from the office

August 16, 2012
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Meet the staff: Summer interns!

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Since we didn’t get to introduce our Summer interns when they began, we’re taking this opportunity to give them a great big THANK YOU. We’re pretty sure they’re the hardest working group of students and recent grads that any organization could ask for, and we’re sad to see them go. What’s next? Find out below.

Ashley Westrich

Ashley Westrich, charity: water intern

Intern Role: Design Intern
School: Pratt Institute (Dec 2012)
Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Career Goal:

I’d love to continue using my design skills to draw attention to and promote the message of good causes.

Best part about working at charity: water:

I love contributing to the charity: water mission – it’s so fulfilling to have my work be part of a bigger picture. The team is passionate about everything they do, so the spirit of this place is contagious. And, of course, sitting next to Greg each day is a dream.*
(*That last one was not strongly suggested AT ALL.)

What’s next?

I’m not leaving! I’ve gotten too attached to charity: water and will happily continuing to work here as I finish up my degree.

Grace Ko, charity: water intern

Grace Ko

Intern Role: Development Intern
School: Graduated – Boston University (2012)
Hometown: Queens, NY

Career Goal:

Love on donors. Motivate others to bring justice for those in need. Witness the end of the water crisis. I know, I’m a pretty ambitious chick.

Best part about working at charity: water:

Hands down, special acknowledgments. Throughout my internship, I came to realize that our donors are our heroes, and we’re their sidekicks! The efforts of our contributors never cease to amaze me and put hope into charity. I get to send out welcome packages and write thank you letters to these awesome people. And this goes without saying, but the dev team – best part.

What’s next?

To be determined. Stay tuned!

Judson Collier, charity: water intern

Judson Collier

Intern Role: Design Intern
School: University of Mobile (2014)
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Career Goal:

Type Designer (But seriously? Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Tester. C’mon, who wouldn’t?)

Best part about working at charity: water:

Anytime I get to talk to charity: water staff about what projects they are working on; there’s almost always something interesting going on, and it’s great to hear about what they are doing.

What’s next?

Headed back to school this semester!

Kacie Dragan, charity: water intern

Kacie Dragan

Intern Role: Production Intern
School: Barnard College, Uptown Manhattan (2014)
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM

Career Goal:

I care more about the mission and values of the organization I work for than my specific role there… but I’d love to be a liaison between a health-focused nonprofit and the population it works with.

Best part about working at charity: water:

I have loved the incredible conversations, because everyone always has really insightful input even when a conversation has nothing to do with an individual’s specific role. I think that all of the collective brainstorming is a huge part of why charity: water is so successful. I also love the collective charity: water sense of humor, even if it means hearing the occasional bad joke.

What’s next?

Graduate from Barnard with a degree in Sociology and Human Rights, possibly attend public health graduate school, and enjoy every bit of living in New York while I’m at it!

Kaitlyn Swist, charity: water intern

Kaitlyn Swist

Intern Role: Development Intern
School: Graduated – Bentley University (2012)
Hometown: Seaford, NY

Career Goal:

To be the CEO of my own nonprofit organization

Best part about working at charity: water:

The people! Not just the people in the office, though they are incredibly amazing, but also our donors and partners. Everyone that is a part of charity: water, even in the smallest ways, are what have made my experience at charity: water one of the best experiences of my life.

What’s next?

I’ll keep you guys posted…

Kelly Newburg, charity: water intern

Kelly Newburg

Intern Role: Corporate Partnerships and Communications Intern
School: Pennsylvania State University (2013)
Hometown: State College, PA

Career Goal:

Make a difference! I don’t 100% know how or where or when, but I know I want to make a difference in the lives of as many people as possible.

Best part about working at charity: water:

Being surrounded by the most passionate and dedicated people who all have the same goal: end the water crisis. Spending my days with our staff and interns has reinforced why I fell in love with charity: water and its mission in the first place. Well, that, and coming into a relaxed office, getting work done while sitting on a comfy (donated) couch every day hasn’t been too shabby either!

What’s next?

Attend my final year at Penn State while remaining crazy passionate about the water crisis by spreading awareness and raising funds for charity: water through the club I founded — appropriately known as charity: water Penn State!

