ABOUT US
charity: water is a nonprofit organization bringing clean and safe water to people around the world.
Together, we can end the water crisis
Since charity: water was founded in 2006, we’ve been chasing one ambitious goal: ending the global water crisis. And while the water crisis is huge, we’re optimistic. We know how to solve the problem, and we make progress every day thanks to the help of local partners and generous supporters. If we work together, we believe everyone will have access to life’s most basic need within our lifetime.
CHARITY: WATER'S impact to date
184,104
WATER PROJECTS FUNDED
29
countries
20,258,007
people will be served
the details
This number represents all water projects funded by charity: water, including completed projects and those under construction. This number is dynamic and updates as we receive new information from our partners in the field.
the details
This number includes all countries where we have funded projects.
the details
This number represents the total number of people who will gain access to clean water as reported by our implementing partners. This number is dynamic and updates as we receive new information from our partners in the field.
You have our word—and more
When charity: water began, we made a bold promise: 100% of public donations would go directly to fund clean water projects. Private donors cover our operating costs so 100% of your money can fund water projects.
How we work
We want you to know exactly how and where your donation is being used. So from the beginning, we’ve kept a few promises.
We prove every project
We track every dollar you raise and show the projects you helped fund with photos and GPS coordinates.
We’re an open book
We’ve consistently received the highest grades available for accountability and transparency.
We work with local partnerships
We partner with experienced local partners to build sustainable, community-owned water projects.
Ready to give the gift of clean water?
Every $40 can end a walk for water, and 100% of your donation will fund clean water projects.
Give with confidence
All of our operational expenses are funded by a private community of donors called The Well so you can trust that 100% of your donation goes directly to water solutions. But we don’t stop there.
From our commitment to equipping local partners, to our tech, to the environmental sustainability of our water projects, “good enough” is never good enough for us. We’re setting new standards for transparency and innovation, and these companies and organizations agree.
Leading the team
Facing a problem as big as the water crisis requires an incredible team. We’re grateful to have some of the most innovative and committed leaders guiding our organization.
OUR FOUNDER
Scott Harrison
After a decade of indulging his darkest vices as a nightclub promoter, Scott declared spiritual, moral, and emotional bankruptcy. He spent two years on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, saw the effects of dirty water firsthand, and came back to New York City on a mission.
The Executive Team
Chief Technology Officer
Christa Stelzmuller
Founder / CEO
Scott Harrison
President
Melissa Russell
Chief Water Programs Officer
Brian Hoyer
Chief Financial Officer
Mandeep Singh
Chief Revenue Officer
Ben Greene
Chief Technology Officer
Christa Stelzmuller
Founder / CEO
Scott Harrison
President
Melissa Russell
Chief Water Programs Officer
Brian Hoyer
Chief Financial Officer
Mandeep Singh
Chief Revenue Officer
Ben Greene
Chief Technology Officer
Christa Stelzmuller
Officers of the Board
CHAIR OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD
Ije Nwokorie
Ije Nwokorie is the Chief Brand Officer of Dr Martens, the iconic footwear brand, overseeing marketing, product and customer experience. He enjoys balancing technology, creativity, and leadership — subjects he writes and tells stories about regularly. He previously spent 6 years as senior director at Apple Retail and 11 years as the CEO of the creative consultancy Wolff Olins and oversaw offices in London, New York, and San Francisco. While Ije was born in America and now lives in London, he spent his early years in rural Nigeria, which he credits for forging his creative outlook and affinity for wonder.
chair
Brook Hazelton
Brook Hazelton is the president and co-CEO of Digital Reasoning, an artificial intelligence company. Previously, he served as the president for North and South America of the world's leading art company, Christie’s. Hazelton began his career in finance while working internationally with Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group, and he remains a private investor and co-founder of St. James Partners, an investment business.
CHAIR OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD
Ije Nwokorie
Ije Nwokorie is the Chief Brand Officer of Dr Martens, the iconic footwear brand, overseeing marketing, product and customer experience. He enjoys balancing technology, creativity, and leadership — subjects he writes and tells stories about regularly. He previously spent 6 years as senior director at Apple Retail and 11 years as the CEO of the creative consultancy Wolff Olins and oversaw offices in London, New York, and San Francisco. While Ije was born in America and now lives in London, he spent his early years in rural Nigeria, which he credits for forging his creative outlook and affinity for wonder.
chair
Brook Hazelton
Brook Hazelton is the president and co-CEO of Digital Reasoning, an artificial intelligence company. Previously, he served as the president for North and South America of the world's leading art company, Christie’s. Hazelton began his career in finance while working internationally with Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group, and he remains a private investor and co-founder of St. James Partners, an investment business.
