named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Mitigating Lead Exposure in LMICs
Project funded by LEAF to reduce lead exposure from cookware, cosmetics, spices, and used lead-acid battery recycling in Ghana, Peru, Colombia, India, Philippines, and Egypt.
Pure Earth Opportunity Fund
Grants funding to organizations in low- and middle-income countries for short-term projects that advance understanding of lead poisoning sources and interventions, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
SCALE Initiative
A global initiative (2026–2033) to reduce lead exposure in countries home to over half of all lead-poisoned children through nationally representative blood lead surveys, source identification, and government-led mitigation strategies.
Women’s Environmental Health Program
Initiative promoting blood lead level testing for pregnant women, integrating lead screening into antenatal care, and supporting female leadership in pollution response through the Force of Nature Awards.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
-
Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Advancing policy and global action on mercury and lead pollutionConducts advocacy efforts to support implementation of the Minamata Convention and reduce mercury pollution, while also promoting policy reforms and recognizing female environmental health leaders through the annual Force of Nature awards.
-
-
Data & Technology Capacity Building 1 activity
- Building global data platforms for lead exposure solutionsDevelops and launches the Lead Exposure and Action Data Hub (LEAD Hub), a global platform that connects exposure data with proven interventions to scale impact beyond direct program countries.
-
-
Community Environmental Monitoring and Research 1 activity
- Conducting large-scale research on toxic pollution and lead exposureConducts extensive research including blood lead level surveys in eight countries since 2020, identification of nearly 5,000 toxic sites across over 50 countries, analysis of over 6,000 consumer product samples for lead contamination, and exposure assessments in over 1,080 homes of lead-poisoned children. Publishes findings and standardized protocols to guide global prevention efforts.
-
-
Charitable Grantmaking to Specific Causes 1 activity
- Funding short-term research and action projects on lead poisoning preventionAwards small grants to organizations in low- and middle-income countries to advance understanding of lead exposure sources and inform prevention strategies, including funding for the inaugural 2026 Opportunity Fund cohort of eight grantees.
-
-
Toxic Chemicals and Plastics Reform 1 activity
- Implementing women’s environmental health initiativesIntegrates blood lead level testing into maternal health services, trains health workers, conducts research, and advocates for policy change to protect women from heavy metal exposure, including hosting expert panels and webinars on maternal health and pollution.
-
-
Uncategorized 4 activities
- Developing and disseminating public education materials on lead poisoningCreates and distributes locally adapted, multilingual educational resources for parents, families, health workers, and the public in countries including Colombia, India, Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan to raise awareness about lead exposure risks and prevention.
- Lead exposure reduction programs in low- and middle-income countriesImplements on-the-ground programs across more than 30 countries to reduce lead exposure through site remediation, source identification, health screenings, and interventions targeting contaminated spices, cookware, cosmetics, and used lead-acid battery recycling. Projects have significantly reduced blood lead levels in children, including a 75% reduction in Georgia and 67% in Dong Mai, Vietnam.
- Operating the Toxic Site Identification Program (TSIP)Implements TSIP in Colombia and other countries to locate, assess, and document contaminated sites, with data made publicly available to support remediation and policy action.
- Supporting national capacity for lead exposure monitoring and interventionCollaborates with ministries of health and government agencies to design and implement national programs for lead exposure reduction, including establishing safety standards for consumer products (cookware, cosmetics, spices), improving used lead-acid battery management, integrating blood lead testing into antenatal care, and building enforcement and regulatory capacities.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$18.49M
Contributions & grants$18.29M99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$236K1%
Other revenue$-29K
expenses
Total expenses$6.84M
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead13%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$2.55M
Grants paid out$1.25M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$26.85M
Cash$9.52M
Investments$0
Liabilities$496K
Net assets$26.35M
Liquid reserves16.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +253.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 6
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAROL SUMKIN | VP, DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $243K |
| RICHARD FULLER CEO THRU NOV | HEAD OF SPECIAL INITIATIVES | 40 | $205K |
| ANDREW MCCARTOR | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $187K |
| SHISHI ZHANG | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 40 | $183K |
| RACHAEL KUPKA | VP, OPERATIONS | 40 | $172K |
| ANGELA BERNHARDT | VP, COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $130K |
board members · 15
- ALICIA OGAWA — DIRECTOR
- ANNA MUTOH — DIRECTOR
- CHARLOTTE TRIEFUS — DIRECTOR
- CONRAD MEYER III — CHAIR EMERITAS
- DAVID HUNTER — DIRECTOR
- ETHAN SAWYER — CHAIR
- FRANCOIS GUILLON — DIRECTOR
- GLORIA JANATA — DIRECTOR
- HOWARD HU — DIRECTOR
- KAREN MATHIASEN — DIRECTOR
- KATHRYN HUARTE — TREASURER
- PAUL BROOKE — DIRECTOR
- PAUL ROUX — SECRETARY
- TABASSUM INAMDAR — DIRECTOR
- TROY HYSMTIH — DIRECTOR
relationships · 33
Who they work with
- Bangladesh Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in Bangladesh.
