Downwinders at Risk Education Fund

What Downwinders at Risk Education Fund does

Downwinders at Risk Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental justice organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that mobilizes North Texas communities to fight for clean air and environmental justice through grassroots organizing, citizen science, education, and policy advocacy. The organization serves predominantly Black and Brown frontline communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex—including Joppa, West Dallas, Floral Farms, and Fort Worth frontline neighborhoods—that bear disproportionate industrial pollution burdens from facilities such as the GAF and TAMKO asphalt shingle factories. Its flagship technical asset is SharedAirDFW, a community-led regional air quality monitoring network launched in September 2020 in partnership with the University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas County, Dallas College, Paul Quinn College, and the City of Plano, providing real-time PM pollution data from monitors built at UTD Physics Laboratory and displayed on a public digital map refreshing every 30 seconds. The organization's programmatic portfolio includes the Neighborhood Self-Defense Project (grassroots organizing), CommUniversity (environmental education and citizen science training), and named campaigns including Toxic Twins, Justice for Joppa, Southern Sector Rising, and Environmental Justice for Fort Worth.

The organization is led by Executive Director Caleb Roberts, with Director Jim Schermbeck overseeing SharedAirDFW, Chair Evelyn Mayo, and Community Liaison Misti O'Quinn. Funding derives primarily from foundation grants—including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ($350,000+ for the Joppa Environmental Health Project with Texas A&M), Tides Foundation, Boone Family Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, Patagonia, Clif Bar, and Peace Development Fund—supplemented by individual donations and merchandise sales through a Bonfire online store. Key academic and operational partners include Texas A&M University (health research), University of Texas at Dallas (monitor fabrication and digital map development), and a multi-organization coalition network through Southern Sector Rising and the Fort Worth Environmental Coalition of Communities. The organization maintains a documented 30-year track record of environmental justice victories, including the closure of the RSR lead smelter, multiple batch plants, and the Blue Star/Shingle Mountain asphalt operation, and is currently pursuing removal of the GAF and TAMKO 'Toxic Twins' facilities.

Name

Downwinders at Risk Education Fund

Legal name

Downwinders at Risk Education Fund

Website

https://downwindersatrisk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Downwinders at Risk Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) environmental justice nonprofit founded in 1994 in Dallas, Texas, that operates the SharedAirDFW hyper-local air quality monitoring network and runs grassroots, legal, and policy advocacy campaigns to reduce industrial pollution burdens in Black and Brown frontline communities across the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Justice Advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Environmental justice advocacy
• Air quality monitoring
• Community organizing services
• Grassroots environmental campaigns
• Clean air advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals supporting environmental justice work in North Texas
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ($350,000+ grant for Joppa Environmental Health Project), Tides Foundation, Boone Family Foundation, Patagonia, RWJF, Clif, and others
3. Merchandise Sales: T-shirts and totes sold through Bonfire store to fund frontline work and raise community awareness
4. Corporate/Government Grants: Grants from government agencies and partnerships with academic institutions like Texas A&M University for research projects

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Downwinders at Risk Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the SharedAirDFW community-led air quality monitoring network providing real-time Particulate Matter data across Dallas-Fort Worth. It delivers grassroots community organizing through the Neighborhood Self-Defense Project, environmental education via CommUniversity, and runs campaigns (Toxic Twins, Justice for Joppa, Environmental Justice for Fort Worth, Southern Sector Rising) to advance environmental justice for frontline North Texas communities.

Product overview

Downwinders at Risk Education Fund is a nonprofit environmental justice organization operating primarily as a programmatic advocacy group rather than a product company. Its core offerings consist of the SharedAirDFW community air monitoring network (providing real-time air quality data), the Neighborhood Self-Defense Project (grassroots organizing), CommUniversity (education and training), and multiple environmental justice campaigns including Toxic Twins, Justice for Joppa, and Environmental Justice for Fort Worth. These programs work together to empower North Texas communities to fight for clean air through grassroots action, education, citizen science, and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SharedAirDFW: Community air quality monitoring network providing real-time PM pollution data across Dallas-Fort Worth
• CommUniversity
• Neighborhood Self-Defense Project
• Southern Sector Rising
• Toxic Twins Campaign

Products and services

• SharedAirDFW Air Monitoring Network A community-led regional air quality monitoring network providing real-time Particulate Matter (PM) pollution data across Dallas-Fort Worth. Features over 100 monitors deployed in pollution-burdened neighborhoods, displaying readings every 30 seconds on a public digital map accessible at sharedairdfw.com, for use by frontline residents, advocates, and policy makers.
• Neighborhood Self-Defense Project Grassroots organizing initiative that brings neighbors together to transform shared concern into collective action against corporate polluters. Includes community meetings, rallies, protests, letter-writing campaigns, trainings, and neighborhood canvassing for residents of North Texas frontline communities.
• CommUniversity Educational program hosting workshops, distributing educational materials, and translating complex scientific data into accessible information. Includes 'Know Your Rights' workshops, public data presentations, fact sheets, community science projects, and school presentations for North Texas residents and students.
• Toxic Twins Campaign

Quantifiable outcome

• Over three decades of environmental justice victories including stopping the RSR lead smelter, multiple batch plants, and Shingle Mountain dump
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Three-year collaboration to build SharedAirDFW regional air monitoring network. UTD Physics Laboratory built air monitors; students developing digital map for real-time data display. Network debut September 2020.
• Dallas CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in SharedAirDFW network deployment. Dallas County hosting SharedAirDFW map on its website alongside UTD and Downwinders.
• Dallas CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in SharedAirDFW network deployment, displaying air quality monitoring map on institutional website.
• Paul Quinn CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in SharedAirDFW network deployment. Produced 'Poisoned by Zip Code' report identifying Dallas air pollution burden inventory.
• City of PlanocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Municipal partner in SharedAirDFW regional air monitoring network collaboration.
• Texas A&M UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019$350,000+ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant for Joppa Environmental Health Project (2019-2022). Scientists Dr. Natalie Johnson (toxicologist) and Dr. Ping Ma (behavioral researcher) studying PM pollution/health link in Joppa. Downwinders provides community outreach and 11 air monitors.
• Fort Worth Environmental Coalition of Communities (FWECC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of community organizations (Stop Six Echo Heights Environmental Coalition, Northside Air, NAACP, Downwinders, Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club) advocating for environmental justice in Fort Worth's 2050 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Fighting industrial expansion in frontline communities since 2023.
• Southern Sector RisingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition campaign for environmental justice including Joppa Freedman's Association, Neighbors United/Vecino Unidos, Highland Hills Community Action Committee, Sierra Club/BeyondCoal, Pax Christi Dallas, and other groups. Led Shingle Mountain fight and broader Southern Dallas environmental justice efforts.
• Justice for JoppacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in Toxic Twins Campaign advocating for removal of TAMKO asphalt shingle factory from Joppa neighborhood.
• Singleton UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in Toxic Twins Campaign advocating for removal of GAF asphalt shingle factory from West Dallas since 2021.
• Friendship West Baptist ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoppa church hosting community meetings on air pollution monitoring; venue for environmental justice teach-ins.
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert/advisor in Joppa Environmental Health Project community oversight.
• Wala CreativeminorOthersDesigned Downwinders at Risk website and branding materials (credited as website designer).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cleanerair
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/downwinders.at.risk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/downwindersatrisk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Downwinders at Risk Education Fund