CHAIR OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOARD
Ije Nwokorie
Ije Nwokorie is the Chief Brand Officer of Dr Martens, the iconic footwear brand, overseeing marketing, product and customer experience. He enjoys balancing technology, creativity, and leadership — subjects he writes and tells stories about regularly. He previously spent 6 years as senior director at Apple Retail and 11 years as the CEO of the creative consultancy Wolff Olins and oversaw offices in London, New York, and San Francisco. While Ije was born in America and now lives in London, he spent his early years in rural Nigeria, which he credits for forging his creative outlook and affinity for wonder.
Board of Directors
Pierre Mercier
Pierre Mercier is a Senior Partner and Managing Director in the London office of The Boston Consulting Group and BCG X. He is also a trustee of the Aspen Institute for the UK. He has focused the last 25 years building deep relationships with executive leadership of large consumer focused companies in Europe, the USA and Asia.
Brook Hazelton
Brook Hazelton is the president and co-CEO of Digital Reasoning, an artificial intelligence company. Previously, he served as the president for North and South America of the world's leading art company, Christie’s. Hazelton began his career in finance while working internationally with Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group, and he remains a private investor and co-founder of St. James Partners, an investment business.
Ije Nwokorie
Ije Nwokorie is the Chief Brand Officer of Dr Martens, the iconic footwear brand, overseeing marketing, product and customer experience. He enjoys balancing technology, creativity, and leadership — subjects he writes and tells stories about regularly. He previously spent 6 years as senior director at Apple Retail and 11 years as the CEO of the creative consultancy Wolff Olins and oversaw offices in London, New York, and San Francisco. While Ije was born in America and now lives in London, he spent his early years in rural Nigeria, which he credits for forging his creative outlook and affinity for wonder.
Michael Wilkerson
Michael Wilkerson is the executive vice chairman of Helios Fairfax Partners, the world’s largest Africa-focused investment firm. Prior to its merger with Helios Investment Partners, Wilkerson was chief executive officer of Toronto-Stock-Exchange-listed Fairfax Africa Holdings Corp. Wilkerson is also the author of “Stormwall: Observations on America in Peril” and a contributing author to leading publications and media outlets, providing commentary and analysis on economics, finance, history, and politics.
Angela Ahrendts
Angela Ahrendts DBE was most recently senior vice president of Apple Retail where she redesigned Apple’s physical and digital businesses to create a seamless customer journey for over a billion visitors a year and 70,000 global employees. Prior to Apple, as the CEO of Burberry, she transformed and tripled the company’s value. Her leadership was pivotal at Liz Claiborne where they acquired and integrated 22 brands, and prior, as president of Donna Karan International. Ahrendts also serves as chair of the board for Save the Children Int’l and is on the boards of Airbnb, Ralph Lauren, and WPP.
Brant Cryder
Brant Cryder is the president and CEO of Saint Laurent Americas. Before rejoining the Kering Group, he spent 12 years at the Prada Group. Cryder and his wife, Mary, have been married for over 20 years, and together, they have an adventurous family of four children. Cryder also has a passion for music and cultural transformation, and he continues to speak and DJ events globally. From the beginning, Cryder has been a proud champion of Scott Harrison and charity: water.
Chi-Hua Chien
Chi-Hua Chien is the co-founder and managing partner of Goodwater Capital, a consumer-tech venture capital firm. Over the course of his career as a venture investor, Chien has funded and worked closely with a number of iconic consumer internet companies including Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Chegg, Monzo, musically/TikTok, Stash, TIER, and Weee! Prior to launching Goodwater in 2014, Chien was a general partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Chidi Achara
Chidi Achara is the chief creative officer at Stash, a digital platform that makes investing easy and affordable for millions of everyday Americans. At Stash, he oversees branding, advertising, design, and PR/communications. Achara is also focused on fostering diversity, inclusion, and social justice inside and outside of the company, and his corporate work has been recognized by Ebony, Black Enterprise, and Profile magazines.
Ryan Graves
Ryan Graves is the CEO of Saltwater, a private technology holding company. He previously served as the senior vice president of global operations at Uber and was the first employee of the company. He grew the business from 1 to 17,000 employees and into 600+ cities by leading operations, strategy, global expansion, and people operations.
