Water For People
Prize Finalist 2008
Water For People
http://www.waterforpeople.org/
Financial resources
Annual income in US$ 6,107,957
Geographical focus
Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Sub- Saharan Africa
Issue focus
Water and sanitation, Poverty
Key achievements
- In 2008 Water For People improved water supplies and sanitation facilities for 184,705 total beneficiaries worldwide;
- For six years running, Water For People has received the highest rating, four stars, from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charitable organizations;
- In 2008, Water For People opened new country programs in Peru, Rwanda, Nicaragua and Uganda
- SWASH+ Program: Water For People is leading a $2.44 million school water, sanitation and hygiene promotion program in conjunction with CARE, Catholic Relief Services, and the Global Water Challenge. The School Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Plus Community Impact program will reach nearly 12,000 students in 123 schools in Central America.
Mission
Water For People aims to help people in developing countries improve their quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities and health and hygiene education programs.
Water For People serves as a catalyst for sustainable water and sanitation development, bringing together communities, local government, civil society, NGOs and local private sector.
Its country programmes combine fieldwork, capacity building and strategic advocacy to test, implement and replicate successful approaches to water and sanitation development. Through innovative financing and social marketing strategies, continuous monitoring and evaluation programmes, and the involvement of volunteers, Water For People works to leverage predominantly local resources for greatest benefit.
Background
Water For People was formed in the 1980s from the heartfelt vision of three AWWA associates of a world where all people have access to clean water, adequate sanitation and basic health services. It has grown since to provide 184,705 people with safe drinking water resources and / or improved sanitation facilities.
Management
Water For People operates in Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Malawi, Nicaragua, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda and West Bengal (India). Local communities and resources are the driving force behind programme solutions, ensuring sustainability.
As an organisation, Water For People has built a strong base of corporate, individual and foundation donors, including support from members of the North American water and wastewater community.
In 2006 the Board of Directors approved a five year strategic plan to increase the number of people reached by Water For People programmes to 1,000 a day by 2011; five times more than in 2006. This plan focuses on four main goals: strategic growth, international program delivery, resource development and organisational excellence.
Partnerships
Partnerships are key to the success of Water for People, who work closely and bringing together communities, local government, civil society and the local private sector. It also involves highly trained and reputable local NGOs in many of its programmes. Examples of such NGOs include PeaceCorps, CARE, US Environmental Protection Agency and hundreds of other local groups.
Impact Achieved
Water for People's achievements include the following:
- Increased donor support: Water For People launched its first matching grant campaign, the Rosenthal Million Dollar Challenge. In addition to raising the initial $500,000 from the Rosenthal's, they raised $911,536 in new funding and increased gifts from 2,078 donors.
- Grainger Award: Water For People and Lehigh University were awarded the Silver Award by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). This was awarded for their innovative work in arsenic removal from potable water in West Bengal, India, where millions of people are at risk from naturally occurring arsenic that is prevalent in the groundwater supplies;
- ITT Watermark: ITT Corporation recently launched a new corporate philanthropy program with Water For People as strategic partner in a three-year, $3 million commitment to help provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene education in 300 schools in the developing world.
As a result of its accomplishments, Water For People is becoming known within the water and sanitation sector as an innovator and thought leader. The organization is regularly asked to speak and consult on water and sanitation issues.
Contact
For further information please contact Monica Brown, mbrown@waterforpeople.org