Water.org

Last updated
Water.org
Formation2009 (1990 as WaterPartners)
Type Developmental aid organization
Executive Director
Gary White
Key people
Website www.water.org

Water.org is an international nonprofit organization that helps people living in poverty get access to safe water and improved sanitation through affordable financing. This organization was founded by Matt Damon and Gary White.

Contents

Water.org currently works in 11 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America: Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

Description

In 1990, Gary White founded WaterPartners International. [1] White had observed that people were paying high prices for water, whether paying a local water vendor or paying with their time by walking to collect water. He had an idea to loan people the money upfront for them to finance the purchase and installation of a water tap or toilet. [2] In 2008, the first loans for water connections and toilets were distributed in India. [3]

Water.org utilizes microfinancing solutions to help people in need of loans for water and sanitation. [4] Water.org partners with local financial institutions in the countries they work in to add water and sanitation loans to their portfolios. [5]

Many families cannot pay to connect to local water networks. A loan for water allows families to connect to a water supply and even get a faucet inside their home. This saves families money from paying large portions of their income to a water vendor. It also results in women and children having more time to attend work and school that was previously spent walking to collect water. [6]

Corporate partnerships

Water.org has partnered with corporate sponsors to promote awareness and raise funds. [7] In this context, co-founder Matt Damon has been the face of advertising campaigns to promote Water.org in conjunction with products from major sponsors.

In October 2011, Water.org received an $8 million grant from the PepsiCo Foundation to scale up WaterCredit, tying in with the Aquafina and Ethos Water brands of bottled water owned by PepsiCo and Starbucks. [8] [9] [10]

Stella Artois became a Water.org partner in 2015. In January 2018, their new commercial, which premiered during the NFL Super Bowl, encouraged viewers to contribute to the work of Water.org by purchasing a limited-edition Stella Artois "blue chalice", imprinted with an embellished blue version of the brand's logo. [11] Each purchase would help Water.org provide up to five years of clean water for one person in the developing world. [12] [13] [14]

In October 2021, a new partnership was announced with the cryptocurrency trading platform Crypto.com, whereby Water.org was to receive a $1 million donation. The announcement quoted Damon as saying, "Crypto.com gave us this great donation, which is amazing. The money that I make for the commercials to promote them, I give 100% of that to Water.org as well. So, it's millions of dollars coming in to us. The thing that we really are proud of with what we're doing and where it relates to Crypto.com is the self-determination piece, because it's about giving people more power. It's about just creating an environment where people can help themselves." [15] [16] [17] [18]

Janji works with water.org in Haiti.[ citation needed ]

Ratings

As of December 2020, Charity Navigator gave the organization 4 out of 4 stars, with an overall score of 95.75 out of 100. Water.org has received a 4 out of 4 star rating for 11 years. [19] The organization is recognized as an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, [20] and has a "Platinum Seal of Transparency" from Guidestar. [21]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stella Artois</span> Belgian pilsner beer

Stella Artois is a pilsner beer, first brewed in 1926 by Brouwerij Artois in Leuven, Belgium. In its original form, the beer is 5.2 per cent ABV, the country's standard for pilsners. The beer is also sold in other countries including the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia, where it has a reduced ABV. Stella Artois is owned by Interbrew International B.V. which is a subsidiary of the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Damon</span> American actor (born 1970)

Matthew Paige Damon is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among Forbes' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received various awards and nominations, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for three British Academy Film Awards and seven Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Skoll</span> Canadian engineer, internet entrepreneur and film producer

Jeffrey Stuart Skoll, OC is a Canadian engineer, billionaire internet entrepreneur and film producer. He was the first president of eBay, eventually using the wealth this gave him to become a philanthropist, particularly through the Skoll Foundation, and his media company Participant Media. He founded an investment firm, Capricorn Investment Group, soon after and currently serves as its chairman. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he graduated from University of Toronto in 1987 and left Canada to attend Stanford University's business school in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Cotton</span> Welsh entrepreneur and philanthropist (born 1950)

Ann Lesley Cotton OBE is a Welsh entrepreneur and philanthropist who was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2006 Queen's New Year Honours List. The honour was in recognition of her services to education of young women in rural Africa as the founder of Camfed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiva (organization)</span> Micro-loan platform

Kiva Microfunds is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California. Kiva's mission is "to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H2O Africa Foundation</span>

