Breathe DC
Breathe DC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Washington, DC that provides free lung health programs — including smoking cessation classes, asthma home visits, the Camp Breathe Happy youth camp, smokefree housing advocacy, and clean air education — to underserved DC residents, particularly children with asthma and adults needing tobacco cessation support in Wards 5-8.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Breathe DC does
Breathe DC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, exclusively dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing lung disease throughout the District of Columbia, with particular focus on communities affected by health disparities in Wards 5-8. Founded by Rolando Andrewn (who served as CEO, Founder, Chairman, and President until his unexpected death on February 25, 2023, after which Lori Taylor became Executive Director), the organization delivers a portfolio of free public health programs rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include smoking cessation services (classes, one-on-one counseling, text-to-quit program, and DC Quitline referrals), the Breathe Easy asthma home visit program with air purifier distribution, the Camp Breathe Happy summer camp for children ages 8-12 with asthma (which has served 450+ youth), the Air Buddies in-school asthma education program, Smokefree Housing advocacy for multi-unit dwellings, the Our Air Your Future teen clean air education initiative using ozone and particulate sensors, the HIV & Tobacco Education Program partnered with Damien Ministries, and ongoing educational research.
The organization addresses documented lung health challenges in DC: asthma affects over 18,000 children and 52,000 adults, with asthma representing the leading cause of pediatric ER visits at 42% and an estimated $60M+ annual district cost; over 700 adults die annually from tobacco-related illness. Breathe DC's business model is that of a community nonprofit — services are provided free to beneficiaries and funded through grants, individual donations, corporate sponsorships (e.g., Camp Breathe Happy Starlight Partner sponsorship at $1,500 per camper), and gala fundraising. Documented grant funding includes $5,965 from the Avantor Foundation (July 2019) and $2,000 from Voya Financial (March 2020), though the bulk of its funding sources are not publicly disclosed. Revenue is not reported.
The organization distributes services through in-person programs, virtual classes introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, community events, school partnerships, and healthcare provider referrals. Its go-to-market relies on community outreach, earned media (including WUSA 9 appearances), organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram under @dcbreathe), and email newsletter engagement. Breathe DC is a member of the Breathe America Alliance, a national network of lung health organizations. The organization holds no patents or proprietary technology assets and operates with a staff of 1-10 employees.
Breathe DC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Breathe DC
- Legal name
- Breathe DC, Inc.
- Website
- https://breathedc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Breathe DC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Washington, DC that provides free lung health programs — including smoking cessation classes, asthma home visits, the Camp Breathe Happy youth camp, smokefree housing advocacy, and clean air education — to underserved DC residents, particularly children with asthma and adults needing tobacco cessation support in Wards 5-8.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Breathe DC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Health Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213)
- SIC
- Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- COPD & Chronic Bronchitis Management (HLAKANAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Occupational & Environmental Lung Disease Clinic (HLAKANAN)
Keywords
Where Breathe DC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Breathe DC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Starlight Partner: $1,500 sponsors 1 camper |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Breathe DC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Breathe DC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free public health programs in Washington, DC focused on lung disease prevention. Core services include smoking cessation classes and counseling, asthma home visits (Breathe Easy), a summer camp for children with asthma (Camp Breathe Happy), in-school asthma education (Air Buddies), smokefree housing advocacy, clean air youth education, and HIV/tobacco education in partnership with Damien Ministries.
Product overview
Breathe DC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing lung disease in Washington, DC. The organization offers a portfolio of public health programs rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include smoking cessation services (classes, counseling, text-to-quit program), the Breathe Easy asthma home visit program, the Camp Breathe Happy youth asthma camp, the Air Buddies in-school asthma education program, Smokefree Housing advocacy, the DC Quitline referral partnership, the Our Air Your Future clean air education program for teens, and the HIV & Tobacco Education Program. These programs work together to address lung health disparities in DC communities through direct services, education, advocacy, and community outreach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cessation Services Free smoking cessation classes, one-on-one counseling, and a text-to-quit program designed to help DC residents quit smoking.
- Breathe Easy (Asthma Home Visits) Home-based asthma management program providing education, home assessments, and air purifier distribution to help reduce asthma triggers in the home environment.
- Smokefree Housing Advocacy program promoting smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing across the District of Columbia to protect residents from secondhand smoke exposure.
- Camp Breathe Happy Annual summer camp program for children ages 8-12 with asthma, combining traditional camp activities with asthma education and management skills training at the 4-H Patuxent River Campgrounds.
- Air Buddies In-school asthma education program teaching children at DC elementary schools critical asthma management skills including trigger avoidance, symptom recognition, and proper medication use.
