Zender Environmental Health And Research Group

What Zender Environmental Health And Research Group does

Zender Environmental Health and Research Group is an Alaska-based non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 2007 to address waste and water quality challenges in remote small communities and tribes, with a particular focus on off-road-system Alaska Native Villages. The organization employs approximately 17 scientists and technical experts, many drawn from rural Alaska, and delivers a portfolio of free programs: the Community Assistance Program providing technical support for waste and water quality programs; RACEJT, a 260-hour environmental technician job training program with over 91% job placement; the Backhaul Alaska program coordinating hazardous waste removal from rural communities; Water Quality Services including Qualified Sampler training; Refrigerant Recovery Training; Arctic and Remote Community Research; and Tribal Toxics Exposure Work supporting the National Tribal Toxics Council. The organization also publishes an A-Z Topic Help factsheet library covering 100+ environmental topics.

All services are provided free of charge to communities, with funding drawn primarily from federal and state grants (USDA Rural Development, EPA, WIOA, BIA, US DOT PHMSA) and donations. The business model is grant-dependent and partnership-rich, with strategic relationships spanning the University of Alaska Fairbanks, ANTHC, SWAT, Kawerak Inc., Tanana Chiefs Conference, and the Association of Village Council Presidents. Technology assets include a proprietary Alaska Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP) Template for tribal communities, portable satellite hotspot devices for remote field video support, state-approved Qualified Sampler training, and a quarterly Alaska Solid Waste Newsletter published since 2010.

The organization reaches 50 to nearly 100 different communities annually, with RACEJT having graduated 187 Environmental Technicians representing 84 communities across 10 ANCSA regions since its first training in 2012. Its technical reach extends to international research through Arctic Council collaborations and a 2019-2021 partnership with Hokkaido University. There is no indication of revenue generation through commercial pricing; the entity is a mission-driven non-profit with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed equity ownership.

Name

Zender Environmental Health And Research Group

Legal name

Zender Environmental Health and Research Group

Website

https://zendergroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zender Environmental Health and Research Group is an Alaska-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2007 that provides free environmental health technical assistance, job training, and hazardous waste backhaul services to 50-100 remote small communities and tribes annually, funded primarily through federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Health Services for Rural Communities

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Environmental health services
• Solid waste management
• Water quality testing
• Tribal community assistance
• Rural job training

Headquarters

HQ city

Anchorage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: Funded primarily through grants from EPA, USDA Rural Development, Alaska State Department of Labor (WIOA), Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other government sources. Also receives donations. All community assistance and training programs are provided free of charge to communities.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship: Acts as fiscal sponsor for Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce projects including Backhaul Alaska.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zender Environmental Health And Research Group is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that delivers free environmental health services to remote small communities and Alaska Native tribes, focusing on waste management, water quality, backhaul of hazardous materials, and capacity-building training. Its core offerings include the Community Assistance Program, RACEJT job training, the Backhaul Alaska program, and Water Quality Services including Qualified Sampler training and QAPP development.

Product overview

Zender Environmental Health and Research Group is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering a portfolio of free environmental health services for remote Alaska communities and tribes. The core offerings include: Community Assistance Program providing direct technical support for waste and water quality programs; Water Quality Services with Qualified Sampler training and QAPP development assistance; the Backhaul Alaska Program coordinating hazardous waste removal from rural communities; RACEJT (Rural Alaska Community Environmental Job Training) providing 260-hour certification programs with over 91% job placement; Refrigerant Recovery Training; Professional Training Programs covering HAZWOPER, backhaul regulations, and environmental sampling; Arctic and Remote Community Research collaborating on regional and international environmental studies; Tribal Toxics Exposure Work supporting National Tribal Toxics Council initiatives; and an A-Z Topic Help Resource Library with 100+ factsheets. The organization was founded in 2007 and employs scientists and experts from rural Alaska communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RACEJT (Rural Alaska Community Environmental Job Training): An environmental technician job training program for rural Alaska residents that offers certifications, job readiness skills, and connections to employment in environmental health fields.
• Backhaul Alaska
• SWAT (Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce)

