1. The 100% model: How it works.

From the very beginning, restoring people's faith in charity was an important part of our mission. This is why we direct 100% of donors' money straight to on-the-ground project costs. In fact, we're so passionate about giving 100% that we pay the PayPal and credit card transaction fees each time you donate online. Each time someone gives, a true 100% goes straight to the field.

So how do we keep our lights on? A group of private donors, foundations and sponsors help pay for the everyday costs of running the organization. Our flights to the field, our staff, our office, even paperclips and ink toner, are sponsored so every penny of your donation goes straight to water projects.

2. Giving: All you need to know about your donation.

To donate:

By check: Send checks (we don't advise cash) for general donations to our New York office at: charity: water, 200 Varick St., Suite 201, New York, NY 10014.

By phone: Call our office at (646) 688-2323. We're here Monday through Friday between 9:30-6:30 E.S.T.

Online: Check out all the ways to give here. on our main donate page.

mycharity: water campaigns: Donating to a friend's mycharity: water campaign? You must do so on the campaign page itself. It's easy! Just log on here and search for the campaign name. General donations (including offline donations) cannot be credited to mycharity: water campaigns or groups. They will be received as general water project donations and not tracked as a part of mycharity: water.

Wire donations, stock transfers & estate planning: Please contact accounting@charitywater.org for detailed information.

International donations: Only donations from within the U.S. are tax-deductible. If you are giving in the United Kingdom, you may support our affiliate there, where we qualify for Gift Aid. Info: london@charitywater.org

Please take care when filling out billing and shipping information as PayPal has a highly sensitive automatic fraud alert system, and it picks up any inconsistencies in these subjects.



Tax-deductibility: charity: water is a registered 501c3 non-profit, and therefore, all donations made directly to the organization are tax-deductible. All donors, online and offline, receive a formal letter of acknowledgment and an official tax receipt within four weeks. Our audited financials as well as our 501c3 exemption can be found online here. Our 501c3 may not be provided to any sponsors or donors on our behalf without our written consent.. All donations must be made directly to charity: water.

Security for online donations: We use PayPal, the largest online global payment processor, to process all online donations. Don't worry, you don't need an account with them. And we'll never share your information with anyone.

3. Where in the world: Choosing where water projects are built.

charity: water currently works with more than 20 implementing water partners in 16 countries to assess and determine areas and communities of greatest need. To help reach those regions most effectively, we don't allow donors to designate where their water projects will be built. However, you can learn more about our partners and projects here.

4. In and out: Duration of mycharity: water fundraising campaigns.

All mycharity: water campaigns have a limit of three months. The sooner fundraising pages reach their goals and we can close campaigns, the quicker we can get put that funding to work giving people clean water. In order to turn the funds raised into successful water projects as quickly as possible, this is the maximum campaign length allowed.

Already reach your goal before the three-month-limit? No problem - you can increase your goal or even start a new campaign.

Please note: Your page URL will still be accessible past the campaign end date (in case you'd like to show off for friends and family), but you won't be able to collect donations and the campaign will not remain active.

5. Keep it classy: Standards for mycharity: water campaign pages.

Be creative but be respectful. Think before you post. Pages with offensive language or nudity will be removed. charity: water uses our discretion to make sure the site is appropriate for all ages.

6. Where your money goes. mycharity: water fundraising campaigns

If you've reached your fundraising goal (at least $5,000), we'll be in touch to get important information for your recognition plaque and water project completion report.

If you didn't quite meet your goal, don't worry! The mycharity: water site can still track every dollar donated on your page to a specific water project. When the water project you helped fund is completed in 12 - 18 months from end of your campaign, we'll contact you and everyone who contributed to your campaign and send you pictures and the GPS coordinates.

7. Water project sponsorship: The process.

Once we receive complete funding for a water project ($5,000) through a completed mycharity: water fundraising campaign or general donation, we work with our implementing partners in the field to identify the most viable projects, and the actual water project preparation and construction can begin. Water projects generally take 12-18 months to complete. At that point charity: water reports the status of the well to donors and uploads all photos to Google Earth. Each project has a virtual plaque recognizing the community and the donors that made the project possible.

Interested in sponsoring a well offline? Please email sponsorawell@charitywater.org. Don't have the funds but think you can raise them? Sign up for a mycharity: water personal fundraising page here.

8. More questions about our mycharity: water fundraising campaigns?

Please direct all questions regarding mycharity: water fundraising campaigns or profiles to our Fundraising Support Team. Their contact information is located on the bottom of this page.

