Water.org
Water.org is an American nonprofit developmental aid organization resulting from the merger between H2O Africa Foundation, co-founded by Matt Damon, and WaterPartners, co-founded by Gary White. Its goal is to provide aid to developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that do not have access to safe drinking water and sanitation. History. In 2009, WaterPartners, founded in 1990, and H2O Africa Foundation, founded in 2006, merged to form Water.org. In 2017, Water.org created the WaterEquity investment fund. By 2019, the charity had "provided more than 16 million people throughout India, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines with  access to safe water and sanitation." Approach. Water.org's approach to implementing water projects involves four key components: The organization conducts monitoring, evaluation, and original research programs. It has initiated third-party evaluations of its programs to determine how it is fulfilling its mission. WaterCredit. Water.org's projects are funded through grants, loans, or a combination of the two. Its loan program, known as WaterCredit, utilizes microcredit to fund water sanitation projects. Funding water supply projects through a combination of grants and loans is a new approach to the water sector. This strategy helps these people in need build credit  for the future and also builds confidence in commercial institutions that are considering lending. Until recently, almost all water projects facilitated by other nongovernmental organizations have been funded entirely by grants, even when the individuals served by the project have the means to share costs. Prior to its merger with Water.org, WaterPartners received grants from organizations such as the PepsiCo Foundation, The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and Open Square Foundation (previously called the Agora Foundation). Water.org and corporate partnerships. Water.org has partnered with corporate sponsors to promote awareness and raise funds to support its mission of bringing safe, clean , cost-effective drinking water and sanitation to developing countries. 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. PepsiCo Foundation partnership. 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. Stella Artois partnership. 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. Each purchase would help Water.org provide up to five years of clean water for one person in the developing world. Crypto.com partnership. 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." Reviews. , Charity Navigator gives the organization 4 out of 4 stars, with an overall score of 95.75 out of 100. Award. 2019 Global Global Water Awards: Water Company of the Year