- Bloomberg Philanthropies Funder — Primary funder of the Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative, supporting the Pure Earth Opportunity Fund.
- Bloomberg Philanthropies Partner — Implementing partner in the Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative
- CDC Foundation Partner — Implementing partner in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative.
- Clean Label Project Partner — Collaborated on presenting research during a 2025 webinar on pollution's impact on women's health.
- Colombia Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in Colombia.
- Columbia University Partner — Collaborated on presenting research during a 2025 webinar on pollution's impact on women's health.
- Ghana Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in Ghana.
- GiveWell Funder — Recognized Pure Earth as a top giving opportunity for addressing lead exposure.
- Happier Lives Institute Partner — Conducted research evaluating Pure Earth’s cost-effectiveness in improving wellbeing.
- India Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in India.
- Indonesia Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in Indonesia.
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Partner — Implementing partner in the SCALE Initiative providing data and research support on lead exposure.
- Lead Exposure Action Fund Funder — Funds the Mitigating Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries project
- Lead Exposure Elimination Project Partner — Implementing partner in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative.
- Mexico Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in Mexico.
- Minamata Convention Government — Works to strengthen the implementation of the Minamata Convention in Colombia.
- Open Philanthropy Government — Provides logistical support for the Lead Exposure Action Fund through its Grants Management team
- Partnership for a Lead-Free Future Partner — Implementing partner in the SCALE Initiative working to eliminate lead poisoning globally.
- Peru Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in Peru.
- Philippines Partner — Operates a country office and implements toxic pollution prevention programs in the Philippines.
- Resolve to Save Lives Partner — Implementing partner in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative.
- The Audacious Project Funder — Collaborative funding initiative providing support for Pure Earth's SCALE Initiative to expand lead poisoning prevention.
- The Audacious Project Funder — Funding community supporting the SCALE Initiative to reduce lead exposure in low- and middle-income countries.
- UNICEF Partner — Collaborated on a national blood lead level survey in Georgia.
- UNICEF Partner — Implementing partner in the SCALE Initiative to reduce lead exposure globally.
- Universidad Iberoamericana Partner — Collaborated on presenting research during a 2025 webinar on pollution's impact on women's health.
- Vital Strategies Partner — Collaborates with Pure Earth on the Strengthening Health Systems to Reduce Lead Exposure project.
- Vital Strategies Partner — Implementing partner in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative and co-administrator of related grant funding.
- Vital Strategies Partner — Implementing partner in the SCALE Initiative focused on revealing lead exposure and reducing sources.
+ 3 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Evidence-Based Remediation at Scalemethodology: evidence_based_remediationBy identifying toxic pollution sources through data-driven tools like the Toxic Site Identification Program and applying proven, scalable interventions, we reduce lead exposure because existing scientific solutions—when properly implemented—can prevent harm without requiring technological innovation.
- Gender-Responsive Environmental Healthmethodology: women_centered_environmental_healthBy centering women’s biological vulnerability and social roles in exposure pathways and including them in advocacy and decision-making, we improve outcomes because gender-inclusive approaches address root causes of multigenerational harm and strengthen community-level adoption of interventions.
- Government-Embedded Systems Changemethodology: government-embedded_public_health_interventionBy embedding interventions within government systems—through national blood lead surveys, regulatory reform, technical assistance, and capacity building—we ensure long-term sustainability because institutionalization shifts ownership from external actors to national public health infrastructure.
- Phased Public Health Intervention Modelmethodology: three-phase_public_health_interventionBy systematically revealing the crisis, pinpointing exposure sources, reducing exposure, mobilizing collective will, and building durable systems, we drive sustainable national action on lead poisoning because structured, evidence-based sequencing enables governments and communities to own and scale solutions effectively.