Your Air Matters

In Tribal nations, rural communities, low-income neighborhoods, and communities of color, indoor air pollution is widespread.

Air Matters is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving indoor air quality for vulnerable communities. Founded in 2015 by Gillian Mittelstaedt, DrPH, MPA, a nationally recognized expert in environmental health and healthy housing, Air Matters provides free and low-cost educational toolkits to reduce indoor air hazards, particularly for those most at risk: elders, pregnant women, children, asthma sufferers, and people with heart conditions.

Our mission is to equip families and communities with tools and knowledge to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution, including wildfire smoke, mold, and other airborne toxins. We work nationally with Tribal Nations, Alaska Native villages, and underserved populations who face disproportionate environmental health risks.

Air Matters grew out of Gillian’s leadership of the Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN), a tribally led coalition formed in 2008 to address the health impacts of poor indoor air quality in Tribal communities. Originally funded by the EPA under the Tulalip Tribes, THHN continues to operate as a technical assistance hub and knowledge-sharing network, offering training, community-based research, and culturally relevant interventions to improve housing conditions across Tribal communities.

As Executive Director of both Air Matters and THHN, Gillian brings decades of experience in healthy housing and air quality policy. She has co-chaired national coalitions, advised the White House, and helped lead the EPA’s Clean Air Act 50th Anniversary report. Her background in public health and public administration helps bridge community needs with policy and systems change.

From Awareness to Action: Toolkits for Clean Air and Healthy Homes.

Our Mission

At Air Matters, our mission is to advance clean air and healthier homes through accessible, evidence-based tools and trusted knowledge. We empower individuals, communities, and Tribes with practical solutions, moving from awareness to action so every home can be a safer, healthier place to live.

Our Toolkits

We focus on two primary toolkit programs:

AirMatters Kits – Address general indoor air quality issues such as mold, dust, and inadequate ventilation.
SmokeMatters Kits – Provide protection from wildfire smoke and heavy particulate pollution. These kits are designed to be practical, low-cost, and easy to use, empowering families to take immediate steps to improve the air in their homes while broader remediation efforts continue.

Tools and Knowledge for Safer, Healthier Homes

Our Funding & Philosophy

Our work is funded primarily through federal grants. While we advocate for systemic solutions to substandard housing, our immediate focus is on reducing exposure now, bridging the gap until policies and resources allow for full remediation of every unhealthy home. Designed to provide families with practical tools to detect and reduce indoor air hazards.

Our Impact

Since its founding, Air Matters has led one of the most significant efforts in the country to deploy indoor air quality toolkits and companion training programs. These toolkits, AirMatters and SmokeMatters, are designed to provide families with practical tools to detect and reduce indoor air hazards. But Air Matters goes beyond just shipping boxes: we train local partners, such as teachers, health workers, clinic staff, housing officers, and Tribal elders program staff, on how to use the kits and educate community members. By the mid-2020s, over 3,700 toolkits had been distributed to vulnerable households through partnerships with Tribal Nations and community agencies. Recognizing the growing risk of wildfires, especially in the Western U.S., Air Matters developed the SmokeMatters program to help at-risk communities prepare for and respond to smoke events. We also provided low-cost filtration and ventilation guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic, integrating this support into our existing toolkit strategy to ensure communities had access to both immediate and long-term indoor air quality solutions.