Products and services

• Community Assistance Program Free technical assistance program helping remote small communities and tribes develop, enhance, and evaluate waste and water quality programs, including skills building, planning, landfill operations, water quality programs, backhaul, community involvement, education, and funding assistance.
• Water Quality Services Comprehensive water and soil quality support including Qualified Sampler training with equipment instruction (YSI, Hanna Combo Meter, Turbidity Meter), free technical assistance for sampling, and QAPP development assistance for EPA-required quality assurance project plans.
• Backhaul Alaska Program Statewide program administered by Zender on behalf of SWAT that coordinates the hauling of hazardous wastes out of rural Alaska communities, including electronic waste, batteries, mercury items, scrap metal, liquid hazardous wastes, and recyclables.
• RACEJT (Rural Alaska Community Environmental Job Training) 260-hour in-residence job training program offering an Occupational Endorsement from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, 10+ college credits, and 15+ state and national certifications including HAZWOPER, CPR/First Aid, DOT HAZmat, and State of Alaska Qualified Water & Soil Sampler Training, with over 91% job placement rate.
• Refrigerant Recovery (Freon) Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% job placement rate for RACEJT graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of Alaska FairbankscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership for RACEJT program providing 260-hour Rural Environmental & Spill Response Technician training with UAF Occupational Endorsement, 10-11 college credits, and certifications. Also collaborates on permafrost landfill redesign.
• Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce (SWAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdminister Backhaul Alaska program on behalf of SWAT. Collaborative group including ANTHC, ADEC, Kawerak, Inc. working on statewide solid waste solutions.
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWAT member and partner in solid waste management initiatives. Provides support for RACEJT program.
• Kawerak, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional ANCSA non-profit providing backhaul models used statewide. SWAT member and Backhaul Alaska funding partner.
• Tanana Chiefs ConferencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRACEJT sponsor and partner supporting tribal solid waste programs for 38 affiliated tribes.
• Arctic CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 2019 desk study of best waste management practices in remote Arctic communities in Alaska, Canada, and Finland for Aleut International Association and Government of Canada.
• Hokkaido UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2019-2021 collaboration on human-waste relations in Arctic society from cultural anthropological perspective.
• National Tribal Toxics CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks with NTTC, Tribal Partnership Group for EPA OPPT, to embed tribal-specific parameters in toxic chemical risk assessments under TSCA.
• Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease RegistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRACEJT sponsor providing health-related training and expertise.
• Cold Climate/High Altitudes International Anaerobic Digestion GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational consortium focused on developing anaerobic digestion systems for rural Arctic/sub-Arctic areas.
• Association of Village Council PresidentsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRACEJT sponsor and regional tribal partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC): Alaska Native tribal nonprofit providing statewide environmental health, water/sanitation, and health services to rural Alaska Native communities; directly comparable as a tribal environmental health organization and SWAT/Backhaul Alaska partner.
• Kawerak, Inc. Bering Strait regional ANCSA nonprofit that develops backhaul models used statewide and is a SWAT member; comparable as a regional Alaska Native nonprofit providing environmental health capacity building to villages.
• Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC): Interior Alaska tribal consortium serving 38 tribes and a RACEJT sponsor; comparable as an Alaska tribal organization delivering environmental health programs to off-road-system Native villages.
• Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP): Western Alaska tribal consortium providing services including IGAP-funded environmental programs to 56 villages; comparable as a regional tribal environmental services organization operating in the same Alaskan geography.
• Institute of Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP): Northern Arizona University-based tribal environmental training and technical assistance organization; comparable as a tribal-focused nonprofit delivering environmental training, resources, and capacity building across multiple states.
• Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP): National network of nonprofit rural water/wastewater technical assistance providers; comparable as a rural-environmental-infrastructure capacity-building nonprofit offering technical assistance and training to small communities.
• Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA): Southeast Alaska tribal government and original Zender partner from the 1998 statewide solid waste baseline assessment; comparable as an Alaska Native tribal entity delivering environmental services including solid waste to member communities.

Emerging players

• National Tribal Toxics Council (NTTC): Tribal advocacy and technical organization embedded in EPA OPPT chemical risk reviews under TSCA, of which Zender is a direct technical partner; comparable as a tribal environmental advocacy/technical nonprofit operating at the federal-tribal interface.

Broad incumbents

• Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA): Broad solid waste industry association serving the entire North American waste management sector; comparable as a solid waste professional/technical organization, but operating at industry-wide scope rather than Alaska rural-tribal niche.
• National Indian Health Board (NIHB): National tribal health advocacy organization; comparable as a tribal advocacy and capacity-building nonprofit at the federal policy interface, including environmental health determinants affecting Native communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zendergroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zender-environmental-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Zender Environmental Health And Research Group