charity: water
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| Founder(s) | Scott Harrison |
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| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Location | New York City, United States |
| Area served | 19 countries |
| Mission | bring clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations |
| Website | charitywater.org |
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Founded in 2006, it has helped fund 3,962 projects in 19 countries, benefiting over 1,794,983 people. Overall, the organization has raised over $40 million as of July 1, 2011.
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[edit] Operations
charity: water uses both mainstream and social media platforms to raise awareness, including annual galas[1] and events arranged via Twitter.[2]
The initiative has received donations from 50,000 individuals.[3] Dedicated donors cover administrative costs, so donations from the general public go to fund water projects.[3] It provides GPS coordinates and photos of the wells it builds.[4]
The organization has 20 full-time staff members, 10 interns and more than 800 volunteers.
[edit] Beginnings
Scott Harrison, the founder, was a NYC club promoter for 10 years and found himself at the age of thirty-one wanting more out of his life. In 2004, Scott committed two years of his life to the poor and marginalized through volunteer service in Liberia with Mercy Ships. He traced problems surrounding education, safety, and health back to a lack of clean water and basic sanitation systems. Scott began to tap his network in an attempt to get as many people as possible to support his cause.
[edit] Rachel Beckwith
Rachel Beckwith was a 9-year-old American girl who, for her birthday, wanted to raise $300. She asked family and friends not to buy her any presents but to give money towards the Charity: water campaign. In the month after her birthday, she had raised $220.
On July 20, 2011, Beckwith was travelling in a car with her mother and sister when it was hit in a 13 vehicle pile-up. Her mother and sister escaped with minor injuries but Beckwith was taken to hospital. On July 23, it was decided to turn off her life support.
A pastor from her church then reopened the donor page that she had created with her mother on a social network. Donations began to pour in from all over the world. On 12 August 2011, Beckwith's campaign collections broke the $1 million mark. When the campaign ended on October 1, 2011, it had raised $1,271,713. This money was donated by 31,980 people across the world.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Party Planner Kicks $350 Grey Goose Habit for Clean Water Cause, Bloomberg, Patrick Cole, December 15, 2008
- ^ Crowded roads ahead for charity 2.0, CNET News, Caroline McCarthy, August 5, 2009
- ^ a b Clean, Sexy Water, New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristof, July 11, 2009
- ^ Case study: charity: water, Think Social, May 26, 2009
- ^ "Rachel Beckwith's legacy: $1 million for charity". 2011/08/12. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015892223_rachel13m.html. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
[edit] External links
- charitywater.org
- From nightlife to saving lives, CNN News, September 29, 2008
- Providing safe water for the world, ABC News, June 10, 2008
- Helping People in Need Get Clean Water, My Fox NY News, June 11, 2008
- Raising Awareness of the Water Crisis, ECONOMY TRIBUNE, January 21, 2010
- Rachel’s Last Fund-Raiser, New York Times, August 11, 2011
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