Shannon Sedgwick Davis
Shannon Sedgwick Davis is the CEO of the Bridgeway Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. As an attorney, Davis is a passionate advocate for social justice and international human rights. She is also a well-known strategist engaged in promoting peace and ending human atrocities across our globe.
Valerie Donati
Valerie Donati founded Brand Building Communications in January 2007 in New York City. In addition to pioneering an award-winning digital word-of-mouth marketing practice, Donati created a community-based online lifestyle news platform, 24/Savvy, in 2010. She also created the volunteer tracking app Zoe Blueprint in 2020.
Nancy Duarte
Nancy Duarte is a CEO and author of six best-selling books. For over 35 years, Duarte Inc. has worked with the highest- performing brands and executives in the world. Nancy is also a globally recognized speaker and educator. Her books are used in many top universities, her TED talk has over 3.5 million views, and she has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and CNN.
Eniola Aluko
Eniola Aluko is a British-Nigerian football executive and the director of women’s football at Aston Villa. As a former professional player, Aluko played for England 102 times and continues to act as a pundit and commentator. She is passionate about the wellbeing, self-image, confidence, and equality of women and girls around the world and has delivered multiple keynote speeches on the topic.
Luke Beauchamp
At APRCO, a global production consultancy, Luke Beauchamp serves as the managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His team supports brands by developing marketing strategies and creating assets for all channels.
Dr. Mara Klemich, Ph.D.
Dr. Mara Klemich is co-founder of Heartstyles, and co-creator of the Heartstyles Indicator—a personal development and organizational culture development tool. She has over 30 years of experience as a consulting psychologist and neuropsychologist. In addition, Dr. Klemich works as an organizational psychologist in personal, leadership, and culture development consulting.
Rachel Manktelow
Rachel’s professional journey reflects her entrepreneurial spirit and mastery at facilitating positive change. After serving as a change management consultant at PWC, Rachel co-founded Mind Tools in 2003. In her 16-year tenure, Rachel developed Mind Tools into a global leader in career coaching with a values-driven culture that empowers people to do their best work. Rachel and her husband, James, have supported charity: water as personal supporters since 2019. Today, Rachel is thriving as an advisor to a selection of businesses and nonprofits.
Sam Lawson Johnston
Sam Lawson Johnston co-founded the commercial real estate investment company, Kinrise. Kinrise’s vision is to renew UK cities by restoring iconic buildings and creating workspaces that inspire and enable culture, community, and company growth. Lawson Johnston is also the co-founder and non-executive director of luxury eyewear brand Finlay London and is a trustee of Hackney Church, London.
Pierre Mercier
Pierre Mercier is a Senior Partner and Managing Director in the London office of The Boston Consulting Group and BCG X. He is also a trustee of the Aspen Institute for the UK. He has focused the last 25 years building deep relationships with executive leadership of large consumer focused companies in Europe, the USA and Asia.
Brook Hazelton
Brook Hazelton is the president and co-CEO of Digital Reasoning, an artificial intelligence company. Previously, he served as the president for North and South America of the world's leading art company, Christie’s. Hazelton began his career in finance while working internationally with Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group, and he remains a private investor and co-founder of St. James Partners, an investment business.
Ije Nwokorie
Ije Nwokorie is the Chief Brand Officer of Dr Martens, the iconic footwear brand, overseeing marketing, product and customer experience. He enjoys balancing technology, creativity, and leadership — subjects he writes and tells stories about regularly. He previously spent 6 years as senior director at Apple Retail and 11 years as the CEO of the creative consultancy Wolff Olins and oversaw offices in London, New York, and San Francisco. While Ije was born in America and now lives in London, he spent his early years in rural Nigeria, which he credits for forging his creative outlook and affinity for wonder.
Michael Wilkerson
Michael Wilkerson is the executive vice chairman of Helios Fairfax Partners, the world’s largest Africa-focused investment firm. Prior to its merger with Helios Investment Partners, Wilkerson was chief executive officer of Toronto-Stock-Exchange-listed Fairfax Africa Holdings Corp. Wilkerson is also the author of “Stormwall: Observations on America in Peril” and a contributing author to leading publications and media outlets, providing commentary and analysis on economics, finance, history, and politics.
Angela Ahrendts
Angela Ahrendts DBE was most recently senior vice president of Apple Retail where she redesigned Apple’s physical and digital businesses to create a seamless customer journey for over a billion visitors a year and 70,000 global employees. Prior to Apple, as the CEO of Burberry, she transformed and tripled the company’s value. Her leadership was pivotal at Liz Claiborne where they acquired and integrated 22 brands, and prior, as president of Donna Karan International. Ahrendts also serves as chair of the board for Save the Children Int’l and is on the boards of Airbnb, Ralph Lauren, and WPP.
