Water.org
Water.org is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses microfinance (WaterCredit) to deliver small, affordable loans through 178 financial institution partners, bringing safe water and sanitation to families in poverty across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Water.org does
Water.org is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, that addresses the global water and sanitation crisis through microfinance rather than traditional charity delivery. Founded in 2009 by Gary White and Matt Damon (with roots in WaterPartners International established in 1990), the organization targets the 2.1 billion people globally who lack access to safe water, focusing on families in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America living on less than $8.30 per day.
The organization's core offering is WaterCredit, a microfinance initiative that channels small, affordable loans (averaging $407) through 178 financial institution partners to enable households to install water connections, toilets, and sanitation facilities. The loan portfolio delivers a 90% repayment rate, and every $1 in donations is reported to unlock approximately $21 in water and sanitation capital. The product portfolio has expanded beyond WaterCredit to include WaterEquity (an affiliated impact investment manager that channels institutional capital into partner loan portfolios via funds such as Everspring), WaterConnect (a 2024-launched infrastructure project-readiness platform), Global Engagement (policy and systems work), and Monitoring & Insights (sector data and evidence). In June 2026, Water.org launched Get Blue, a global consumer campaign with founding partners Gap Inc., Starbucks, Amazon, and Ecolab aimed at reaching 200 million people by 2030.
Water.org monetizes through donation-based revenue streams — including one-time gifts, monthly recurring giving, corporate partnerships (Starbucks, Gap, Amazon, Cargill, Bank of America Foundation), major foundation grants (Bezos Earth Fund), cause-marketing through 30+ retail partners, and cryptocurrency donations. Distribution is achieved through financial institution partners who carry loan origination and servicing risk, while Water.org provides technical assistance, training, and increasingly blockchain-based cross-border payment rails via a partnership with Ripple using the RLUSD stablecoin to settle microfinance transfers in minutes. The organization has helped empower more than 92 million people with safe water or sanitation, has mobilized $8.2 billion in capital with 178 partners, and maintains a 97% Charity Navigator overall score for over a decade.
Water.org firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Water.org
- Legal name
- Water.org
- Website
- https://water.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Water.org is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses microfinance (WaterCredit) to deliver small, affordable loans through 178 financial institution partners, bringing safe water and sanitation to families in poverty across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Water.org industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water and Sanitation Microfinance
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Environmental Public Health (Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation) (BPAIAJAE), Water & Waste / Circular Economy Funds (FSANAJAF)
Keywords
Where Water.org is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Water.org business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Water.org generates revenue primarily through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization accepts online donations, monthly recurring donations, cryptocurrency, stock donations, and donor-advised fund contributions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual donation - $5 provides access for one person |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly giving program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Water.org product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Water.org funds and scales access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries through the WaterCredit small-loan model, channeled via local microfinance institutions and partner banks, complemented by the WaterEquity impact-investment fund and the WaterConnect utility-infrastructure program. The organization also runs the Get Blue global consumer movement to drive awareness and fundraising.
Product overview
Water.org offers a portfolio of smart solutions that break down the barriers between people living in poverty and access to safe water and sanitation. The core offering is WaterCredit, a microfinance initiative that provides small, affordable loans for household water and sanitation solutions. Supporting solutions include WaterEquity (impact investment manager for sector financing), WaterConnect (infrastructure project development), Global Engagement (policy and systems-level work), Monitoring & Insights (data and evidence), and the Knowledge Library. The Get Blue campaign is a consumer-facing initiative partnering with major brands (Gap, Starbucks, Amazon, Ecolab) to mobilize funding through everyday purchasing actions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WaterCredit: A proven, powerful solution and the first to put microfinance tools to work in the water and sanitation sector. WaterCredit helps bring small loans to those who need access to affordable financing and expert resources to make household water and toilet solutions a reality.
- WaterEquity
- WaterConnect
- Get Blue
- WaterPartners International
Products and services
- WaterCredit WaterCredit is Water.org's small-loan microfinance product that enables families in developing countries to finance household-level water and sanitation improvements; loans are delivered through local partner financial institutions.
- WaterEquity WaterEquity is an impact-investment manager that pools impact-investor capital and deploys it into water and sanitation enterprises in emerging markets, using Ripple Payments and the RLUSD stablecoin for cross-border settlement.
- WaterConnect WaterConnect is Water.org's infrastructure program that supports utility-scale development of safe-water infrastructure in underserved areas, complementing the household-level WaterCredit model.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92+ million people reached with safe water or sanitation
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Water.org
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Water.org technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
Water.org partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- RippleflagshipRipple partnered with Water.org as exclusive digital asset and payments partner for Get Blue campaign. Uses RLUSD stablecoin and Ripple Payments infrastructure to move funds across borders to microfinance partners in emerging markets in minutes rather than days. Ripple serves Get Blue's exclusive digital asset and payments partner, using blockchain rails to transfer seed funding across Asia, Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa.
