Paani Project

What Paani Project does

Paani Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2017 by Sikander 'Sonny' Khan and Arhum Arshad at the University of Michigan and headquartered in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The organization delivers clean water, food security, healthcare, and shelter interventions to underserved communities in Pakistan, with operations spanning Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Punjab, plus a Capstone Project supporting Syrian refugees in Jordan. Its core product is sustainable water well construction (hand pumps at $200 serving ~50 people, deep wells at $600 serving ~200 people, and Solar Water Centers at up to $17,000), extended by programs in orphan relief, famine relief, flood relief, mobile clinics, shelter (Mera Apna Ghar), and economic development. Paani has cumulatively raised over $10M, built more than 30,000 wells (40,000+ per the latest website copy), served over 1 million people with clean water, and delivered 2.5 million meals.

The underlying technology stack consists of a custom-built end-to-end donation tracking system and a Donor Portal deployed on Microsoft Power Apps that provides authenticated donors with project tracking, dedication updates, and documentation access (60+ photos, completion videos, water quality reports per project). Fundraising operations run on LaunchGood (peer-to-peer campaigns), DonorBox (payment processing), and Double the Donation (corporate matching search). The business model is donation-based: approximately 96% of contributions go directly to program spend with ~4% covering operations, and revenue streams are split across individual donations, corporate matching programs, and campaign-driven fundraising. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging 1,000+ volunteers and university student organizations across 15+ US campuses, with concentrated seasonal surges around Ramadan, Zakat, and Qurbani, supplemented by high-profile partnerships (Kyrie Irving) and earned media placements (Forbes 30 Under 30, Diana Legacy Award, TIME 100 Rising Stars).

Name

Paani Project

Legal name

Paani

Website

https://paaniproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paani Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and constructs clean water wells, delivers famine and flood relief, and runs orphan care and mobile health programs in Pakistan, supported by a network of US university chapters and individual donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAEAK

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

SECONDARYIMAFAGAA

Water Treatment Plant Construction (Drinking Water)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Construction & Civil Engineering/Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Construction

Keywords

• Clean water access
• Humanitarian aid
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Disaster relief
• Water well construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Paani generates revenue through individual donations, corporate matching programs, and campaign-based fundraising. Donors can contribute to specific initiatives like wells, orphan relief, famine relief, or general funds. The organization reports that approximately 96% of donations go directly to building wells, with roughly 4% supporting operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Paani Project constructs sustainable water wells and delivers integrated humanitarian relief programs—including orphan care packages, famine and flood relief, mobile healthcare clinics, shelter, and economic development—in rural Pakistan and Jordan, funded through individual donations, corporate matching, and volunteer-driven campaigns. The organization operates its own field teams with vetted contractors in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, and supports a Donor Portal built on Microsoft Power Apps for tracking project impact.

