Rating for charity: water

The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most challenging times for the organization, testing our resilience to unforeseen crises. We were extremely quick to respond to the pandemic and immediately closed down our offices for the safety of our employees. We communicated effectively and regularly to our staff, donors, field partners and all other external stakeholders about how we were managing the range of crisis events - staff safety, financial implications and impact to our partner communities. Our Programs team worked closely with our partners throughout Africa and Asia to ensure they had the support needed to survive the pandemic, formalizing these efforts by launching a COVID relief fund that raised $913K. The COVID-19 Relief Fund provides developing countries with emergency hygiene and sanitation response activities such as building handwashing stations, distributing soap and sanitizer, and providing personal protective equipment to frontline workers. Our Emergency response team ensured that all staff were safe, had the right resources needed to get their day-to-day work done and offered support to take time off as needed. The Leadership Team looked at several scenarios on impact to revenue and operated to protect the long-term viability of the organization. Not only were we one of the first to apply for the SBA loans established through the CARES act, but we also implemented cost reductions across staff and initiatives in order to preserve our cash position. With the extensive, thoughtful planning and quick implementation we were able to end the year with better-than-expected results and staff that were very appreciative of our clear commitment to their safety.

For millions around the world, access to funds stands between them and safe water and sanitation in their homes.

That’s where Water.org comes in. Water.org offers smart solutions that break down the financial barriers between people living in poverty and access to safe water and sanitation.

Our solutions are working! Today more than 60 million people around the world can turn on a tap or safely use a toilet because small, affordable loans empowered them to get access to safe water and sanitation at home.