FACE Africa
FACE Africa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-based water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in rural Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya, serving vulnerable sub-Saharan African communities and partnering with local WASH Committees for long-term infrastructure ownership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What FACE Africa does
FACE Africa is a U.S.-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 26-1443101) headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts with field operations based in Monrovia, Liberia. Founded in 2009 by Liberian-American activist Saran Kaba Jones, the organization implements community-based Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs in rural sub-Saharan Africa, currently active in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya, and reports having reached 500,000 to 700,000 people since inception.
The organization's service model combines physical WASH infrastructure deployment, including household water filters, hand-dug and drilled wells, latrines, and rainwater catchment systems, with multi-month community engagement, hygiene and health education, and the formation of locally governed WASH Committees (with women constituting more than half of membership) that assume long-term operations and maintenance responsibility. Projects are built with local materials and labor, and ownership is formally transferred to the community upon completion. Complementary offerings include women's economic empowerment programming, menstrual hygiene and vaccine awareness education, and capacity-building training in financial management for water committees.
FACE Africa is funded through individual tax-deductible donations, a recurring $20-per-month giving program branded Janjay Giving, annual gala-based fundraising, and institutional partnerships, most notably a core relationship with the Well-Built Foundation (formerly the Brogdon Family Foundation) co-founded by former NBA player Malcolm Brogdon. The organization carries a Candid Platinum Seal of transparency, has been profiled in CNN, Forbes, BBC, and the Boston Globe, and is governed by a board that includes media executive Abiola Oke as Board Chair, Maria Weaver, and the Brogdons.
FACE Africa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FACE Africa
- Legal name
- FACE Africa
- Website
- https://faceafrica.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- FACE Africa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-based water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in rural Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya, serving vulnerable sub-Saharan African communities and partnering with local WASH Committees for long-term infrastructure ownership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FACE Africa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Waste Management and Remediation Services (562), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI), WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG), WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI)
Keywords
Where FACE Africa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
FACE Africa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individual donors supporting WASH programs in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Monthly Giving Program (Janjay Giving): Recurring monthly donations of $20 or more through the Janjay Giving program, offering donors a limited edition notebook with artwork as a thank you gift.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Janjay Giving Monthly Program - $20/month minimum donation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
FACE Africa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FACE Africa implements community-based Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs in rural sub-Saharan Africa, deploying household water filters, hand-dug and drilled wells, latrines, and rainwater catchments using local materials and labor. The organization co-creates each program with beneficiary communities over multi-month engagement cycles, transfers ownership upon completion, and trains women-majority local WASH Committees in health, hygiene, financial management, and operations and maintenance.
Product overview
FACE Africa is a women-led nonprofit organization operating a unified service model focused on expanding access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in sub-Saharan Africa. The organization implements community-based WASH programs including clean water solutions (household water filters, hand dug and drilled wells, latrines, rainwater catchments), combined with comprehensive training and capacity building for local water committees. Programs emphasize gender equality with women-majority WASH Committees and include health education, nutrition awareness, vaccine awareness, and menstrual hygiene components. The portfolio includes partnerships such as the Well-Built Foundation collaboration supporting community water projects across East and West Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Programs Community-based Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene programs providing clean water access through household water filters, hand-dug and drilled wells, latrines, and rainwater catchments, combined with hygiene education and sanitation training, delivered free of charge to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Community Capacity Building and Training Programs Multi-month training and capacity-building programs that empower local water committees in health, hygiene, financial management, and infrastructure maintenance, with every WASH Committee consisting of more than half women to ensure gender equality and sustained local ownership.
Quantifiable outcome
- 700,000+ people reached since 2009
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use FACE Africa
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FACE Africa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
FACE Africa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Well-Built Foundation (formerly Brogdon Family Foundation)coreThe Well-Built Foundation, co-founded by Malcolm and Victoria Brogdon (who joined FACE Africa's board in 2026), partners with FACE Africa to address water insecurity in West Africa. The foundation has supported more than 10 active community water projects, helping deliver sustainable access to clean water while improving health and sanitation outcomes in underserved communities. Malcolm Brogdon is a former NBA player with a distinguished career including NBA Rookie of the Year (2017) and NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2023).
