staff.

charity: water has been blessed with passionate and competent staff members and interns who work tirelessly to bring clean and safe drinking water to everyone on the planet. As 100% of public donations from charity: water directly fund water projects, our staff is supported by private donors and sponsors. To learn more about helping the organization in this way, please email backus @ charitywater.org.

scott harrison
staff
founder, president

Becky Straw
staff
water program manager

Nicky Yates
staff
operations, volunteer coordinator, executive assistant

In 2004, Scott served a year as a photojournalist on a Mercy Ship in Liberia, West Africa. There he became familiar with the life-threatening effects of contaminated water and upon moving back to his home in New York City in 2006, he founded charity: water. Read Scott's story >

A recent graduate of Columbia University’s School of Social Work, Becky focused her Master’s degree on International Social Welfare and Social Enterprise Administration. Prior to coming to charity: water, she interned at UNICEF’s Division of Water, Environment, and Sanitation.

Nicky received her Master's degree in Psychology from NYU in 2007. She most recently worked with the New York County District Attorney's Office as a Child Victim Specialist. Her passion for international aid was sparked after spending time in Namibia and Kazakhstan.

viktoria alexeeva
staff
design, media & branding

Bret Randle
staff
chief accountant

PHILLIP CROSBY
staff
events

Viktoria attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City and began her career at Fad, an NYC advertising house. For two years she worked on ad campaigns for Honda, Coke, AmEx and many other brands. She left Fad in 2007 to come on full time as charity: brand manager and designer.

With over 20 years experience and an MBA from Baruch College CUNY, Bret leads our small team of bean counters. After successes in both the corporate and entrepreneurial world he and his wife went traveling to Africa only to discover there was more work to be done. He now puts his number skills and technical know-how to use maintaining our accounting systems.

Phillip is a mystery. All that we really know of him is that he likes bicycles, music, books, and social justice. It is believed (mostly by himself) that he can do just about anything. Judging by his performance, we're starting to agree.

robin jones
staff
accounting & finances

carrie sanders
staff
director of development

From cocktail parties with heads of state to broken down Land Rovers on jungle dirt roads, Robin has been just about everywhere and done just about everything. With her B.A. in business administration, we're glad she's just as comfortable here in our soho office as she is working in the finance department of a hospital ship floating off the coast of Africa.

As the newest member of the charity: water staff, Carrie has finally filled the last desk in our office! Prior to joining charity:water, Carrie worked in corporate philanthropy, communications, and nonprofit fundraising. She has a Master's degree in Arts Administration from Columbia University and Bachelor's degree in Human & Organizational Development from Vanderbilt.