What Thirst Project does

Thirst Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 by Seth Maxwell and headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, with 68 employees. Itself branded as the world's largest youth water organization, it funds and delivers clean water infrastructure—primarily hand-pump borehole wells, supplemented by bio-sand household filters and full Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (W.A.S.H.) programming—in 13 developing countries across Africa, Central America, South America, and Asia, with embedded country directors in the Kingdom of eSwatini, Uganda, and El Salvador. To date it reports 3,560+ projects serving 655,927+ people, and it has set a country-level goal of 100% safe-water coverage in eSwatini (currently at 69%). Project quality is governed by a Water Project Technical Board of five licensed civil engineers and hydrogeologists that reviews all site assessments, quotes, pump tests, and water quality tests quarterly, and by community-side requirements of sweat equity and trained water committees intended to deliver 40+ year well lifespans. GIS-based project management tracks all completed and in-process wells.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through charitable giving. The organization runs a "100% donation model" in which 100% of public donations are directed to water projects, while a Board of Governors covers 100% of administrative costs. Streams include individual public donations, corporate sponsorships (25+ named partners including Liquid Death, Morton Salt, Lionsgate, Follett, Kiwanis International, Temple Hill Entertainment, 72andSunny, and MacKnight Food Group), and student-led fundraising. Go-to-market is a youth-activism model: a field sales–style School Tour (now the Trailblazer Program) delivers free 40–45 minute presentations to K-12 and college students who then commit to raise at least $500 each, supplemented by the annual Thirst Gala (a celebrity-hosted major-donor event in its 17th year), the Legacy Summit student leadership conference, a network of student-led Thirst Project Clubs, and cause-marketing campaigns integrated into consumer brands. Infrastructure is conventional nonprofit: Classy for donation processing, Salesforce (with Shield encryption) for donor data, and Google Analytics for web analytics.

Name

Thirst Project

Legal name

The Thirst Project, Inc.

Website

https://thirstproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Thirst Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that funds clean water wells and W.A.S.H. programs in 13 developing countries, activating a youth-activism model where students and corporate partners (Liquid Death, Morton Salt, Kiwanis, etc.) raise 100% of public donations for project delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clean Water Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI), WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG)

Keywords

• Clean water access
• Youth water activism
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Water well construction
• WASH programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles, CA

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Donations: Individual donations from the public that go 100% directly to funding well projects. The organization's Board of Governors covers all administrative costs separately.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide financial support, products, skills, experience, and marketing support. Includes annual Gala sponsorships and campaign content creation.
3. Student Fundraising: Students and schools raise funds through clubs, campaigns, and events. Funds go directly to water projects in developing countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Thirst Project builds freshwater wells and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure in developing countries, funded through a youth-activism fundraising model. The organization sends speakers to schools for free presentations that mobilize students to fundraise at least $500 per school to fund clean water projects. The organization also constructs Bio-Sand Water Filters, installs pit latrines, and conducts hygiene training in communities served. All public donations go 100% directly to water projects, with administrative costs covered by a Board of Governors.