Product overview

Paani Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering humanitarian aid programs focused on clean water, food security, healthcare, and shelter in Pakistan. The core portfolio includes water well construction (Wells Relief), orphan support (Orphan Relief), famine and flood relief, mobile healthcare clinics, and economic development initiatives. Supporting digital tools include a Donor Portal for tracking project impact, a Zakat Calculator for Islamic charitable calculations, and corporate matching services. The organization operates primarily through partnerships with LaunchGood for fundraising campaigns and DonorBox for payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wells Relief Construction of sustainable water wells providing clean drinking water to rural communities in Pakistan; each well serves 80+ people and is built using high-quality materials by vetted local contractors in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
• Orphan Relief Critical care packages providing essential resources and hope to hundreds of vulnerable orphaned children in Pakistan.
• Famine Relief Emergency food package distribution providing meals to families in crisis during disasters and hardship; over 2.5 million meals delivered to date.
• Flood Relief Long-term recovery support for communities affected by Pakistan's devastating floods, including home rebuilding and ongoing assistance.
• Mobile Clinic Healthcare services delivered to underserved communities through mobile medical facilities serving rural Pakistan.
• Mera Apna Ghar Shelter and housing support program for families in need, providing rebuilding and home construction assistance in rural Pakistan.
• Economic Impact Program Economic development initiatives supporting community sustainability, livelihood programs, and long-term self-sufficiency in communities served.
• Solar Water Center Solar-powered water treatment and distribution centers providing sustainable clean water access at scale; built in collaboration with NBA stars.
• Ramadan Program Special Ramadan-focused initiatives including Zakat donations, Sadaqah, and Ramadan-specific relief efforts supporting wells, food, and orphan care.
• Qurbani / Udhiyah Program Islamic sacrifice donation program distributing fresh, quality meat to deserving families during Eid ul Adha.
• Donor Portal Authenticated web portal allowing donors to track donation impact, follow project progress, update dedications, access documents, and view photos from supported communities.
• Zakat Calculator Online calculator tool enabling Muslims to calculate their annual Zakat obligation based on assets, Nisab thresholds, and Islamic principles.
• Corporate Matching Program Employer donation matching program allowing donors to maximize their charitable impact by having their employer match contributions; integrates with the Double the Donation matching search tool and supports stock/bond and volunteer hour matches up to a year after the original donation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ sustainable wells providing clean water to rural communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LaunchGoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLaunchGood serves as Paani's primary fundraising campaign platform, enabling volunteers to create personalized fundraisers with customizable goals, stories, and deadlines. The platform integrates social sharing and provides a streamlined donation collection process for well construction projects.
• University Student OrganizationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of university Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) and Pakistani Student Associations serve as grassroots fundraising chapters, organizing campaigns, events, and awareness activities. Partner universities include University of Michigan, UCLA, NYU, USC, UNC Chapel Hill, Wayne State, UC Riverside, Rutgers, DePaul, Brooklyn College, Eastern Michigan, Georgia State, Cleveland State, NYIT, and Cal State Fullerton.
• Double DonationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate matching search platform that allows donors to find and verify if their employer participates in donation matching programs. Integrated into Paani's corporate matching workflow.
• Vetted Well ContractorscoreOthersLocal contractors vetted by Paani's partner teams in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa construct wells under direct supervision. These contractors have been vetted for quality, integrity, and adherence to construction standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WaterAid: WaterAid is a major international NGO focused on clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in low-income countries. It overlaps Paani's water-access mission and operates at greater institutional scale with foundation and government funding.
• charity: water: charity: water is a leading US-based nonprofit funding clean water access in developing countries. It directly mirrors Paani's wells-based mission, donor-portal transparency, and individual-donor fundraising model, making it the most comparable peer.
• Muslim Aid USA: Muslim Aid operates Zakat-eligible water, food, and orphan programs globally. Comparable fundraising calendar (Ramadan/Qurbani) and humanitarian product set with similar geographic focus on South Asia.
• Islamic Relief USA: Islamic Relief USA operates Zakat, Sadaqah, and Ramadan giving programs plus humanitarian relief (water, food, orphan care) — directly comparable to Paani's Muslim-donor-aligned product mix.
• Penny Appeal USA: Penny Appeal is a faith-inspired humanitarian NGO running water wells, orphan sponsorship, and emergency relief. Comparable product portfolio and donor base, particularly among Muslim American donors.

Emerging players

• Human Concern International: Human Concern International runs orphan sponsorship, water wells, and food security programs with Islamic-aligned donor engagement. Comparable product set though smaller scale.
• Water Wells for Africa: Water Wells for Africa is a smaller water-focused NGO with comparable well-construction model. Geographic focus on Africa rather than South Asia makes it more adjacent than direct.

Regional players

• Pakistan Children's Relief Fund: PCRF is a regionally focused nonprofit delivering healthcare and humanitarian relief in Pakistan. Comparable geographic concentration and water/health mission, though its core product is medical rather than wells.

Broad incumbents

• Direct Relief: Direct Relief is a large humanitarian aid organization with emergency response and health-delivery programs. Comparable in transparency ethos and direct aid model, though broader in portfolio.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a large established humanitarian organization delivering water, food, and emergency relief globally. It serves overlapping beneficiaries in Pakistan but at materially greater scale and broader program scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PaaniProject
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@paani7430
• Facebookfacebook.com/PaaniProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paani
• Instagraminstagram.com/paaniproject
• TikToktiktok.com/@paaniproject

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paani Project