Rebecca Grant was listening to Scott Harrison tell the charity: water story on her favorite podcast, Entreleadership, when she heard the devastating story of Letikiros (the 13-year-old Ethiopian girl who took her own life after accidentally shattering the clay pot she had spent hours walking to fill with water).
Having a young daughter herself, Rebecca was inspired to give up her 39th birthday for clean water.
She started by charting all of the ways her family uses clean water — from teeth brushing to morning coffee — and shared it on Facebook. Then the donations came rolling in.
But Rebecca still couldn’t shake the image of Letikiros walking for so long, carrying such a heavy load. So she decided to up the ante and carry one of her own.
Whenever someone asked her about the Jerry Can, she handed them a card with a link to her campaign.
She was featured in her town newspaper, she’s spoken at schools, and now, she’s raised $10,840 with 106 donations.
Rebecca, you’re amazing! Thank you so much your commitment to this mission!
Campaigns We Love is a weekly series that highlights the amazing, creative, bold and generous things that our supporters do to raise money and bring clean water to people in need. It’s fondly written by our Supporter Experience team.
Last week our team saw something very magical happen with a campaigner we love — that highlights the power of generosity and technology (both old and new).
You may remember Noah Barclay… he’s the voracious 13-year-old who was adopted from Ethiopia and has raised over $5,000 by selling handmade weaves for $5 apiece! Not only has he completednine campaigns, but he’s spoken at dozens of school assemblies and recruited other generous friends to help make weaves and raise money. He’s one of our heroes.
Back in December, I had the privilege of meeting Noah at our NYC office. After he left, I received an email from his mom saying that Noah had just seen charity: water’s new video series, The Journey, and was blown away.
When he saw Episode 3, where our Content Strategist Tyler walks for water with a 12-year-old girl from northern Ethiopia, Noah remembered his own childhood and wanted to write a letter to let her know that he was actively fundraising so that she would not have to walk for dirty water anymore.
It’s a beautiful thought — connecting our beneficiaries with the people who are working so hard to help. Although we knew it wouldn’t be easy, there was no way we weren’t going to try to deliver that letter to Tarik.
Fortunately, with our staff trip approaching, I was actually headed to Ethiopia. So I told Noah’s mom… “if you send me the letter, I’ll do everything I can.” And then a new journey began.
A few days later:
A few days and plane rides later:
A few months later:
Our partner organization was just as excited as we were. And not only did they trek all the way out to Tarik’s village in rural Ethiopia, but they translated the letter into Tigrinya and delivered it to her along with one of Noah’s weaves.
The best part is… she wrote back.
And then, finally, last week we got to close the loop by delivering Tarik’s letter and photos back to Noah and his mom… who were absolutely speechless.
It’s a different kind of proof or transparency, and it’s not something we can provide to our supporters often. At least right now. But it’s such a cool reminder about the real individuals and real impact on both sides.
It makes me very proud to do what I do, and I hope it makes you proud too.
Sarah Williams has dreamed about summiting Mt. Whitney her whole life. Next Monday, that dream is about to become a reality. And she’s dedicating the entire 210.4-mile trek along the John Muir Trail to charity: water!
After recently learning that access to water is not ubiquitous, Sarah decided to make the purpose of her hike two-fold and try to bring clean water to 100 people in need.
She’s currently training for the 22-day excursion by venturing out on 2-3 day backpacking trips and taking weekly 15-mile hikes with the weight of the backpack she’ll be carrying.
The neatest part of Sarah’s campaign is that she’ll have a SPOT device on the trail, and she’s giving all of her supporters a link so they can track her exact location during the hike!
Sarah, we’re so thrilled to see you represent us through the 210.4 miles, and we couldn’t be more proud to see our shirt at 46,700 feet. Safe travels!
Liza has been supporting our work for years. She’s volunteered at our office, traded her birthday gifts for donations and even helped our staff provide food and supplies to housing projects during Hurricane Sandy. She’s incredible. And while we’ve always been grateful for her belief in our mission, her most recent campaign has me feeling all kind of feelings — and thinking a lot about generosity, purpose and intention.
When Liza was diagnosed with heart arrhythmia, she said, “Extra heart beats?! Well, the romantic in me immediately embraced the diagnosis!” She declined medication that would regulate the extra beat as a reminder to love in whatever way she possibly could. But eventually she was told that she’d need to have a heart procedure to prevent anything potentially life-threatening.
Liza took the opportunity to publicly share a personal story and bring light to what really makes her heart beat and how she can use this organ to its full potential… to love those around her and those in need.
So she dedicated her heart surgery to charity: water.