Product overview

Thirst Project is a nonprofit youth water organization operating as a single unified mission with multiple programmatic offerings. The core products include the Trailblazer Program (school presentations), Student Fundraising Platform (online fundraising tools), and Water Well Projects (well construction with W.A.S.H. programs). Supporting offerings include the Thirst Gala and Legacy Summit annual events, Thirst Project Clubs, and an Internship Program with positions like Digital Marketing Intern. The organization also provides educational resources including the Club Starter Kit and Standards for Sustainability documentation. All programs work together to educate students about the global water crisis and mobilize fundraising for clean water projects in developing countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Well Projects Construction of hand pump freshwater wells in developing communities. Projects include community engagement, water committee formation, sanitation training, and ongoing maintenance support with wells designed to last 40+ years.
• W.A.S.H. Programs
• Bio-Sand Water Filters
• Trailblazer Program
• Thirst Project Clubs
• Student Fundraising Platform
• Thirst Gala
• Legacy Summit
• Internship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,560+ clean water projects completed serving 655,927+ people in 13 countries
• +5 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kiwanis International / Key Club / Circle KcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to create campaign content raising awareness of the global water crisis and raising funds. Kiwanis is a 100-year-old organization with hundreds of thousands of student members.
• Liquid DeathcoreGTM or Marketing Partner"Punk Rock" water company whose mission is to 'murder your thirst.' Each can sold unlocks a donation back to Thirst Project and two other non-profit partners.
• Morton SaltcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated music videos with OK GO and brought water crisis awareness through 'Every Drop Journey' campaign.
• LionsgateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromoted 'Saban's Power Rangers' in exchange for funding safe, clean water for a community in Swaziland.
• FollettcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPowers the annual School Tour, creates 'Dirty Little Secret' campaign, sponsors the Thirst Gala.
• ContikiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored campaigns and gives away free trips to best student fundraisers to see water crises firsthand.
• Temple Hill EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWyck & Mary Godfrey fund annual operations budget; Temple Hill creates introductions to celebrity & influencer friends.
• ZoxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHas provided over 100,000 years of clean water to those in need through their product sales.
• Paul Mitchell SchoolscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerYoung beauty professionals raise millions annually for Thirst Project. Supported by Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation.
• Tea DropsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWith every purchase, Tea Drops donates 50 cents to provide a year's supply of clean water to one person in need.
• SturminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWith each order, Stur donates one year of clean drinking water to a person in need.
• Stance SocksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLimited edition 'Drip Drop' sock on World Water Day provided one person with 20 years of clean water. Sold out in less than a week.
• Six Hats Supply CominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCanadian company giving 6 people clean water for one year with each hat sold. Provided over 50,000 years of clean water.
• 72andSunnycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFunds operations budget, makes participation in President Clinton's Clinton Global Initiative possible, engineers campaigns with brand partners.
• Adore MeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPledged to give 1% of collaborative collection sales to ending the global water crisis.
• 20th Century FoxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported with titles including 'Maze Runner: Scorch Trials' in 2015, funding multiple water projects.
• DoSomething.orgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAwarded grants to fund school programs and freshwater projects. Together architected Water Walk campaigns.
• VIZIOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered at VidCon with TVs and dunk tanks. Awarded Thirst Project Vision Award in 2016.
• Not Vodka WaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvery bottle sold gives $1 to clean water projects.
• APEX Leadership Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts 'Fun Run' fundraisers across the nation, with a portion going to Thirst Project.
• Tender GreensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCustomers can end the water crisis with each online order.
• 1% for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization that matches businesses with non-profits. Over 3,000 members committed.
• Clinton Global InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of CGI and CGI U. Makes commitments with other members to end the water crisis and mentors college students.
• Encore Event TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides AV wizardry and donations for the annual Thirst Gala. Also funds their own freshwater wells.
• First in ServiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel management partner that gets Thirst Project where they need to go for Gala and events.
• Legacy Youth LeadershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate partner organization whose volunteers staff Thirst Project's US operations. Enables the 100% fundraising model.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blood:Water: WASH nonprofit focused on sub-Saharan Africa with a strong youth-engagement and music-driven fundraising model (similar to Thirst Project's Trailblazer/Trailblazer Speaker approach). Comparable audience and mission with a more narrow geographic focus on HIV/AIDS-affected communities.
• Water Mission: Christian-engineering WASH nonprofit operating in 60+ countries with in-house engineering and a focus on disaster-response water systems. Highly comparable technical-rigor positioning (engineering-led, quality-tested systems) and similar well-construction model, though at a larger global scale.
• Living Water International: Faith-based WASH nonprofit operating in 30+ countries with deep drilling rig capacity and community-development programs. Direct overlap in well-drilling methodology and country footprint, with comparable scale and similar 40-year durability claims.
• Generosity.org: WASH nonprofit founded in 2008 (same year as Thirst Project) focused on drilling wells in developing countries through individual donors and corporate partners. Direct overlap in founding era, mission, partner model, and youth-engagement fundraising approach.
• Water For People: US-based WASH nonprofit founded in 1990, working in 9 countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Direct overlap in well-construction and community-ownership model; comparable scale and geographic reach, but with a longer operating history and stronger institutional-grant orientation.
• DigDeep: US-based WASH nonprofit focusing on water access in the US and internationally, with a strong rights-based advocacy angle. Comparable mission and well-construction approach, with a smaller operational footprint than Thirst Project but similar community-ownership model.
• charity: water: Founded in 2006, charity: water is the most direct competitor in the WASH nonprofit space for individual-donor fundraising. Operates with a 100% model similar to Thirst Project, funds well construction in developing countries, and competes for the same donor mindshare around clean water in the US.
• Water.org: Co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org is a major WASH nonprofit focused on financial solutions and water/sanitation access in the developing world. Comparable in mission scope and global reach, with a more capital-markets-oriented model that complements but overlaps with Thirst Project's direct well funding.
• Wells Bring Hope: Smaller WASH nonprofit funding well-drilling in Niger and West Africa, with a focus on women and girls' education. Closer in size to a fraction of Thirst Project but directly comparable in well-funding model and donor narrative around education and water access.

Broad incumbents

• WaterAid: International WASH nonprofit operating in 30+ countries with a broader systems and policy focus. Larger and more established than Thirst Project, with a comparable mission and overlapping geographic footprint, but operates more through institutional/government partnerships than youth fundraising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thirstproject
• YouTubeyoutube.com/thirstproject
• Facebookfacebook.com/thirstproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/thirstproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thirst-project

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Thirst Project