Brant Cryder
Brant Cryder is the president and CEO of Saint Laurent Americas. Before rejoining the Kering Group, he spent 12 years at the Prada Group. Cryder and his wife, Mary, have been married for over 20 years, and together, they have an adventurous family of four children. Cryder also has a passion for music and cultural transformation, and he continues to speak and DJ events globally. From the beginning, Cryder has been a proud champion of Scott Harrison and charity: water.
Chi-Hua Chien
Chi-Hua Chien is the co-founder and managing partner of Goodwater Capital, a consumer-tech venture capital firm. Over the course of his career as a venture investor, Chien has funded and worked closely with a number of iconic consumer internet companies including Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Chegg, Monzo, musically/TikTok, Stash, TIER, and Weee! Prior to launching Goodwater in 2014, Chien was a general partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Chidi Achara
Chidi Achara is the chief creative officer at Stash, a digital platform that makes investing easy and affordable for millions of everyday Americans. At Stash, he oversees branding, advertising, design, and PR/communications. Achara is also focused on fostering diversity, inclusion, and social justice inside and outside of the company, and his corporate work has been recognized by Ebony, Black Enterprise, and Profile magazines.
Ryan Graves
Ryan Graves is the CEO of Saltwater, a private technology holding company. He previously served as the senior vice president of global operations at Uber and was the first employee of the company. He grew the business from 1 to 17,000 employees and into 600+ cities by leading operations, strategy, global expansion, and people operations.
Shannon Sedgwick Davis
Shannon Sedgwick Davis is the CEO of the Bridgeway Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. As an attorney, Davis is a passionate advocate for social justice and international human rights. She is also a well-known strategist engaged in promoting peace and ending human atrocities across our globe.
Valerie Donati
Valerie Donati founded Brand Building Communications in January 2007 in New York City. In addition to pioneering an award-winning digital word-of-mouth marketing practice, Donati created a community-based online lifestyle news platform, 24/Savvy, in 2010. She also created the volunteer tracking app Zoe Blueprint in 2020.
Nancy Duarte
Nancy Duarte is a CEO and author of six best-selling books. For over 35 years, Duarte Inc. has worked with the highest- performing brands and executives in the world. Nancy is also a globally recognized speaker and educator. Her books are used in many top universities, her TED talk has over 3.5 million views, and she has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and CNN.
Eniola Aluko
Eniola Aluko is a British-Nigerian football executive and the director of women’s football at Aston Villa. As a former professional player, Aluko played for England 102 times and continues to act as a pundit and commentator. She is passionate about the wellbeing, self-image, confidence, and equality of women and girls around the world and has delivered multiple keynote speeches on the topic.
Luke Beauchamp
At APRCO, a global production consultancy, Luke Beauchamp serves as the managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His team supports brands by developing marketing strategies and creating assets for all channels.
Dr. Mara Klemich, Ph.D.
Dr. Mara Klemich is co-founder of Heartstyles, and co-creator of the Heartstyles Indicator—a personal development and organizational culture development tool. She has over 30 years of experience as a consulting psychologist and neuropsychologist. In addition, Dr. Klemich works as an organizational psychologist in personal, leadership, and culture development consulting.
Rachel Manktelow
Rachel’s professional journey reflects her entrepreneurial spirit and mastery at facilitating positive change. After serving as a change management consultant at PWC, Rachel co-founded Mind Tools in 2003. In her 16-year tenure, Rachel developed Mind Tools into a global leader in career coaching with a values-driven culture that empowers people to do their best work. Rachel and her husband, James, have supported charity: water as personal supporters since 2019. Today, Rachel is thriving as an advisor to a selection of businesses and nonprofits.
Sam Lawson Johnston
Sam Lawson Johnston co-founded the commercial real estate investment company, Kinrise. Kinrise’s vision is to renew UK cities by restoring iconic buildings and creating workspaces that inspire and enable culture, community, and company growth. Lawson Johnston is also the co-founder and non-executive director of luxury eyewear brand Finlay London and is a trustee of Hackney Church, London.
Pierre Mercier
Pierre Mercier is a Senior Partner and Managing Director in the London office of The Boston Consulting Group and BCG X. He is also a trustee of the Aspen Institute for the UK. He has focused the last 25 years building deep relationships with executive leadership of large consumer focused companies in Europe, the USA and Asia.
