Project Embrace
Project Embrace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects, refurbishes, and redistributes used durable medical equipment to underserved populations across the US Mountain West, Navajo Nation, Seattle, San Diego/Tijuana, rural India, Gaza, and Ukraine. Operations are donation-funded and rely on volunteer labor, physical drop-off locations, and institutional partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Project Embrace does
Project Embrace is a US 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 82-1814956) founded in 2018 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The organization's core function is collecting used durable medical equipment — wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes, braces, and shower/bath equipment — from individual donors and thrift channels, refurbishing the devices to working condition, and redistributing them at no cost to underserved populations. Recipients span six programmatic geographies: the Mountain West US, the Navajo Reservation, Seattle (with continued unsheltered outreach since COVID-19), San Diego/Tijuana (with a documented focus on undocumented individuals who lack safe access to formal healthcare), rural Telangana India (through partnership with Continental Hospitals and Continental Health Foundation), Gaza Strip (humanitarian delivery through Jordanian and Egyptian borders), and Ukraine (first-responder and refugee supplies since 2021).
The underlying technology is operational rather than digital: physical intake via five Utah drop-off locations, manual restoration sessions (a single session with 53 volunteers produced 400+ restored devices and a 183-device shipment to the Navajo Reservation), and outbound distribution through clinic, shelter, hospital, and international NGO partnerships. No proprietary software, AI/ML systems, or platform architecture is disclosed. Distribution is split across warehouse drop-off (retail/physical), direct-to-patient request via the website (no documentation or citizenship verification required, 1-2 business day response), domestic clinic/shelter partnerships, and global humanitarian partnerships.
The business model is donation-funded and entirely non-transactional: monetary contributions are processed through givebutter.com with the stated promise that 100% of donations fund patient care; device donations flow in through physical drop-offs and corporate philanthropy partnerships. No pricing model applies to recipients, who receive services free of charge. Revenue is undisclosed; the cited $4M+ figure is healthcare cost savings for recipients and health systems, not organizational revenue. With 1-10 employees, the model relies heavily on volunteer labor and earned media (Washington Post, TEDx, Fox 13, KSL TV, ABC4, NowThis, Silicon Slopes) rather than paid acquisition.
Project Embrace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Embrace
- Legal name
- Project Embrace
- Website
- https://projectembrace.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Project Embrace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects, refurbishes, and redistributes used durable medical equipment to underserved populations across the US Mountain West, Navajo Nation, Seattle, San Diego/Tijuana, rural India, Gaza, and Ukraine. Operations are donation-funded and rely on volunteer labor, physical drop-off locations, and institutional partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project Embrace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Access Services
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)
- SIC
- Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Sales & Rentals (HSABAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Home Accessibility & Bathroom Safety DME (Grab Bars, Shower Chairs, Raised Toilets, Ramps) (HLAHAMAF), Emergency Shelter, NFIs & Winterization for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAG)
Keywords
Where Project Embrace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Project Embrace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Monetary Donations: Project Embrace accepts financial contributions from individuals and organizations. The organization states that 100% of donations bring medical devices to those who need them most. Donations are processed through givebutter.com platform.
- Device Donations: The organization accepts gently-used medical equipment including wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes, braces, and medical supplies. These donated devices are refurbished and redistributed to patients in need.
- Corporate Philanthropy: Partnerships with healthcare organizations and corporations provide medical equipment and funding support for operations and device shipments.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Project Embrace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Embrace collects used durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes, braces, shower benches, commodes) from the public at drop-off locations and through events, refurbishes the devices to working condition at its Salt Lake City warehouse, and redistributes them at no cost to underserved communities both domestically and internationally. The organization also conducts community health outreach, patient needs assessments, and provides period products, neonatal kits, and hygiene supplies, serving populations without documentation or citizenship verification.
