leadership opportunities for organizations using Fitwel, including recognition of those advancing health through real estate investment.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.16M
Contributions & grants$30K1%
Program service revenue$2.13M99%
Investment income$6210%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.12M
Program expenses87%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$1.03M
Grants paid out$8K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$304K
Cash$44K
Investments$0
Liabilities$964K
Net assets$-660K
Liquid reserves0.3 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +49.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOANNA FRANK | PRESIDENT & CEO | 20 | $317K |
| SARA KARERAT | MANAGING DIRECTOR | 40 | $177K |
| RACHAEL RIZZO | DIRECTOR, STANDARD DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $122K |
| SAMUEL SELINGER | COO/CFO (THRU APR 2024) | 20 | $90K |
board members · 15
- ARI FRANKEL — DIRECTOR
- BOB SIMPSON — DIRECTOR
- DAVID BURNEY FAIA — DIRECTOR
- DEB GORHAN — CHAIR
- DR ELIZABETH GARLAND — DIRECTOR
- FULYA KOCAK — DIRECTOR
- JESSICA LONG — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN DAVIS — TREASURER
- KIM KESSLER — DIRECTOR
- LES BLUESTONE — DIRECTOR
- MARGARET CASTILLO — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL VARDARO JD — SECRETARY
- RACHEL MACCLEERY — DIRECTOR
- SANCIA DALLEY — DIRECTOR (THRU DEC 2024)
- SETHA LOW PHD — DIRECTOR
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- AIA/CES Partner — Collaborates with AIA/CES to accredit its course for HSW learning units.
- Awair Partner — Collaborates on a data partnership integrating Awair’s indoor air quality sensors with Fitwel’s certification platform for performance-based verification.
- BGO Partner — Participated in the initial pilot of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- Barings Partner — Participated in the expanded pilot cohort of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- CBRE Partner — Recognized as a tenant with the greatest number of Fitwel Star Certifications in 2026
- Cambridge University Partner — Collaborates on research demonstrating rent premiums and ROI linked to Fitwel Certification.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Government — Issued a 50-year exclusive license to CfAD to verify performance and certify properties against the Fitwel standard.
- Fabrix Partner — Participated in the expanded pilot cohort of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- Fitwel Network — Member of the Fitwel Loyalty Program, participating in a community of organizations leading in health promotion through real estate.
- Fitwel Network — Operates the Fitwel certification program as a global asset solution for healthy building standards
- Fitwel Partner — Collaborates with Fitwel to provide tools and resources for achieving healthy buildings.
- Fitwel Ambassadors Network — Network members who gain expertise to drive health and value across portfolios and are eligible for expedited certification review timelines.
- Fitwel Champions Network — Network members eligible for expedited certification review timelines and discounts on remediation processes.
- Gensler Partner — Appears as a certification project team member across multiple high-scoring Fitwel projects globally
- Harrison Street Partner — Participated in the initial pilot of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- Hudson Pacific Properties Partner — Collaborated on an interview to discuss implementation of Fitwel strategies for health and value improvement.
- JLL Partner — Recognized as a tenant with the greatest number of Fitwel Star Certifications in 2026
- Kayne Anderson Real Estate Partner — Participated in the expanded pilot cohort of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- Lendlease Americas Partner — Participated in the initial pilot of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- New York City Government — Co-launched Active Design Guidelines 2.0 with NYC to promote health and equity through urban design.
- PGIM Partner — Participated in the initial pilot of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- QuadReal Property Group Partner — Participated in the initial pilot of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
- QuadReal Property Group Partner — Project team for Southcore Financial Centre, recognized for highest recertification achievement
- Siam Piwat Partner — Recognized NEXTOPIA, a project by Siam Piwat, in the 2026 Best in Building Health Awards for integrating health and sustainability in retail design.
- Tishman Speyer Partner — Fitwel Champion company that applied Fitwel Certification at scale, exemplified by The Spiral in New York City.
- UL Solutions Partner — Recognized as a consultant with the greatest number of Fitwel Star Certifications in 2026
- Vornado Realty Trust Partner — Participated in the initial pilot of Fitwel Scale Certification (FSP).
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Evidence-Based Design Translation at Scalemethodology: evidence-based_design_translationBy translating public health and economic research into practical, scalable design strategies with evidence-weighted point systems, the organization drives adoption of health-promoting features in buildings because practitioners trust and act on rigorously validated interventions.
- Health-Integrated Design for Value Creationmethodology: health-to-value_translationBy integrating health-promoting design strategies into buildings and real estate portfolios, the organization improves tenant satisfaction, occupancy, and financial returns because health enhancements are translated into measurable asset value and operational benefits.
- Scalable, Flexible Certification Without Thresholdsmethodology: scalable_certification_without_thresholdsBy offering a certification model with no minimum prerequisites and support for portfolio-wide strategies, the organization enables broad, flexible adoption across diverse building types and owners because low barriers to entry increase participation and benchmarking at scale.