- CNNminorMedia coverage and feature stories about FACE Africa's work in Liberia, including Marketplace Africa segment
- ForbesminorFeature coverage of Founder Saran Kaba Jones and FACE Africa's water legacy work
- World Economic ForumminorFounder Saran Kaba Jones recognized as a Young Global Leader; FACE Africa work featured in WEF content
- Rural Water Supply NetworkminorExecutive Director Pauline Egan serves as a mentor with Rural Water Supply Network & Agenda for Change
- Deloitte Women in Africa InitiativeminorExecutive Director Pauline Egan participates as a mentor in the Deloitte Women in Africa Initiative
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
FACE Africa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Water For People: Nonprofit working to ensure universal and sustained access to water and sanitation in developing countries. Operates in Africa and Latin America with district-wide program models emphasizing sustainability.
- WaterAid: Global nonprofit focused exclusively on WASH access in low-income countries. Comparable as a mission-aligned WASH NGO operating across Africa and Asia, with similar community-based program models and donor-supported funding structure.
- Blood:Water: Nonprofit partnering with African organizations to deliver clean water and HIV/AIDS support. Comparable peer operating in sub-Saharan Africa with community-empowerment WASH models.
- Water.org: Pioneer in market-based WASH solutions co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White. Comparable as a WASH-focused nonprofit operating in Africa with sustainability-oriented program design.
- charity: water: Leading nonprofit funding clean water projects in developing countries. Comparable direct peer with strong brand, individual donor base, and project-based WASH delivery in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Lifewater International: Christian nonprofit providing clean water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable peer focused on rural community WASH programs with donor-supported funding.
- Wells Bring Hope: Smaller-scale nonprofit funding well drilling in West Africa (with significant Liberia presence). Comparable peer with similar geographic focus and community-based WASH delivery model.
Emerging players
- Engineers Without Borders: Nonprofit deploying engineering volunteers to deliver WASH and infrastructure in developing countries. Partial overlap on community water projects in Africa with similar sustainability orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Samaritan's Purse: Large international relief nonprofit with significant WASH programming in Africa. Comparable as a broader humanitarian organization with overlapping WASH portfolio and large-scale donor base.
Regional players
- Africa Water Wells: Nonprofit focused on drilling and maintaining water wells across sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable regional peer with similar well-based WASH delivery and donor-supported model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FACE Africa social profiles
Digital presenceFACE Africa compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
FACE Africa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FACE Africa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
FACE Africa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FACE Africa 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 FACE Africa
What does FACE Africa do?
FACE Africa implements community-based Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs in rural sub-Saharan Africa, deploying household water filters, hand-dug and drilled wells, latrines, and rainwater catchments using local materials and labor. The organization co-creates each program with beneficiary communities over multi-month engagement cycles, transfers ownership upon completion, and trains women-majority local WASH Committees in health, hygiene, financial management, and operations and maintenance.
Is FACE Africa a public or private company?
FACE Africa is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FACE Africa founded?
FACE Africa was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FACE Africa based?
FACE Africa is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does FACE Africa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are monthly Giving Program (Janjay Giving).
Who are FACE Africa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Water For People, WaterAid, Blood:Water, Water.org, charity: water, Lifewater International and Wells Bring Hope. Engineers Without Borders is listed as an emerging player. Samaritan's Purse is listed as a broad incumbent. Africa Water Wells is listed as a regional player.
Does FACE Africa have an API?
No public API is recorded for FACE Africa.
What industry is FACE Africa in?
FACE Africa's product category is Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAC, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), with a secondary code of BPAGALAI, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions. Its NAICS code is 562 and its SIC code is 4941.