Kevin Lai, charity: water intern

Kevin Lai

Intern Role: Supporter Experience Intern
School: Manhattan College (2015)
Hometown: Metuchen, NJ
Career Goal: Seeker/Dreamer/Builder

Best part about working at charity: water:

The environment in the office is amazing, and I’m so glad to be working with such cool people who are just FILLED with joy and integrity. I’ve learned so much about what the people on the inside of an organization have to do, believe, and stand for as individuals and as a team. Any kind of real change or growth works from the inside out.

What’s next?

Not exactly sure (though SO STOKED for whatever it is) — definitely finishing up school and definitely getting to know God and His dreams for my life.

Seeking an amazing internship experience? Check our postings here >

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August 10, 2012
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One shirt to rule them all.

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People get excited about our mission. They like knowing they can participate in solving the water crisis – through money, fundraising, sharing the charity: water story. And they like seeing their contribution in action.

Talenthouse thought this made us a great fit for one of their Creative Invites. Dedicated to giving artists a chance to determine their own creative destinies, they asked members of their community to take a shot at designing a charity: water T-shirt.

186 people took up the challenge. charity: water staff and guest judge, John Vechey, picked this winning design by Jeremy Sanford for its clever use of our icons and overall brand fit.

Jeremy Sanford's charity: water design

Like what you see? Order this custom shirt and expect to turn heads. When you do, tell folks how they, too, can be a part of the water crisis solution.

The runners up were designed by Andres Moreno,

Andres Moreno charity: water design

Sheila Cicchi,

Sheila Cicchi charity: water design

and Michael Achleitner.

Michael Achleitner charity: water design

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August 6, 2012
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Chipotle Challenge: Foiled

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What happens when you hit up your boss for a donation to his own charity? Dani and Mohini found out: he makes a ridiculous request, and you comply with a smile.

Two months into their mycharity: water campaign, Chipotle Challenge, the girls were suffering withdrawals from their favorite food. But they’ve given it up until they reach $5,000 for a clean water project, so they asked Scott to help.

Nearly everyone in the office had pitched in. Most folks gave the cost of a typical Chipotle meal. Some, in solidarity, actually gave up their own favorite food and donated what they would have spent. (Jasdeep, one of our developers, skipped his croissant and coffee stop for one month and donated $109.50 to the Chipotle Challenge. Paull Young, Director of Digital, on the other hand, ate a giant Chipotle burrito in front of Dani and donated in proportion to his eating enjoyment – $100.)

Scott, however, pledged $200. With a catch–that Dani and Mohini wear outfits made of aluminum foil for a day.

Ladies and gentlemen, we present: FOIL FASHION!

Chipotle Challenge's Foil Fashion

And they didn’t stop there. Check out this amazing spoof Dani, in full foil fashion, did of Gotye’s “Someone That I Used to Know.”

Have a habit to kick and want to raise money for clean water? Start your own mycharity: water campaign in a few easy steps right here.

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July 19, 2012
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Simon Sinek Says: Why?

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Simon Sinek

Yesterday, our friend Simon Sinek stopped by the office and gave a talk. He’s the author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Although he travels the world teaching folks how to love their work, he was kind enough to spend an hour with our already passionate staff, teaching us how the brain reacts to what we do.

When we first met Simon, we were missing one thing. We knew what we were doing and how. We thought we knew why, too. But it turns out we were actually a little fuzzy on that.

Using his Golden Circle model and a lot of tough questions, Simon helped us work through our philosophies to our real, true motivator.

Simon Sinek

What do we do?

There are over a billion people on the planet without clean drinking water. We empower individuals to help solve the global water crisis.

How do we do that?

We educate and inspire them through stories and videos. We give them tools to raise money. We connect them to the impact they make.

Why do we do that?

Because we want people to see.

Simon Sinek
When founder, Scott Harrison first started charity: water, it was for his friends who weren’t giving. He wanted to reinvent charity and bring people who were disenchanted with big agencies, back to the table.

When donors see that their actions and the money they give really can effect meaningful change, they believe in our collective ability to solve the insolvable. What’s more, they tell others about it.

And that’s exactly what makes us tick. It’s why mycharity: water and our Dollars to Projects system work. It makes change tangible. It makes solutions possible.

So, yeah, we think Simon’s got something here. To check him out, visit his page or view his TED talk.

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June 18, 2012
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from the office: September Campaign sneak peek

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There was a lot of packing going on last Friday as our media team got ready to leave for Rwanda to visit with our partner, Water for People. Here’s a quick look at the packing list:

photos by: Natalie Ingle/charity: water Copywriter
packing up

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