Charity: Water is an international nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Scott Harrison, who previously worked as a club promoter in New York City. Deeply impressed by his volunteer work on the Mercy Ships vessel in Africa, he created the organization to provide people living in developing countries with access to clean drinking water.
Financial transparency and sustainability
Charity: Water practices a model in which 100% of public donations go directly to water projects, while administrative costs are covered by separate private sponsors. Each donor is provided with GPS coordinates and photos of the facilities built with their funds.
Scale and impact
By 2024, Charity: Water had implemented over 152,000 water projects in approximately 29 countries, providing more than 18.4 million people with access to clean water and improved sanitation and hygiene infrastructure.
Among its most impressive achievements are the support of 44,000 projects that have provided water to more than 10 million people, and by early 2024, its efforts had scaled up to 138,000 projects in 29 countries.
Effectiveness and visibility of results
Charity: Water is renowned for its thorough approach to analyzing results: thanks to hundreds of assessment teams and field surveys, they have determined that one dollar provides 12.5 days of clean water to a family — that’s about 1,100 liters of water supply per hand pump.
Impact on health, education, and the economy
- The project has helped reduce the number of people without access to clean water from 771 million to 703 million — meaning that 68 million people have seen improvements thanks to the efforts of Charity: Water and other organizations.
- Access to clean water leads to improved health and increased school attendance: children miss fewer classes, and the need for long trips to fetch water disappears.
Technology and partnerships
The organization actively uses sensors and technological monitoring systems, including a $5 million project with Google to install 4,000 sensors in Ethiopia and other countries, which increases the sustainability of projects.
The work is carried out through local partners who help plan, build, and maintain projects, taking into account the geographical and social conditions of local communities.
Conclusion
Charity: Water is a simple but powerful idea, embodied in transparent and systematic work. Thanks to its principles — 100% project funding, live data, local involvement, and technological sustainability — millions of people have gained access to clean water. This is not just organizational activity. It is a tool that changes lives: giving health, time, and hope.
