Downwinders is a research and educational foundation established in 1978 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Downwinders takes its name from the residents living in the prevailing wind pattern surrounding the Nevada Test Site, who have been constantly exposed to radioactive fallout from America's nucleartesting activities conducted there.

Downwinders was founded with two primary goals: to expose the plight of downwind residents whose fallout exposures have caused cancer, leukemia, and other illnesses and to obtain justice for their injuries; and to fight for an immediate end to all nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site and elsewhere.

Since its founding, Downwinders has expanded its efforts to other nuclear, military and environmental projects and issues where the health and safety of residents surrounding them have been placed at risk. Over the years these have included such problems as chemical and biological weapons research and testing at the Dugway Proving Ground; high and low-level nuclear waste; uranium mining, milling and tailings disposal, phosphate mining and wastes, groundwater issues, land and air space grabs by the military and military toxics, to name a few.

Downwinders has also expanded its scope of operations from regional work confined to the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada to one of global outreach.Downwinders is a nonprofit educational foundation funded by individual contributions and foundation grants. Contributions are gladly accepted. —Stefene Russell