In the U.S., over 137 million people breathe polluted air – disproportionately affecting low-income communities and people of color. IQAir Foundation, founded in 2016, partners with these communities to protect health through access to clean air. Based in LA County and active nationwide, the Foundation provides high-performance air purifiers, indoor filtration systems, and public air quality monitors to schools and neighborhoods most at risk. In Coachella – where ozone levels rank in the 96th percentile nationally – and Richmond – where toxic air discharges and asthma rates are among the nation’s highest – they deliver solutions where the need is urgent. From Oakland to Imperial County, and expanding to Detroit and Dallas, they combine technology, data, and education to reduce harm. Their mission is clear: no child’s health should be determined by their zip code, and everyone deserves the right to breathe clean air.
Langston Verdin and an IQAir Outdoor air quality monitor in the Riverwest neighborhood, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.-IQAir
IQAir Foundation’s team, composed of a three-person team and 9-person majority BIPOC board, is improving air quality in communities hit hardest by pollution. They operate 100+ monitoring stations in 50 communities, feeding data into the world’s largest real-time air quality platform. Their Clean Air for Kids program installs filtration in four schools each year, reaching 120,000 students annually. In Oakland, they helped fund 18 monitors at three schools, improving air for 5,000 students and 250 teachers. In 2023, they partnered with South Coast AQMD and the Red Cross to provide clean air centers during wildfires. They’ve supported over 150 schools and led pilot studies in low-income housing to guide air quality support. With deep community ties, technical expertise, and a clear-eyed focus on equity, the IQAir Foundation is proving that meaningful environmental change doesn’t always require a large footprint – just the right partners, the right tools, and a commitment to meet people where they are.
IQAir Foundation deploys a network of low-cost air sensors in communities to get real-time, precise and accurate air pollution measurements. – IQAir