Scott Harrison (charity founder)
Scott Harrison | |
|---|---|
 Harrison speaking in 2010. | |
| Born | September 7, 1975 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | New York University |
| Spouse | Viktoria Harrison (née Alexeeva) |
| Website | www |
Scott Harrison (born September 7, 1975)[1] is the founder and current CEO of the non-profit charity: water.[2] Harrison is the author of Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World.[3]
Early life and career
[edit]Scott Harrison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.[4] His father was a businessman, and his mother had been suffering almost constantly from a number of debilitating illnesses since he was four. At the age of 18, Harrison left to study design and communication at New York University. Soon, he became involved in organizing parties and eventually worked as a promoter in Manhattan.[5][2] He spent the next 10 years organizing parties for the likes of MTV, VH1, Bacardi and Elle.[6]
In 2004, Harrison took a trip to Uruguay. During his visit, he had a "life-changing experience" (a shooting at a nightclub) and began seeking a "change in life."[5][7][8] He was inspired to do so by his father’s gift of A.W. Tozer’s book, The Pursuit of God.[9]
Soon, Harrison quit his job and started volunteering as a photojournalist for the Christian charity Mercy Ships, which operates a fleet of hospital ships offering free healthcare to the developing world. He had to pay around $500 a month to cover living expenses. Despite having a high salary in the past, Harrison was almost broke at that stage. According to him, "nightclub promoters are terrible at saving money, but great at spending it." Some of his friends financially supported him during this period.[5]
Charity: water
[edit]During the time spent at Mercy Ships, Harrison shipped to Benin and Liberia. He was exposed to the conditions of the impoverished in Liberia. During his volunteering time, Harrison realized that he could leverage his social networks and connections in New York to raise money. In 2006, Harrison organized a party in one of Manhattan's clubs, charging $20 (£12) for entry, with the promise that all the money raised would go toward drilling wells in Africa. The event successfully raised $15,000.[5] That work led to the establishment of Charity: water, a non-profit organization focused on clean water in developing nations.[10][11]
Charity: water gained popularity among the New York elite, both due to Harrison's personal connections and its use of social networks and digital tools.[5] Charity: water claims to spend 100% of its funding on program costs. At the same time, to support the work of the charity's staff, Harrison established a separate fund for donations. In 2017 alone, he received $325,278 as compensation for his work.[11]
Personal life
[edit]Harrison is married to Viktoria Harrison, who was previously involved in design and branding for charity: water.[12] They have three children. Harrison is a Christian.[13][14]
In 2018, Harrison published a memoir titled Thirst.[15][16] The book became a New York Times bestseller.[17]
Publications
[edit]- Harrison, Scott; Sweetingham, Lisa (2018). Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World. Currency. ISBN 9781524762841. OCLC 1052621664.
References
[edit]- ^ Harrison, Scott (2013). "Scott's 38th Birthday for India". charity: water. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ a b Kristof, Nicholas (July 11, 2009). "Clean, Sexy Water". The New York Times. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ "This reformed 'club rat' has raised millions for clean water projects". CNN. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ Burstein, David D. (May 18, 2015). "A Changed Generation: Scott Harrison | charity: water". Fast Company. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Charity startup: Scott Harrison's mission to solve Africa's water problem". Wired. 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Root, Jessica (August 13, 2009). "Meet Scott Harrison, Founder of charity: water". Planet Green. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Catherine Clifford (2018-03-22). "How Charity: Water's founder went from hard-partying NYC club promoter to helping 8 million people around the world". CNBC.
- ^ Wolfe, Alexandra (2018-09-14). "Scott Harrison Turned From Nightclub Promoter to Philanthropist". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Bond, Mindy (August 31, 2005). "Scott Harrison, Photojournalist". Gothamist. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ Friedman, Zack. "This Former Club Promoter Is Now Working To Solve The Global Water Crisis". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
- ^ a b Gelles, David (2019-04-11). "A Charity Accepts Uber Stock as Donations. Then Uses It to Pay Staff Bonuses. Is That O.K.?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ^ "Viktoria Harrison of charity: water Quenches Her Thirst for Philanthropy". 9 September 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Lancaster, Jessilyn. "From Rock Star to Rock Bottom: How the Holy Spirit Gave This Man a Supernatural 'Thirst'". Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Charity: Water Founder Scott Harrison Discussed Faith, Redemption and Clean Water with Bill Simmons". 23 May 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ Joslyn, Heather (2018-10-02). "How a Maverick Tapped Into a Wellspring of Giving". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "The Charity: Water Founder Had to Save Himself Before Saving the World". Inc. 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "How Charity: Water Founder Scott Harrison Helps 11 Million". Borgen Magazine. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