International Board of Directors
Pierre Mercier
Pierre Mercier is a Senior Partner and Managing Director in the London office of The Boston Consulting Group and BCG X. He is also a trustee of the Aspen Institute for the UK. He has focused the last 25 years building deep relationships with executive leadership of large consumer focused companies in Europe, the USA and Asia.
Eniola Aluko
Eniola Aluko is a British-Nigerian football executive and the director of women’s football at Aston Villa. As a former professional player, Aluko played for England 102 times and continues to act as a pundit and commentator. She is passionate about the wellbeing, self-image, confidence, and equality of women and girls around the world and has delivered multiple keynote speeches on the topic.
Luke Beauchamp
At APRCO, a global production consultancy, Luke Beauchamp serves as the managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His team supports brands by developing marketing strategies and creating assets for all channels.
Dr. Mara Klemich, Ph.D.
Dr. Mara Klemich is co-founder of Heartstyles, and co-creator of the Heartstyles Indicator—a personal development and organizational culture development tool. She has over 30 years of experience as a consulting psychologist and neuropsychologist. In addition, Dr. Klemich works as an organizational psychologist in personal, leadership, and culture development consulting.
Rachel Manktelow
Rachel’s professional journey reflects her entrepreneurial spirit and mastery at facilitating positive change. After serving as a change management consultant at PWC, Rachel co-founded Mind Tools in 2003. In her 16-year tenure, Rachel developed Mind Tools into a global leader in career coaching with a values-driven culture that empowers people to do their best work. Rachel and her husband, James, have supported charity: water as personal supporters since 2019. Today, Rachel is thriving as an advisor to a selection of businesses and nonprofits.
Sam Lawson Johnston
Sam Lawson Johnston co-founded the commercial real estate investment company, Kinrise. Kinrise’s vision is to renew UK cities by restoring iconic buildings and creating workspaces that inspire and enable culture, community, and company growth. Lawson Johnston is also the co-founder and non-executive director of luxury eyewear brand Finlay London and is a trustee of Hackney Church, London.
Pierre Mercier
Pierre Mercier is a Senior Partner and Managing Director in the London office of The Boston Consulting Group and BCG X. He is also a trustee of the Aspen Institute for the UK. He has focused the last 25 years building deep relationships with executive leadership of large consumer focused companies in Europe, the USA and Asia.
Eniola Aluko
Eniola Aluko is a British-Nigerian football executive and the director of women’s football at Aston Villa. As a former professional player, Aluko played for England 102 times and continues to act as a pundit and commentator. She is passionate about the wellbeing, self-image, confidence, and equality of women and girls around the world and has delivered multiple keynote speeches on the topic.
Luke Beauchamp
At APRCO, a global production consultancy, Luke Beauchamp serves as the managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His team supports brands by developing marketing strategies and creating assets for all channels.
Dr. Mara Klemich, Ph.D.
Dr. Mara Klemich is co-founder of Heartstyles, and co-creator of the Heartstyles Indicator—a personal development and organizational culture development tool. She has over 30 years of experience as a consulting psychologist and neuropsychologist. In addition, Dr. Klemich works as an organizational psychologist in personal, leadership, and culture development consulting.
Rachel Manktelow
Rachel’s professional journey reflects her entrepreneurial spirit and mastery at facilitating positive change. After serving as a change management consultant at PWC, Rachel co-founded Mind Tools in 2003. In her 16-year tenure, Rachel developed Mind Tools into a global leader in career coaching with a values-driven culture that empowers people to do their best work. Rachel and her husband, James, have supported charity: water as personal supporters since 2019. Today, Rachel is thriving as an advisor to a selection of businesses and nonprofits.
Sam Lawson Johnston
Sam Lawson Johnston co-founded the commercial real estate investment company, Kinrise. Kinrise’s vision is to renew UK cities by restoring iconic buildings and creating workspaces that inspire and enable culture, community, and company growth. Lawson Johnston is also the co-founder and non-executive director of luxury eyewear brand Finlay London and is a trustee of Hackney Church, London.
Pierre Mercier
Pierre Mercier is a Senior Partner and Managing Director in the London office of The Boston Consulting Group and BCG X. He is also a trustee of the Aspen Institute for the UK. He has focused the last 25 years building deep relationships with executive leadership of large consumer focused companies in Europe, the USA and Asia.