9. Party time: Do's and don'ts for your fundraising event.

Do: Get excited. Engage your network, rally the masses and have fun doing it.

Don't: Get so excited that you use profanity or language in your communications or promotions that could potentially harm the charity: water name or brand.

Do: Feel free to do things yourself and get creative.

Don't: Have a corporate event and use our photos and logo without consulting charity: water.

Do: Know your stuff. Use our website and press kit to familiarize yourself with the water issue and what we're doing about it.

Don't: Provide our 501c3 documentation for tax purposes. Our 501c3 documentation should be used solely for informational purposes to confirm our non-profit status and should not be treated as a tax receipt.

10. Rock it: charity: water merchandise and materials.

Get some gear. Head to our Merchandise Page to get all the gear you need to promote your fundraising campaign. Questions about shipping? Email us at shipping@charitywater.org.

Spread the word. Check out the downloadable resources offered on our media page here.

Stay tuned. Before you know it, charity: water fundraising packets will be up on the site as well!

11. Water works: Getting your business involved.

See if your company has an employee-matching program. Talk to your boss about starting an awareness campaign, joining Monthly Giving or creating a page on mycharity: water to raise funds for sustainable water projects.

Please note that charity: water has a strict policy prohibiting the use of our logo or brand in conjunction with any outside products, promotional materials or commercial websites. Fundraising is encouraged but using the cause to market your business is not. Have a question about this process or our policies? Email us at supporters@charitywater.org

12. Getting involved: Internships and employment opportunities.

Summer internship positions are often posted on our website here. and on Idealist.org, as are any employment opportunities. To protect the valuable time of our small staff, we ask that you refrain from inquiring about potential openings if none are listed. If you're in NYC, the best way to get involved is to sign up here. to receive weekly updates on how you can volunteer.

13. Going green: The fate of the $20 water bottle.

The $20 charity: water bottle was a great way for us to raise funds and awareness when we started in 2006. This year, we said goodbye to the plastic and joined the green revolution! In its place, we've teamed up with Thermos to create the eco-friendly Stainless Steel Thermos Hydration Bottle, a cool, reusable way to transport water while giving 2 people clean, safe drinking water for 20 years. Because Thermos donated the products, 100% of your $40 purchase goes directly to build wells.

14. Still too young: Not yet on Charity Navigator.

A nonprofit must be in existence for at least four years to be eligible for ranking on Charity Navigator (America's largest independent charity evaluator). We're looking forward to that time. But until then, check out this great article Charity Navigator's founding president wrote about us after he attended our charity: ball in 2007: http://www.trentstampstake.org/2007/12/all-i-want-iswater.html

15. Drink this: The water issue and its impact.

Millions of women and children in developing countries walk over three miles every day to collect water. And sadly, often the only water they have is sitting stagnant in contaminated ponds and flowing through streams and rivers polluted by cows and human waste.

Unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation causes 80% of all disease in the world and kills 4,500 children every day. And the time spent collecting water keeps children out of school and women from pursuing economic activities.

Clean and safe water is readily available in underground aquifers, freshwater springs or with the help of simple filters. It just needs to be properly collected and managed.

16. Thinking global: Where we work.

charity: water has selected 16 countries to focus our efforts and impact. These 16 countries have been chosen because they have very limited access to a safe water supply, have high rates of water-related death and have exemplary local partners working to implement sustainable projects that tip the scale. Globally, the greatest water needs are in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, so most of our projects are located in those regions. See our water projects here.

Our countries of focus:

Africa: Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania & Uganda.

Asia: Bangladesh, India and Cambodia.

Caribbean/Central America: Haiti & Honduras.

Google Earth: See exactly where we work. As soon as water projects are complete, we post each one on Google Earth, showing everyone exactly where the money goes.

17. Acting local: Working with exemplary partners.

Our field teams drill through some of the deepest bedrock to find aquifers. They scale the tallest mountains in search of springs and go where no one else dares- all for the sake of bringing water to some of the poorest people on earth.

charity: water is honored to work with 18 of the best water and sanitation organizations in the world. By partnering with local field organizations in each country, we're able to invest in their expertise and acquired knowledge.

We believe in supporting national staff. For example, Ethiopians run the organizations we support in Ethiopia, and Indians run our partner organization in India. Even the larger international aid organizations we partner with employ 95% of their field staff from the country they're working in.

To learn more about our current partners, go here.

NOTE: We know there are thousands of amazing organizations out there doing incredible work, but we don't accept unsolicited funding requests.