Product overview
Project Embrace is a nonprofit organization operating as a single integrated service rather than a platform architecture. The core offering is medical device collection, refurbishment, and distribution to underserved communities. The main products include the Medical Equipment Donation Program (accepting crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and other durable medical equipment), the Free Medical Device Request Service (allowing individuals to request devices without documentation), and various geographic programs serving the Navajo Reservation, Telangana India, Gaza, Ukraine, Seattle, and San Diego/Tijuana. The organization also provides Healthcare Access Services including period products, neonatal kits, and hygiene supplies. All programs are unified by the mission to provide dignified healthcare access without requiring documentation or asking about citizenship status.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Medical Device Refurbishment and Distribution Core service collecting used durable medical equipment from the public, refurbishing it to working condition at the Salt Lake City warehouse, and distributing the restored devices to underserved communities.
- Medical Equipment Donation Program Public donation program accepting crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, canes, shower benches/chairs, braces, commodes, and other durable medical equipment at five designated drop-off locations in Utah.
- Free Medical Device Request Service Documentation-free service allowing community members, including undocumented individuals, to request free medical devices through a simple website submission process with 1-2 business day response time and confidentiality maintained.
- Navajo Reservation Program Ongoing program providing durable medical equipment, period products, and neonatal kits to underserved communities on the Navajo Reservation through partnerships with local clinics and community organizations.
- Telangana, India Medical Camps Program Partnership-based program in rural India providing medical equipment and comprehensive patient needs assessments through five medical camps, in collaboration with Continental Health Foundation and Continental Hospitals.
- Gaza Humanitarian Aid Program Emergency medical equipment delivery to the Gaza Strip through Jordanian and Egyptian borders in response to the humanitarian crisis, executed in collaboration with international humanitarian organizations.
- Ukraine Relief Program Shipment of first-aid care products and medical supplies to first responders and refugees affected by the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
- Seattle COVID-19 Response Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ lbs of medical device waste intercepted from landfills
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Project Embrace
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Project Embrace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Project Embrace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Continental Health FoundationcoreStrategic partnership with Continental Health Foundation in Hyderabad, India to enhance healthcare access in rural Telangana. The collaboration facilitates provision of vital medical equipment and comprehensive patient needs assessments, benefiting hundreds of individuals across five medical camps.
- Continental HospitalscorePartnership with Continental Hospitals in Hyderabad to support community outreach programs delivering essential medical services to underserved communities in India.
- Navajo Nation Clinics and Community OrganizationscoreOngoing partnerships with clinics and community organizations across the Navajo Reservation to distribute durable medical equipment, period products, and neonatal kits to underserved communities.
- Seattle Area SheltersminorPartnership with local shelters in Seattle to provide wheelchairs, walkers, and canes to unsheltered individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- International Humanitarian Organizations for GazaminorCollaborated with several international community organizations to facilitate urgent delivery of medical equipment through Jordanian and Egyptian borders into the Gaza Strip.
- University of Utah HealthcoreAcademic partnership and recognition from University of Utah Health supporting the organization's healthcare mission in Utah communities.
- Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreAcademic recognition and endorsement from Johns Hopkins University for healthcare impact and medical device redistribution work.
- Stanford MedicinecoreRecognition from Stanford Medicine acknowledging the organization's contributions to healthcare accessibility.
- United Nations Academic ImpactcoreAffiliation with United Nations Academic Impact initiative, demonstrating global recognition for humanitarian work.
- UNICEFcoreRecognition from UNICEF for global health impact and humanitarian assistance programs.
- University of OxfordcoreAcademic recognition from University of Oxford for social impact work.
- Urban Arts GalleryminorDevice drop-off location partnership in Salt Lake City, open Tuesday-Sunday for public donations.
- Sigma Nu at University of UtahminorStudent organization device drop-off point at University of Utah, available any day any time.
- Christian Center of Park CityminorDevice drop-off location in Park City, Utah with tax-deductible receipt provision.