The H2O Africa Foundation was an NGO founded by Matt Damon to raise awareness about clean water initiatives in Africa. It was part of the Running the Sahara expedition and documentary project undertaken by Damon, James Moll, LivePlanet, and the Independent Producers Alliance. In July 2009, the H2O Africa Foundation merged with WaterPartners to form Water.org, an organization co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White of WaterPartners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skoll Foundation</span> US philanthropic foundation

The Skoll Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. The foundation makes grants and investments intended to reduce global poverty. Jeffrey Skoll created the foundation in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WaterPartners</span>

WaterPartners International was an American nonprofit developmental aid organization tasked with the specific purpose of providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries. Founded in 1990, it has since provided safe drinking water and sanitation to more than 200 communities in eight countries – Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Guatemala, India, Kenya, and the Philippines. The organization's co-founder and current executive director Gary White is also a founding board member of the Global Water Challenge and Water Advocates.

The Jefferson Awards Foundation was created in 1972 by the American Institute for Public Service. The Jefferson Awards are given at both local and national levels. Local winners are ordinary people who do extraordinary things without expectation of recognition. Local winners come from national networks of "Media Partners" and "Corporate Champions", from the associated "Students In Action", Lead360, and the GlobeChangers programs. The Jefferson Awards Foundation is led by its CEO, Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, its president, Sam Beard, and its chairman, Jack Russi, in conjunction with the Foundation's board of governors.

VillageReach is a registered 501(c)(3) that works with governments to solve health care delivery challenges in low-resource communities. Its headquarters are in Seattle, Washington, with international offices in Mozambique, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa. The VillageReach approach includes developing, testing, implementing and scaling new systems, technologies and programs that improve health outcomes. This is achieved by extending the reach and enhancing the quality of health care. The benefits are manifested through supply chain and logistics improvements, information and communication technology, human resources for health, private sector engagement and advocacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shay Carl</span> American video blogger and YouTube personality

Shay Carl Butler, known professionally as Shay Carl, is an American YouTube personality. He has three YouTube channels, two of which have over three million subscribers. Butler and Corey Vidal developed a documentary called Vlogumentary on a $200,000+ budget that was funded with an Indiegogo campaign and raised by mostly from his viewers. Vlogumentary was released on April 20, 2016. Forbes called Butler one of the "most successful video entrepreneurs on YouTube" and in 2011 The New York Times featured Butler's production company Maker Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Chen</span>

Jane Marie Chen is the co-founder of Embrace, a social enterprise that invented and distributes a low-cost infant warmer, that gives premature and low-birth-weight infants a better chance at survival. The Embrace infant warmers / incubators have now helped to save over 700,000 babies in 25 countries. Jane served as the first CEO of Embrace, the non-profit arm of the organization, before stepping into the chief executive officer (CEO) role of Embrace Innovations, the for-profit social enterprise that was spun off in 2012.

KickStart International is a nonprofit social enterprise headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. KickStart designs and mass-markets climate-smart irrigation technology to smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, in order to enable a transition from subsistence agriculture to commercial irrigated agriculture. Donor funds are used to design the irrigation pumps, establish supply chains, demonstrate and promote the pumps, and educate farmers on the benefits and methods of small-scale irrigation.

INJAZ Al-Arab is a non-profit organization for education and training in workforce readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship across the Arab World. INJAZ Al-Arab is the Regional Operating Center of JA Worldwide (JAW), one of the largest global non-governmental organizations dedicated to addressing fundamental social and economic challenges faced by young people. INJAZ Al-Arab is also an active participant in the United Nations Global Compact. Over 7 million students have participated in a broad base of entrepreneurship training opportunities aimed at developing basic business skills to start and run their own businesses while obtaining soft skills increasingly demanded by the private sector. Since its inception, INJAZ Al-Arab has built a network of over 100,000 classroom volunteers, who are leaders from the corporate world. INJAZ Al-Arab has a Regional Board of Directors, which comprises 15 executives, as well as a team of staff, led by Akef Aqrabawi, President and CEO of the Middle East/North Africa for JA Worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary White (engineer)</span>

Gary White is the CEO and co-founder of Water.org.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Nolan</span>

Matt Nolan is an English drummer, bespoke musical instrument maker and metal sculptor. Nolan works as an independent cymbal and gong maker from his workshop in Bath in the South-West of England. Nolan is part of a small community of one-man "artisan cymbalsmiths" and attracts the interest of professional drummers and musicians. Nolan was an electrical engineer before he became an instrument maker. According to The Drummer's Journal, Nolan is "the only person in the UK independently making cymbals, alongside only a handful of other individuals worldwide."

