Toxic Free NC

What Toxic Free NC does

Toxic Free NC is a 501c3 nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1986 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. Its mission is to advance environmental health and justice in North Carolina by advocating for safe alternatives to harmful pesticides and toxic chemicals. The organization serves three primary beneficiary groups: young children and families (through IPM training for childcare centers and family health education), farmers and farmworkers (through regenerative agriculture support and farmworker protection advocacy), and environmental justice communities disproportionately impacted by pesticide pollution.

The organization delivers its work through three core programs. The Toxic Free Kids program provides state-licensed Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training to early childhood educators, a market position Toxic Free NC holds exclusively in North Carolina, alongside family health education campaigns. The Just & Sustainable Agriculture program focuses on pollinator protection, farmer capacity building, and farmworker health advocacy, including support for the Women of Color Farmers Network founded in 2021 with 35 members. Programs are delivered through direct training, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and coalition partnerships with organizations including the Center for Environmental Health, Coming Clean, and the NC Environmental Justice Network. Documented policy outcomes include the 2006 NC Schoolchildren's Health Act, the 2015 EPA Worker Protection Standard revisions, bipartisan Pollinator Protection Act introductions in 2017 and 2019, and a successful corporate campaign pressuring Lowes to remove neonics from retail shelves.

The business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams include individual donations collected through a Z2Systems/Zeffy donation portal, an affiliate revenue stream from the 1% For the Planet Environmental Partner program, and grant funding from foundations and government sources (specific funders not disclosed). The organization operates with a small staff of four and a board of directors, and is independently controlled with no parent company or private equity ownership. There is no proprietary technology, software product, or AI capability; the organization's "platform" is its advocacy infrastructure, community network, and four decades of institutional credibility.

Name

Toxic Free NC

Legal name

Toxic Free North Carolina

Website

https://toxicfreenc.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Toxic Free NC is a non-profit organization that advocates for environmentally safer alternatives to pesticides and chemicals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Health Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

IPM School/Childcare & Sensitive-Site Programs (Reduced-Exposure Protocols) (HSAMAJAH), Pest Control & Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (EDAEAAAG), Green/Organic/Low-Impact Pest Management (IPM Programs) (IMAIAHAN), Insect Control (Crawling/Flying Insects) for Farms & Ag Facilities (AFACAGAF), Pest Management Compliance (IPM) & Vector Control (EDAEAKAK)

Keywords

• Environmental health advocacy
• Pesticide reform policy
• Integrated pest management
• Sustainable agriculture programs
• Nonprofit community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Toxic Free NC relies heavily on contributions from individual donors and supporters. The organization promotes monthly giving and one-time donations through its website donation portal.
2. 1% For the Planet Partnership: The organization is a registered Environmental Partner with 1% For the Planet, receiving 1% of sales from participating member companies.
3. Grant Funding: As a registered 501c3 nonprofit, Toxic Free NC likely receives grant funding from foundations and government sources, though specific funders are not listed on their website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Toxic Free NC operates two flagship advocacy and education programs: Toxic Free Kids, which delivers state-licensed Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training to childcare centers and runs family health education on toxic chemical exposure; and Just & Sustainable Agriculture, which advances pollinator protection, farmer capacity building, and farmworker health and justice. The organization also coordinates the Women of Color Farmers Network, a mutual-aid network supporting women farmers of color, and publishes educational guides, policy briefs, and organic gardening resources.

Product overview

Toxic Free NC is a nonprofit advocacy organization offering educational programs rather than a technology product platform. Its core programs include the Toxic Free Kids (TFK) Program providing Integrated Pest Management training for childcare facilities and family health education, and the Just & Sustainable Agriculture (JSA) Program focused on pollinator protection, farmer capacity building, and farmworker health advocacy. The organization also runs the Women of Color Farmers Network providing mutual aid and support to women farmers of color. All offerings are mission-driven community programs and educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Toxic Free Kids: Program focused on protecting children's health by minimizing toxic pesticides and chemicals where kids live, learn, and play. Provides Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training for childcare centers.
• Just & Sustainable Agriculture
• Women of Color Farmers Network

