A honest look at the 12 most honorable and most effective clean water charity organizations that are currently making a difference in the world, the regions which they work in, and what makes them special.
The global water crisis has been the focus of many non-profit organizations for decades.
Some are known for making a difference in some of the most water-stricken regions of the world while others have garnered a reputation for exploitation and poor revenue management.
In this article, we’ve gathered a list of the top 12 clean water charity organizations from around the world which are highly reputable, currently active, and vigorously and creatively making an effort to fight the global water crisis.
The Global Journal estimates that there are around 10 million NGOs worldwide (Tech Report). While it's difficult to determine how many of these organizations are dedicated to the water crisis, Guidestar, the leading database in NGO stats and information, provides about 18,000 results when inquiring of water-related NGOs. And while many of these organizations operate on a local level or address water needs as a supplement to other concerns, very few focus primarily on the water crisis on a global scale.
As with all NGOs, transparency and revenue circulation is always a legitimate concern for supporters. According to Johns Hopkins University, if all NGOs formed a country, it would have the 5th largest economy in the world (Non-profit Action). With reports of corruption circulating in the NGO world, it is no wonder why skepticism would cause hesitation in donors.
While water isn't the most popular topic among humanitarians and NGOs, it is undoubtedly an increasing, distressing concern. According to the CDC, 780 million people worldwide do not have access to a clean water source, and an estimated 2.5 billion do not have access to improved sanitation. These stats gravely contribute to 3.4 million people who die each year from waterborne diseases, which is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, as reported by the World Health Organization (Oosterveen).
With rising concerns about water scarcity and the overwhelming number of NGOs, we've compiled a list of the most reputable, most active NGOs which are actively and efficiently engaging the global water crisis.
Charity:Water
- Location: New York, NY
- Areas active: Africa, Asia, Central and South America
- Year established: 2006
Water.org
- Location: Kansas City, MO
- Areas active: Africa – Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda; Asia – Bangladesh, India, Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia; Latin America – Brazil, Honduras, Peru
- Year established: 2009
Clean Water Fund
- Location: Washington, DC
- Areas active: United States
- Year establishes: 1974
Water Aid
- Location: London, UK
- Areas active: East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, The Americas, Asia, and Pacific, Europe
- Year established: 1981
Lifewater International
- Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
- Areas active: Ethiopia, Uganda, Cambodia
- Year established: 1977
Water is Life
- Location: Oklahoma City, OK
- Areas served: Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Middle East
- Year established: 2007
WaterLex
- Location: Geneva, Switzerland
- Areas served: Global
- Year established: 2010
World Water Council
- Location: Marseille, France
- Areas served: Global
- Year established: 1996
The Water Project
- Location: Concord, New Hampshire
- Areas served: sub-Saharan Africa
- Year established: 2008
Sky Juice
- Location: New South Wales, Australia
- Areas served: Asia, Pacific, Africa, Central and South America, Middle East
- Year established: 2005
Save the Water
- Location: Surfside, Florida
- Areas served: Global
- Year established: 1999
The Last Well
- Location: Rockwall, Texas
- Areas served: Liberia
- Year established: 2008
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References
CDC. (2016, April 11). Global WASH Fast Facts | Global Water, Sanitation and Hygiene | Healthy Water | CDC. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html
Non Profit Action. (n.d.). Facts and Stats about NGOs Worldwide. Retrieved from http://nonprofitaction.org/2015/09/facts-and-stats-about-ngos-worldwide/
Oosterveen, H. (n.d.). WHO World Water Day Report. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/takingcharge.html
Tech Report. (n.d.). 2017 Global NGO Online Technology Report & Infographics | Download Now. Retrieved from https://techreport.ngo/previous/2017/facts-and-stats-about-ngos-worldwide.html
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