18. It takes a village: Community ownership.

Community buy-in is essential to the sustainability of the project. Most projects start with the community contributing a nominal fee. This creates a sense of ownership and demonstrates their dedication to the project.

Communities then elect a Water Committee with a focus on gender equality. Because women are the ones carrying the water in most cases, it's essential that they are adequately represented. This is often the first time women hold leadership positions in the community.

Hygiene Trainers are also elected, and they receive training in educating the community about proper sanitation and hygiene education.

Depending on the type of water system, communities must agree to contribute labor and materials- such as digging trenches and supplying gravel and sand. This reduces the cost of the project and increases community ownership.

19. Keep it clean: What's up with hygiene and sanitation.

Talking toilets isn't pleasant, but we're serious about it. You simply shouldn't implement a water project without them. And we don't. Think about it. You can't keep the water clean if people don't have a bathroom or something as simple as a faucet to wash their hands. And research has shown that using proper bathrooms and keeping hands clean saves more lives than if you just installed a water system.

This is why every charity: water project includes comprehensive hygiene and sanitation programs. In fact, our partner in India won't even consider helping with water until the entire community builds their own latrines at every household. How's that for tough love?

20. Investing for the long-term: Sustainability

Progress must be sustainable. We believe sustainability is a result of partnering with exemplary local organizations, empowering community ownership and incorporating sanitation and hygiene into every water solution. These are the core ingredients that create lasting change.

We expect our water projects to last twenty years. The best analogy is that they're like a car. Take care of them, and they'll take care of you. All water projects, whether they are wells, spring protections or sand filters, require basic maintenance and upkeep. Parts need to be greased, rubber gaskets replaced, and the water quality needs to be tested on a regular basis. This is why quality implementing partners who empower communities matter. Because the sustainability of the project lies within the community and the local government's ability to care for the project long after it's completed.

21. The money trail: Where your money goes.

charity: water sends 100% of your funds to the partners in the field. The funds are restricted to the direct costs associated to the water projects and are enforced with formalized and detailed grant agreements. Partners submit extensive line-item budgets to charity: water detailing ten coverage areas.

22. Appropriate technologies: Water solutions around the world.

charity: water invests in a diversified portfolio of water solutions. Water availability varies per region, so projects must be appropriate to the communities and the local environment. The types of projects we fund are hand dug wells, drilled boreholes, rainwater collection tanks, pond sand filters and spring projections. charity: water also funds rehabilitations of broken water points - retraining community members in proper maintenance and care.

Every partner conducts basic water quality testing before water can be consumed. This test determines if the water is free of contaminates and harmful minerals- like arsenic or fluoride- and is safe to drink.

23. Travel advisory: Why we can't take you there or coordinate trips to the field.

As you can imagine, we get hundreds of requests every year to take people to the field to see the work. We wish we could take every one of you, but it's just not what we do.

If we did take everyone, it would be incredibly expensive, and we don't think, a good use of our time or your money. Additionally, our partners have to stop working to give tours which we feel isn't a good use of their time either. That's why we crafted the Google Earth concept. You may not be able to meet the community you helped, but we've trained our partners to photograph and document each project so we can send you information about the specific community you impacted because of your gift.

We also can't accommodate people who want to be part of the construction process. Local teams of skilled engineers and hydrologists do the technical work, and we want the manual labor to be done by the community to instill a sense of ownership. So, while we think it would be fun take donors or volunteers to the field, give them a shovel and tell them to dig yourself a hole, we think we're doing something better and more effective.

24. Why does it take so long to see my well built?

The one-year timeline: While it may take only a week to complete the construction of one water project there is much behind-the-scenes action that requires a year of work. Drilling permits need to be purchased, water committee members selected, sand collected and hygiene trainers mobilized. We don't consider projects completed until our partners have had one year to work with the communities. After which, they need the time to properly report back on their work. While it's tough to wait one year to hear about the project you've funded, we don't take short cuts. We feel we're being better stewards of your funding by supporting holistic programs.

Water, sanitation & hygiene: If you just bring clean water into a community, you'll reduce water-related deaths by at least 25%. But, if you just encouraged people to use latrines, deaths would be reduced by 32%. And get people to wash their hands, deaths are reduced by 44%. Almost a million lives would be saved every year from water-related disease if people just washed their hands! That's why we do all three! But without clean water, it's hard to talk soap or toilets. So it starts with water.

Data Monkey: UNICEF and the World Health Organization have partnered to establish the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for water and sanitation. The JMP is responsible for collecting and analyzing a variety of household surveys to determine coverage areas and to forecast trends. charity: water uses the JMP report to gather our data. The source can be found here.