Sponsor a water project
100% of your gift funds clean water.
Our water project costs vary depending on project type, geography, and local economies. On average, projects start at $10,000 and can cost $25,000 or more. Once you’ve made your gift, we’ll pair it with an appropriate project (or projects).
Other Ways to Give
Donate by Check
Make checks payable to charity: water. If you're donating in honor of someone, sponsoring a water project or want to direct your donation to our operating costs, please write that in the memo of your check.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept donations to The Spring via check.
Please note, donations made by check will not be matched.
Tax receipts will be mailed within four to six weeks after the donation has been processed.
International Giving
charity: water is a registered charity in the UK. To make a tax-efficient donation in GBP, visit charitywateruk.org. For other international donations, we accept bank issued money orders in USD. Money orders should be made payable to charity: water and can be mailed to the address below. For donations over $6,000, we also accept wire transfers; email info@charitywater.org for more information.
Please note, only donations made by eligible US taxpayers may be tax-deductible.
Donate Stock
We're able to accept donations in the form of stock, government (including municipal) debt and corporate debt through the Depository Trust Company (DTC). For security, settlement and reduced paperwork, electronic transfer through the DTC is preferred. This can be arranged from most brokerage accounts.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept donations to The Spring via stock.
Please contact info@charitywater.org for more information on making a stock donation.
How it all works
Bringing clean water to an entire community takes time and teamwork. Learn what to expect along the way in this video.
Types of water projects
We fund a variety of different water solutions. We choose each project solution based on water availability, culture, and economic conditions. When you sponsor a project, we’ll pair your donation with a solution of an appropriate cost. These are some of our solutions:
Project reporting
Funding an entire water project means you’ll be recognized as the official project sponsor. But it takes time. Here's what to expect over the course of the next 21+ months.
Project preparation
At the start
Program cycle begins
Our giving year is split into two halves: January 1st - June 30th and July 1st - December 31st. We prepare to send your donation to the field at the completion of the half in which you give.
At 6 months
Our partners prepare
Before construction begins, our partners do extensive research and prep work, get permits and supplies, and partner with local communities to ensure long-term sustainability.
You get Update 1!
Project progress
At 6-9 months
Construction & evaluation
Construction is underway! Our partners collect midterm reports and send us information on project progress.
At 12 months
Construction concludes
Our partners finish the work and train local communities to use and maintain their water points.
You get Update 2!
Project completion
At 12-15 months
Final data collection
Our partners collect photos and GPS coordinates of the completed projects and send information about the specific communities you've served.
At 21 months
Our final review
We verify all of the final data from our partners and prepare your report. It's time to celebrate!
You get your Completion Report!
See an example of the completion report you'll receive when your project is finished.
We prove every project
We’ll show you the projects you helped fund with photos and GPS coordinates.
See proof
Water changes everything
Frequently asked questions
What am I paying for when I sponsor a water project?
100% of your money goes to water project costs on the ground. Private donors cover the salaries of our staff in New York so your money can go directly to the following costs (breakdown can vary by country, partner, and technology):
- 50% for materials: cement, pipes, pumps, construction supplies, training materials.
- 20% for local staff costs: drillers, welders, well technicians and hydrogeologists.
- 10% for mobilization: fuel, vehicles, lodging for drill crews in remote areas.
- 20% for in-country program support: accountants, drivers, computers, internet.
If you sponsor a water project at a school, we may use a portion of your money to build latrines in addition to the water project. Latrines are crucial to reducing water-related diseases, especially at schools or health clinics where populations are more dense.
What can go wrong?
charity: water works in some of the poorest and most challenging countries in the world because that's where the need is greatest. Naturally, despite our best efforts to meet your and our expectations, forces beyond our control occasionally require a change of plans. The list of uncertainties we've encountered is long: governments collapse, policies change, roads get washed out, pipes break, wells come up dry and community needs change.
No matter what happens, we promise that 100% of your donation will directly fund water project costs. In addition to updating you about our progress, we'll inform you if the location of your sponsored project has to change. In the unlikely event that we need to totally reallocate your funds, we'll put them toward projects substantially similar to the one you chose to support in the first place. If we absolutely cannot find a suitable project in the country you had hoped to help, we'll work with you to find an alternative country.
What’s included in my report?
When your project is built and we receive completion data from our partners (about 21 months), we assemble and send you a report with the following information:
- Photos of the actual project
- A virtual plaque plotted on Google Maps
- Type of water project technology used
- GPS coordinates
- Population served
How much is the community involved in building a charity: water project?
As much as possible. We don’t consider our projects “complete” until the community receiving them is engaged and empowered to care for them.
Where possible, our partners enlist local community members to help dig wells, construct filters, build ditches for piping or help out with any other construction tasks. Our maintenance models for each project reflect the community. Often, this means our partners train a local Water Committee to collect fees to maintain their projects.
We believe in water as a catalyst for social change. Our partners try to make sure the underserved or minority members of a community are represented and served by our water projects.
Why does it take 21 months to get my completion report?
Building water and sanitation projects is a time-consuming business. We allow 21 months because we don't consider a project “complete” until we know that all of its components are in place and working for the best of the community. That includes community participation and training, as well as collecting photos, GPS coordinates and other details from each project. We require detailed data about each project from our partner organizations and verify it at charity: water headquarters to make sure there are no mistakes. Only then do we assemble your completion report. See above for a timeline of what happens in 21 months.
Has the cost of sponsoring a project increased?
Yes. When we started in 2006, we funded water projects that cost approximately $5,000. But since then, the average cost has gone up.
Here’s why: We’ve expanded our work to include new regions, many of which are harder (and therefore more expensive) to reach. We also fund a wider range of technologies to ensure that communities are getting an accessible, sustainable solution for their specific context. For some communities it makes sense to have BioSand Filters in each household, for other regions piped water systems can serve an entire population.
We also now fund more than the raw costs of building a project. Sponsorship covers things like machinery, drilling teams, and sanitation and hygiene training. The latter is critical; by educating communities on the importance of building latrines and healthy hand-washing practices, the rate of water contamination and communicable diseases decreases significantly. Finally, the increase you see in sponsorship costs also reflects inflation.
This cost adjustment ensures we are able to implement comprehensive and sustainable projects for every community we serve. If you have questions, we’d love to connect. Please reach out to sponsoraproject@charitywater.org.
Can I pick the country where my donation goes?
Each quarter, we have specific water project opportunities available in a variety of countries. Get in touch to learn about the specific countries we’re working in this month, and how your gift can sponsor some of our most urgent needs.
If you make an undesignated gift online, we will send your donation to the country where it will make the greatest impact. Our water programs team chooses which countries to work in based on need, and forms long-term partnerships with on-the-ground organizations. If you'd like to talk about where we work before you give online, email us!
We’re here to help
Hello! My name is Midi and I’m part of our Key Relationships team. Please contact me if you’d like to learn about Water Project Sponsorship opportunities, have questions about our work, or simply want to connect.
Email Midi