- Global Climate Finance Centre (GCFC)coreGCFC and Water.org launched the Water Finance Framework as contribution to the 2026 UN Water Conference, designed to address structural misalignment between water investments and available capital forms. Framework proposes a four-step process based on analysis of 192 real-world projects across 40 countries.
- Gap Inc.flagshipGap Inc. is a founding partner of Get Blue, Water.org's global initiative to address the global water crisis. Gap is rolling out product collections as part of the campaign where purchases support Water.org's microfinance solutions. Partnership announced at Davos 2026 as part of World Economic Forum's CEO Brief series.
- AmazonflagshipAmazon is a founding partner of Get Blue, contributing through Alexa donations and Amazon Music streaming integrations where customers can support Water.org. Partnership aims to bring water solutions to 200 million people by 2030.
- StarbucksflagshipStarbucks is a founding partner of Get Blue, rolling out specialty drinks as part of the campaign. Since 2022, Starbucks has supported Water.org's work in water-stressed areas in Brazil, Mexico, and Peru, helping change more than 150,000 lives with safe water or sanitation.
- WaterEquityflagshipWater.org co-founded WaterEquity as an impact investment manager dedicated to ending the global water crisis. Water.org provides technical assistance to strengthen WaterEquity's Everspring Fund and partner institutions' water and sanitation lending capabilities.
- COFIDE (Peru's Development Bank)coreCOFIDE issued its second blue bond on the local market, raising S/ 120 million (~$35.3 million) to finance water and sanitation projects in rural and peri-urban areas. The bond supports families with microloans for water infrastructure through collaboration with Water.org.
- Stella Artois (Anheuser-Busch InBev)coreSince 2015, Stella Artois and Water.org have helped provide access to safe water for more than 5.7 million people in the developing world through limited edition Chalices and other product purchases.
- Water UKminorWater UK represents water companies and has warned about designating river bathing areas before they are safe, reflecting ongoing water quality concerns in the UK.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Water.org competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- charity: water: charity: water is a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on funding clean water access in developing countries, the most direct peer to Water.org in mission and donor base, though it relies primarily on grant-funded well construction rather than microfinance.
- WaterAid: WaterAid is a global nonprofit focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries, operating across multiple geographies with similar programmatic goals and donor-driven funding model.
- Water For People: Water For People is a U.S.-based nonprofit working on sustainable drinking water and sanitation in developing countries, with comparable geographic reach, donor-funded model, and WASH focus to Water.org.
- WaterAid America: WaterAid America is the U.S. affiliate of WaterAid, focused on WASH advocacy and fundraising in the U.S., directly comparable as a fundraising-and-program-delivery peer competing for the same donor pool.
- Lifewater International: Lifewater is a faith-based nonprofit that provides clean water and sanitation in rural communities across Africa and Asia, directly comparable to Water.org in mission, funding model, and end beneficiaries.
- DIGDEEP: DIGDEEP is a U.S. nonprofit focused on water access in the U.S. and internationally, with similar mission framing and donor-funded operating model to Water.org.
- One Drop: One Drop is an international nonprofit focused on sustainable access to safe water in developing countries, with similar program design, donor-funded model, and WASH-focused mission.
Broad incumbents
- Grameen Foundation: Grameen Foundation pioneered microfinance globally and applies it across multiple development verticals. It is comparable to Water.org on the microfinance-for-development model but operates more broadly beyond WASH.
- Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit that finances and builds housing infrastructure, including water/sanitation components, in developing countries. Comparable as a large-scale development nonprofit with a microfinance-adjacent funding model.
Emerging players
- WaterEquity: WaterEquity is an impact investment manager co-founded by Water.org, providing patient capital to water and sanitation lenders. It is directly comparable to Water.org's impact-investing arm and to Water.org's broader financial-inclusion approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Water.org social profiles
Digital presenceWater.org compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Water.org financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Water.org leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Water.org funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Water.org M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Water.org
What does Water.org do?
Water.org funds and scales access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries through the WaterCredit small-loan model, channeled via local microfinance institutions and partner banks, complemented by the WaterEquity impact-investment fund and the WaterConnect utility-infrastructure program. The organization also runs the Get Blue global consumer movement to drive awareness and fundraising.
Is Water.org a public or private company?
Water.org is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Water.org founded?
Water.org was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Water.org based?
Water.org is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Water.org make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Water.org's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are charity: water, WaterAid, Water For People, WaterAid America, Lifewater International, DIGDEEP and One Drop. Broad incumbents are Grameen Foundation and Habitat for Humanity International. WaterEquity is listed as an emerging player.
Does Water.org have an API?
No public API is recorded for Water.org.
What industry is Water.org in?
Water.org's product category is Water and Sanitation Microfinance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAIAG, WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene), with a secondary code of BPAGAGAK, Water Resources & Watershed Protection. Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4941.