Charity: Water is not just a charity organization. It is a global movement that since 2006 has sought to address one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges of our time – the lack of access to clean drinking water in developing countries.
Founded in New York City by former night promoter Scott Harrison, the organization has grown from a personal story of reinventing life – to become one of the most recognizable and transparent NPOs in the world.
The problem they’re fighting
Today, some 703 million people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water. This causes:
- the spread of disease,
- high mortality rates among children,
- a lag in education (especially among girls forced to carry water),
- slowing the economic development of entire regions.
Charity: Water solves this problem by drilling boreholes, building water towers, water purification systems and rainwater tanks, providing villages and schools with a sustainable source of clean water.
Impressive results
- 19,819 water projects implemented.
- More than 6.1 million people have gained access to clean water.
- Working in 24 countries: Ethiopia, Nepal, India, Uganda, Cambodia, etc. -By 2016, more than $200 million in donations were collected from individuals, companies and foundations.
These numbers are not just statistics, but real change in the daily lives of millions of people.
Transparency and unique funding model
One of the main reasons for the popularity of Charity: Water has been its model of absolute transparency:
- 100% of donations from individuals go exclusively to field projects – not a cent is used for salaries, rent or marketing.
- All administrative costs are covered separately – by private patrons, large corporate sponsors and foundations.
Each donor receives:
- GPS coordinates of the facility they helped build,
- photos and project reports,
- notifications on the progress of implementation.
People and support
The organization employs:
- 70 employees (headquartered in New York City),
- 10 interns,
- over 800 volunteers worldwide.
Charity: Water is supported by celebrities and artists including:
- Depeche Mode (raised funds while on tour),
- Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith,
- Alyssa Milano, Adam Lambert,
- YouTube star PuDiPi (Felix Chelberg), who has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through his audience.
Innovation and Technology
Charity: Water actively utilizes technology to increase transparency and efficiency:
- GPS and Google Earth – to track wells in real time.
- Water flow sensors – to monitor site conditions.
- An online platform that allows anyone to launch their own fundraising campaign.
Conclusion
Charity: Water is a living example of how a modern approach, complete transparency and a genuine desire to help can change the lives of millions of people. Water is life. And thanks to Charity: Water, more and more people have access to the most important human right – clean water.