Products and services

• Toxic Free Kids Program A program protecting children's health by minimizing toxic pesticides and chemicals where kids live, learn, and play. Provides state-licensed Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training for childcare center staff and family health education for parents and communities.
• Just & Sustainable Agriculture Program A program addressing the systemic flaws of industrial agriculture by protecting pollinators, supporting organic and regenerative farming practices, and advocating for farmworker health and justice. Includes farmer capacity building, pollinator protection advocacy, and farmworker support.
• Women of Color Farmers Network A mutual aid and advocacy network supporting 35 women of color farmers in North Carolina through farm visits, seed exchanges, monthly support calls, and advocacy for equitable food systems and BIPOC beekeepers.
• Educational Resources and Guides Publicly available PDF guides and resources covering pesticide safety, organic gardening (aphids, cabbage loopers, cutworms, etc.), pollinator protection, family home health, and policy briefs on PFAS and neonicotinoids.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained thousands of childcare providers on IPM practices
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women of Color Farmers NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Founded in 2021 by Phoebe Gooding, this network of 35 women of color farmers is coordinated by Toxic Free NC to build mutual aid, support BIPOC beekeepers, and advance equitable food systems.
• Coming Clean and Pesticide Action & Agroecology NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerToxic Free NC partners with Coming Clean and Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network on joint press releases and campaigns, including advocacy against pesticide manufacturers and for PFAS regulation.
• Center for Environmental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on PFAS litigation and advocacy. CEH and Toxic Free NC have filed joint lawsuits against EPA and Chemours to require health testing for PFAS exposure effects.
• 1% For the PlanetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerToxic Free NC is a registered Environmental Partner with 1% For the Planet, receiving 1% of sales from member companies to support environmental work.
• Farmworker Association of FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on national letter to EPA urging protection from dangerous pesticide mixtures, representing farmworker interests across state lines.
• NC Environmental Justice NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in environmental justice organizing and advocacy work across North Carolina communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Beyond Pesticides: National nonprofit focused on pesticide reform, organic land management, and protecting pollinators and public health from toxic chemicals—the most direct national peer to Toxic Free NC's mission. Both advocate for IPM adoption and policy change on neonicotinoids and agricultural chemicals.
• Pesticide Action Network (PAN): International network of over 600 organizations working to replace pesticide use with ecologically sound alternatives. PAN operates at a broader scale but shares the same core mission of pesticide reform, farmworker protection, and pollinator advocacy as Toxic Free NC.
• Center for Food Safety: National nonprofit advocating for sustainable agriculture and against pesticide-promoting industrial practices. Direct peer in promoting organic farming, pollinator protection, and challenging pesticide manufacturers.
• Coming Clean: National environmental health nonprofit working on toxic chemical reform, including PFAS. Coming Clean is explicitly listed as a core coalition partner of Toxic Free NC, with overlapping campaign priorities on PFAS regulation.
• Environmental Working Group (EWG): Research and advocacy nonprofit focused on consumer product safety, pesticide exposure, and agricultural chemical reform. Operates at much larger scale but shares Toxic Free NC's focus on family/children's exposure to toxic chemicals.
• Center for Environmental Health: National health and environmental justice organization that has jointly litigated with Toxic Free NC against EPA and Chemours over PFAS testing. Direct peer in chemical reform litigation and advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Friends of the Earth: Large international environmental advocacy organization with active campaigns on pesticide reform, bee protection, and regenerative agriculture. A broader incumbent in the same advocacy space.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Large national environmental organization with extensive work on chemical safety, pesticide regulation, and farmworker protection. A broad incumbent competitor for foundation funding and policy influence.
• Earthjustice: National environmental law organization that litigates pesticide and chemical safety cases, overlapping with Toxic Free NC's litigation work against EPA and Chemours. A much larger incumbent in the same advocacy space.

Regional players

• NC Environmental Justice Network: Statewide grassroots network of environmental justice communities in North Carolina. Documented coalition partner of Toxic Free NC with directly overlapping EJ priorities around pesticide pollution and CAFO impacts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/toxicfreenc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ToxicFreeNC
• Instagraminstagram.com/toxicfreenc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Toxic Free NC