- HIV and Tobacco Education Program Partnership with Damien Ministries providing health education and tobacco cessation awareness specifically for people living with HIV/AIDS in Wards 7 and 8.
- Our Air, Your Future: Creating Clean Air Advocates Environmental education initiative for metro DC teens using ozone and particulate sensors to collect air quality data and propose solutions to reduce air pollutants, culminating in a spring conference.
- DC Quitline Support Partnership program directing smokers to the DC Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) for free telephone coaching, quit plans, and quit-smoking medication assistance.
- Educational Research Research and educational resources covering lung health, tobacco control, air quality, and related public health topics for District residents.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 80% of Camp Breathe Happy campers increase their asthma knowledge, management skills, and overall understanding of various asthma-related topics
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Breathe DC
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Breathe DC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Breathe DC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Breathe DC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Lung Association: The largest U.S. nonprofit dedicated to lung health, including tobacco control, asthma, COPD, and clean air advocacy. Comparable because it pursues the same mission as Breathe DC (lung disease prevention, tobacco cessation, clean air policy) but at national scale with far greater resources, serving as both a peer and a potential partner/funding source for Breathe DC.
- American Cancer Society: A large national health nonprofit with a substantial tobacco-control portfolio (given that smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer). Comparable in advocacy mission (tobacco policy, cessation access) but operates across many disease areas and at a national scale far beyond Breathe DC.
- American Heart Association: A national health nonprofit with active tobacco-control and clean-air advocacy given cardiovascular implications. Operates in adjacent territory to Breathe DC on tobacco policy and secondhand-smoke issues, frequently appearing as a coalition partner in D.C.-area policy work.
- National Jewish Health: A Denver-based hospital and research institution specializing in respiratory, cardiac, and immune diseases. Comparable to Breathe DC on the lung-disease focus (asthma, COPD) but operates as a clinical/research enterprise rather than a community-advocacy nonprofit.
Direct peers
- Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: A leading advocacy organization focused on reducing tobacco use, particularly among youth. Directly comparable to Breathe DC's smokefree housing, tobacco 21, and e-cigarette policy advocacy work, with overlapping D.C.-area policy engagement and a similar policy-advocacy model.
- Truth Initiative: The largest U.S. nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction. Comparable in mission (tobacco prevention) and program delivery (youth-focused education campaigns) and has directly funded youth tobacco-cessation work in D.C.-area communities similar to Breathe DC's.
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: The leading national nonprofit for asthma and allergy patients, providing education, advocacy, and research. Directly comparable to Breathe DC's Camp Breathe Happy, Breathe Easy home visits, and Air Buddies in-school asthma programs, with a similar patient-education and policy-advocacy model.
- COPD Foundation: A national nonprofit focused on COPD and chronic lung disease prevention, education, and research. Comparable to Breathe DC's adult-focused cessation and chronic-lung-disease support work, particularly the cessation classes and quit-support services targeting adults with COPD and other chronic lung conditions.
Regional players
- Respiratory Health Association: A Chicago-based nonprofit with an almost identical service portfolio to Breathe DC (tobacco cessation, asthma education, clean air advocacy, COPD support). The closest structural peer — a single-metro lung-health nonprofit — making it a strong comparand for program model and scale benchmarking.
Others
- Breathe America Alliance: The national network of regional lung-health nonprofits of which Breathe DC is a member. Comparable as a coordinating body for organizations like Breathe DC and as a channel for shared advocacy, best-practice dissemination, and potential cross-market replication of programs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Breathe DC social profiles
Digital presenceBreathe DC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Breathe DC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Breathe DC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Breathe DC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Breathe DC
What does Breathe DC do?
Breathe DC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free public health programs in Washington, DC focused on lung disease prevention. Core services include smoking cessation classes and counseling, asthma home visits (Breathe Easy), a summer camp for children with asthma (Camp Breathe Happy), in-school asthma education (Air Buddies), smokefree housing advocacy, clean air youth education, and HIV/tobacco education in partnership with Damien Ministries.
Is Breathe DC a public or private company?
Breathe DC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Breathe DC founded?
Breathe DC was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Breathe DC based?
Breathe DC is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Breathe DC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and National Jewish Health. Direct peers are Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Truth Initiative, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and COPD Foundation. Respiratory Health Association is listed as a regional player. Breathe America Alliance is listed as an others.
Does Breathe DC have an API?
No public API is recorded for Breathe DC.
What industry is Breathe DC in?
Breathe DC's product category is Public Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKANAE, COPD & Chronic Bronchitis Management, with a secondary code of HLAKANAN, Occupational & Environmental Lung Disease Clinic. Its NAICS code is 6213 and its SIC code is 8090.