We got to chat the day after the procedure, and as we hoped, everything went perfectly well. She shared with me how powerful it felt walking into the operation knowing that over 30 people were going to receive access to clean and safe drinking water. As she lay on the surgery table, she even thanked all of her nurse practitioners for indirectly being a part of that impact.
The terminology that the doctor used when talking about her procedure was to “burn a scar onto the heart.” Liza says she sees the scar as a beautiful and unique representation of something that’s ingrained in her forever — a “lighting of fire” and love that’s forever physically represented.
When I first came across Liza’s campaign, I couldn’t help but be floored by how beautifully she conveyed her story through her mission statement: “charity:water owns a little piece of real estate in my heart, so it seems fitting to dedicate my heart surgery.” I can’t do justice to the magnitude of service, compassion, commitment and generous spirit, but Liza, I mean it when I say that we are absolutely honored to have your support.
Sweet little lady Lula, who lives out on a tiny island in the middle of the Irish Sea, is my new hero. Her dream is to open her own charity called “gushgush” to bring clean and safe drinking water to those in need, but meanwhile, she’s using her imagination to fundraise for clean water.
This seven-year-old friend of mine wrote a book to help fund clean water projects and has already sold 220 copies! She even surprised our office with one.
The story is about a bunny named Tiddles who goes for a walk into a cave and encounters “seven horrible and disgusting things.” From leeches to Zombie-bunny-bugs, the story is bursting with adventure. Lula shares on her website that the inspiration behind her book was from a TV program called “Deadly 60″ about the deadliest animals in the world.
A few other fun facts about my creative pal? She loves film, music, and making potions with her science kit. She aspires to be a nurse, a vet, AND a police officer.
I’m amazed by Lula’s imaginative mind and generous heart. I invite you to check out her campaign and buy a copy of her book before she runs out of copies!
Graydon is an elementary school student from San Antonio, and he’s training for a half marathon to raise money for clean water. Yes, you read that correctly… a half marathon!
Now, I’ve run a half marathon before, and it is no joke. The training process requires discipline, support and willpower. But Graydon is holding strong!
His main motivation? Through each physical challenge from training until the day of the race, he’s reminded of how he wants to make an impact on the 748 million people who lack access to clean water.
I asked Graydon’s family what their tip would be for like-minded campaigners. They said, “Nothing is ever too crazy. Pick a goal and never limit yourself and your purpose.”
Graydon, I’m also personally training for a half marathon this fall, and you’ve inspired me alongside our entire community to be intentional and push limits. Thank you and we’re all cheering for you!
Brothers of Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity hosted their second annual charity: ball this past weekend to help raise money for clean water!
The night was filled with performances, silent auctions, an art gallery, and more. And it brought together over 600 supporters who smiled, laughed, and cheered together as they celebrated bringing clean water to hundreds of people around the world.
“The best feeling in the world is being able to spread cheer and happiness, and knowing that this can be achieved by helping others,” said David Ha, one of the hosts of Cal Poly’s charity: ball.
David first heard about charity: water from a friend who organized Cal Poly’s first charity: ball two years ago. After seeing how passionate his friend was about charity: water’s mission, David began reading our stories and was particularly struck by Letikiro, a 13-year-old Ethiopian girl who took her own life after accidentally dropping the water she had spent hours walking for that day.
“I felt confused, angry, and sad,” he said. “I was confused because I couldn’t comprehend how someone as young as Letikiro held such a big burden. I was angry because it was something that was totally preventable. And I was sad because there are so many people that don’t know her story. But the amazing thing is this can all change.”
David realized that everyone has the potential to change lives and even one person can make a huge difference. After he saw how much of an impact their first charity: ball had, he decided to take the project into his own hands and start a campaign to spread the charity: water story as far and wide as he could.
“I wanted to spread awareness to as many people as possible, educate them about our water crisis, and reward each and every one of our supporters with a night dedicated to them to remind them just how big of a difference their contribution made to the hundreds of lives that they will change in the future,” he said.
To get their community involved with the campaign, the hosts of the Cal Poly charity: ball started releasing videos of themselves spreading positive acts around their community and found that many of their supporters started to submit videos of their own. They also recruited over 16 project leaders from various schools to create inspirational art pieces to help spread awareness about the event.
“In my 3 months of campaigning, I felt that time has passed by in only a few weeks because I really enjoyed doing this,” he said. “You will realize that when you get involved with something you love doing, you will end up with a bunch of people who will want to help and support you. Nothing feels better than being able to spread positivity and enjoy doing what you love at the same time.”
Way to go Cal Poly; you all are amazing. Thank you so much for your support and for continuing to be an inspiration to the entire charity: water family!