Sally R. Osberg an American business executive who formerly served as president and CEO of the Skoll Foundation, where she partnered with founder and chairman, Jeffrey Skoll. She was the founding executive director of the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kashf Foundation</span> Non-profit organization

Kashf Foundation is a non-profit organization, founded by Roshaneh Zafar in 1996. Kashf is regarded as the first microfinance institution (MFI) of Pakistan that uses village banking methodology in microcredit to alleviate poverty by providing affordable financial and non-financial services to low income households - particularly for women, to build their capacity and enhance their economic role. With headquarters in Lahore, Punjab, Kashf have regional offices in five major cities and over 200 branches across Pakistan.

Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency exchange company based in Singapore that offers various financial services, including an app, exchange, and noncustodial DeFi wallet, NFT marketplace, and direct payment service in cryptocurrency. As of June 2023, the company reportedly had 80 million customers and 4,000 employees. The exchange issues its own exchange token named Cronos (CRO).

Circle of Blue is a U.S.-based nonprofit news, information, and convening organization reporting on fresh water worldwide as it intersects food and energy security, economic and environmental stability, and social systems. Its tagline is "Where water speaks."

References

  1. Sudekum Fisher, Maria (July 15, 2009). "Damon joins K.C. organization to provide for developing communities". Associated Press . Retrieved June 2, 2022 via Missourian.
  2. Porgas, Seth (January 26, 2017). "Water.org Cofounders Matt Damon & Gary White: Corporate Partnerships Are The Future Of Charity". Forbes . Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  3. McGirt, Ellen (2015). "Water.org Cofounders Matt Damon and Gary White are empowering the planet one tap at a time" (PDF). Tempus . Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  4. Brinton, Carlson. "World Water Day 2021: Water.org Is Fighting to End the Water Crisis". Green Living Magazine. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  5. Revkin, Andrew (29 September 2009). "Matt Damon's Quest for Clean African Water". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  6. Brinton, Carlson. "World Water Day 2021: Water.org Is Fighting to End the Water Crisis". Green Living Magazine. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  7. "Partners".
  8. "PepsiCo Foundation expands commitment to Water.org with $8 million contribution to scale "WaterCredit" across India". Water.org. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  9. Zmuda, Natalie (October 18, 2013). "Pepsi partners with Starbucks water brand. Also teams with Matt Damon's group to push charitable message behind Ethos". AdAge. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  10. "Why Matt Damon and Gary White of Water.org are friends of PepsiCo". youtube.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  11. "Stella Artois Limited Edition Chalice at Water.org (Matt Damon)". youtube.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  12. "Stella Artois And Water.org Team Up To Encourage Beer Lovers To 'Make Your Super Bowl Party Matter'". www.prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
  13. "Stella Artois Chalices". Water.org. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  14. "Stella Artois: Give the gift of time (Matt Damon for Water.org)". youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  15. Conway, Jeff. "Matt Damon announces Water.org partnership with Crypto.com". forbes.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  16. Bhasin, Kim (October 28, 2021). "Matt Damon is the Face of Crypto.com". Bloomberg.
  17. "Fortune Favours the Brave – Crypto.com". youtube.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  18. "The making of Fortune Favours the Brave – Crypto.com". youtube.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  19. "Charity Navigator: Water.org" . Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  20. "Give.org: Water.org" . Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  21. "Guidestar: Water.org". Guidestar. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  22. "GWI Announces Winners of the 2019 Global Water Awards". WWD Magazine. April 25, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  23. "Angela Bassett, Orlando Bloom and Gal Gadot Among the Celebrity Presenters for the 14th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute". CNN. 1 December 2020. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  24. "International Peace Award" . Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  25. "Forbes Hosts Sixth Annual Forbes 400 Summit On Philanthropy In Honor Of Its 100th Anniversary". Forbes. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  26. "Water.org News, Press & Perspectives". Water.org. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  27. Schwab, Hilde (21 January 2014). "Meet the 2014 Crystal Award winners". WE Forum. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  28. "EMA Awards - Past Recipients and Honorees". EMA.
  29. "Awards: Social Entrepreneur". Schwab Foundation.
  30. Danson, Ted (21 April 2011). "Matt Damon and Gary White". Time. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  31. "2009 SKOLL AWARDS FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP". Skoll foundation. 26 March 2009.
  32. "Water.org News, Press & Perspectives". Water.org. Retrieved 6 June 2022.