- Heber Valley Thrift StoreminorThrift store drop-off partnership for medical device donations, available Wednesday, Friday, Saturday.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Project Embrace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Esperança: Esperança is a nonprofit that ships medical supplies and equipment to underserved communities internationally and operates health programs in Latin America. Comparable in international medical-supply distribution model, though with more emphasis on Latin America and surgical missions.
- Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill operates donation-based reuse and resale of household goods including some DME. Overlaps with Project Embrace's donation-collection and reuse model, though Goodwill's primary focus is workforce development rather than medical-device redistribution.
Broad incumbents
- Direct Relief: Direct Relief is a large humanitarian medical aid organization providing medications, supplies, and equipment to underserved communities globally. Operates in the same medical-aid-to-underserved space but at materially greater scale, broader product scope (pharma + supplies + DME), and more institutionalized humanitarian aid model.
- Partners In Health: Partners In Health is a major global health nonprofit providing direct healthcare services to the poor in resource-limited settings. Comparable in mission of healthcare access for the poor, but PIH operates clinical facilities rather than distributing refurbished medical equipment.
- International Medical Corps: International Medical Corps delivers emergency medical relief and healthcare services in conflict and disaster settings globally. Overlaps with Project Embrace's humanitarian-crisis work (Gaza, Ukraine), though IMC operates clinical teams rather than distributing refurbished DME.
Direct peers
- MedShare: MedShare is a nonprofit that collects surplus medical supplies and equipment from hospitals and manufacturers and redistributes them to underserved communities globally. Most directly comparable to Project Embrace in product category (DME/medical supplies), nonprofit model, and international humanitarian distribution focus.
- REMEDY (Recovered Medical Equipment for the Developing World): REMEDY, founded at Yale, collects recovered and surplus medical supplies from hospitals and ships them to developing countries. Comparable as a medical surplus redistribution nonprofit, though academic-hospital-anchored vs. Project Embrace's volunteer/community model.
- MedWish International: MedWish is a Cleveland-based nonprofit that collects, sorts, and redistributes donated medical supplies and equipment to people in need in developing countries. Directly comparable in mission, product category (used DME redistribution), and nonprofit humanitarian model.
- Afya Foundation: Afya Foundation collects surplus medical supplies and equipment and delivers them to healthcare facilities in underserved regions. Closely comparable in collection-redistribution model, though Afya's supply channel is more hospital/manufacturer-driven vs. Project Embrace's public drop-off model.
- World Medical Relief: World Medical Relief is a Detroit-based nonprofit that collects, refurbishes, and distributes durable medical equipment and supplies domestically and internationally to those in need. Directly comparable in DME refurbishment/redistribution model and nonprofit structure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Project Embrace social profiles
Digital presenceProject Embrace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Embrace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Project Embrace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Embrace 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 Project Embrace
What does Project Embrace do?
Project Embrace collects used durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes, braces, shower benches, commodes) from the public at drop-off locations and through events, refurbishes the devices to working condition at its Salt Lake City warehouse, and redistributes them at no cost to underserved communities both domestically and internationally. The organization also conducts community health outreach, patient needs assessments, and provides period products, neonatal kits, and hygiene supplies, serving populations without documentation or citizenship verification.
Is Project Embrace a public or private company?
Project Embrace is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Embrace founded?
Project Embrace was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Project Embrace based?
Project Embrace is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project Embrace make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Monetary Donations are the primary driver. The others are device Donations and corporate Philanthropy.
Who are Project Embrace's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Esperança and Goodwill Industries International. Broad incumbents are Direct Relief, Partners In Health and International Medical Corps. Direct peers are MedShare, REMEDY (Recovered Medical Equipment for the Developing World), MedWish International, Afya Foundation and World Medical Relief.
Does Project Embrace have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Embrace.
What industry is Project Embrace in?
Project Embrace's product category is Healthcare Access Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABAKAA, Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Sales & Rentals, with a secondary code of HLAHAMAF, Home Accessibility & Bathroom Safety DME (Grab Bars, Shower Chairs, Raised Toilets, Ramps). Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 3842.