Inspired by David Foster Wallace’s This Is Water and feeling aware of the abundance of clean drinking water on his college campus, Refat decided he wanted to do something — both to raise money and to bring a voice to the water crisis.
Not only did he create a fundraising campaign, he also started performing slam poetry at open mic nights to spread the word. And it’s working. Today, his campaign is over halfway to his goal.
But Refat stresses that it isn’t about the money; it’s about awareness and making human connections in the process.
“People forget why we have to donate,” Refat says. “That this money is someone’s life.”
Refat knows that just educating his friends and family about the water crisis can have a huge impact. People from all different parts of his life have reached out to help – including a high school teacher and friends he hasn’t seen or talked to in years!
“I have no regrets about it,” Refat told us. “This campaign has showed me how beautiful humans can be.”
Refat, we think you’re incredibly inspiring. We love your message, and we love your campaign. Thank you for supporting charity: water!
The only thing I remember about my 6th birthday is wanting a Batman-themed party and a fresh pair of LA Gear light-up shoes.
I have a feeling Sadie’s memories are going to be a little different than that.
Earlier this year, when 5-year-old Sadie found out that 663 million people around the world live without access to clean water, she knew she wanted to help.
After talking with her mom, she decided that instead of asking for birthday presents on her 6th birthday, she’d ask for $6 donations to clean water instead.
In Sadie’s words, “Helping people is more important than a birthday party.”
This past Monday, we got the chance to celebrate the impact all of those $6 donations with Sadie in our office — on her actual birthday! She’s now raised enough to help 85 people, which is pretty amazing.
Sadie, thank you for a birthday we won’t forget. We hope you remember it forever too!
A couple of months ago I met Finn Harries, one half of JacksGap. Like us, he and his brother believe in the power of a story. They’ve used their platform to talk about important issues like belief, fear and love. They’ve traveled the world and told stories about amazing places and amazing people. These guys have lived more in their 22 years than I will my entire life… and what’s truly incredible is that they live for others.
This year Finn and Jack decided to forget the gifts and asked people to donate their age in dollars instead. Today is their actual birthday, and they’ve already raised enough money to bring clean water to more than 200 people. That’s right, two 22-year-olds have changed the lives of 200 people (what?!).
Their campaign is proof that nothing is too small. 96 of their 122 donors have given $22 or less. Everything makes a difference.
I’m a HUGE JacksGap fan because they believe in the good of humanity. They believe in the power of people, the power of a story and that they can (and will) change the world.
Happy birthday to the two dudes I wish I was like at 22.
That’s the number of people who have gained access to clean and safe water thanks to our brand partners. We are incredibly grateful for this community of like-minded brands and their ability to raise awareness for the water crisis in powerful and creative ways.
To celebrate their work and inspire new collaborations, we hosted our third annual Brand Partnership X Summit at Canoe Studios in NYC! This year, we were joined by over 65 brands for a day of insightful conversations. We focused on innovation and what it means for our work at charity: water, in partnerships, and in the world around us. From groundbreaking sensor technology and the launch of The Pool to jewelry crafted from meteorites and sprinkle-filled rainbow cakes, we left feeling inspired to keep creating and pushing the boundaries.
Check out the highlights from this year’s event:
We are so grateful to everyone who joined us. The Summit would not have been possible without our speakers who generously gave their time to help us see how purposeful innovation can drive change. A very special thank you to:
Professor, author, and entrepreneur Scott Galloway, for showing us the importance of having a meaningful career and helping us understand our life strategies, not just business strategies.
Kristin De Simone and Sylvia Hartley, Partners at Thrive Market, for sharing the story of how Thrive Market decided to partner with charity: water and for reimagining what giving means for their brand and customers.
Simon Sinek, optimist and bestselling author, for teaching us what it means to feel fulfilled and reminding us that we need to build the future together.
Artist and designer Monique Péan, for sharing her story and inspiring us with her incredible craft and unwavering commitment to sustainability and support of local communities.
Paull Young, Partner at Facebook, for showing us what being a true partner really means and encouraging the importance of working in tandem to create change.
Amirah Kassem, baker and entrepreneur, for urging us to be our true selves and demonstrating how working hard and inspiring joy can go hand-in-hand!
Another special thank you to Canoe Studios for the beautiful space and delicious catering; Taylor Creative for the comfortable and stylish furnishings; Badger Mountain Vineyard and Sunday Beer Co for providing the wine and beer for cocktail hour; Thrive Market and Scott Galloway for helping us fill our swag bags; C2 Imaging for printing and installing the stunning branding elements; Dear Bayard for the beautiful greenery; The Spaniard for hosting our pre-event cocktail party; and all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly and joyfully to ensure the day went off without a hitch.