Water is Life Kenya

What Water is Life Kenya does

Water is Life Kenya is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 26-3185829) founded in 2007 by Delaware native Joyce Tannian and Kenyan-born Joseph Larasha. Headquartered at 314 E Main St, Kelway Plaza, Suite 2, Newark, DE 19711, the organization operates with a 16-person team and is purpose-built to deliver clean water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and economic empowerment programs to marginalized communities in Kenya. Its programmatic portfolio spans the Clean Water/WASH Projects (including boreholes such as the Olepolos Community Borehole, operating for over 10 years), the Livestock as a Business (LAB) training program, the Hope for Widows initiative (goats and grants), a Youth Entrepreneur Program, Student Sponsorships, the WILK-TEC Fund, and the Global Linkages Water Project.

The business model is donation-driven and segmented across multiple giving vehicles. Individual donors contribute through preset one-time and recurring tiers ranging from $25 to $1,000, with monthly giving emphasized as a base of operational support; preset higher tiers gate entry to the Kilimanjaro Club, a 90-member high-donor society. Legacy giving options include wills, retirement plan assets, life insurance, IRA charitable rollovers (up to $100,000 for donors 70½ or older), and appreciated property. The organization also accepts digital asset donations (XRP and others), PayPal, Venmo, Network for Good online donations, mailed checks, and runs an e-commerce shop (shop.waterislifekenya.org) selling handmade Kenyan beaded handicrafts that supports local artisan income.

Water is Life Kenya distributes programs exclusively in Kenya, but solicits donations globally through its website (waterislifekenya.org), social and video channels (YouTube), email appeals, and peer-to-peer payment platforms. Donor engagement includes monthly update letters from the Executive Director, year-end tax summaries, tribute/memorial giving, and an active matching-gift campaign for new monthly donors. No specific annual revenue figure is disclosed; the organization is privately held with no parent company, no institutional investors, and no funding rounds, with ownership and control resting with the founding leadership.

Name

Water is Life Kenya

Legal name

Water Is Life Kenya Inc

Website

https://waterislifekenya.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Water is Life Kenya is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit co-founded in 2007 that runs clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and economic empowerment programs for marginalized communities in Kenya, funded primarily by individual donors, legacy gifts, and an e-commerce handicraft shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid & Nonprofit Community Development

NAICS

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

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAC

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPAGALAI

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Clean water access
• Sanitation hygiene programs
• Community development
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Economic empowerment

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Monthly donors provide base of support with flexibility for ground operations in Kenya. Donation options include preset amounts ($25-$1,000) and custom amounts with various frequencies (weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, annually).
2. Legacy Giving: Planned giving options including gifts in wills, IRA charitable rollovers (up to $100,000 for donors 70½ or older), gifts of retirement plan assets, life insurance, and appreciated property. Tax ID: 26-3185829.
3. Digital Asset Donations: Accepts XRP and other digital assets as donations.
4. E-commerce Sales: Online shop selling handmade Kenyan beaded handicrafts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Water is Life Kenya is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects (including borehole drilling) along with economic empowerment programs (Livestock as a Business, Hope for Widows, Youth Entrepreneur, and Student Sponsorships) to marginalized communities in Kenya. Funding comes from individual donations, planned/legacy gifts, digital asset contributions, and a complementary e-commerce shop selling handmade Kenyan beaded handicrafts.

Product overview

Water is Life Kenya is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering community development programs focused on clean water access, economic empowerment, and humanitarian aid. The organization operates multiple programs including Clean Water/Sanitation/Hygiene (WASH) projects, Livestock as a Business training, Hope for Widows support, Youth Entrepreneur development, Student Sponsorships, and a technology fund (WILK-TEC). Additionally, they operate an e-commerce shop selling handmade Kenyan beaded handicrafts. The organization was co-founded by Joyce Tannian and Joseph Larasha in 2007.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• Olepolos Community Borehole operating successfully for over 10 years

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wine To Water: Wine To Water is a nonprofit focused on providing clean water to people in need worldwide, including African communities, with a grassroots donor-driven model similar to WILK's individual giving approach.
• Pump Aid: Pump Aid is an international WASH-focused nonprofit operating primarily in sub-Saharan Africa (including Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone), providing sustainable water access. Comparable small-staff WASH nonprofit model.
• Lifewater International: Lifewater International is a Christian nonprofit providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to rural communities in Africa, drilling wells and training local leaders. Comparable in mission, rural WASH focus, and donor-base model.
• The Water Project: The Water Project is a nonprofit funding clean water access in sub-Saharan Africa, drilling and maintaining boreholes in Kenyan communities, with a similar donor-driven sustainer model and borehole-tracking transparency focus.
• Living Water International: Living Water International is a faith-based nonprofit that drills and rehabilitates wells, provides sanitation, and shares hope through the gospel in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Comparable donor-funded WASH infrastructure delivery model.
• Wells Bring Hope: Wells Bring Hope funds the drilling of wells in Niger and other African nations, with a focus on women's empowerment through water access. Comparable small-scale nonprofit, WASH-in-Africa focus, and individual-donor fundraising model.
• charity: water: charity: water is a leading nonprofit funding clean water and sanitation projects in developing countries, with a donor-driven, project-tracking model that closely mirrors WILK's WASH mission and individual-donor fundraising approach.

Emerging players

• Blood:Water Mission: Blood:Water Mission partners with African organizations to deliver clean water and HIV/AIDS support, with a lean partner-led model and similar donor base of individual supporters in the US.

Broad incumbents

• WaterAid: WaterAid is a major international nonprofit focused exclusively on water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries, operating across multiple African nations including Kenya with broader institutional reach than WILK.
• Water.org: Founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org is a large-scale WASH-focused nonprofit operating water and sanitation programs across multiple countries in Africa and Asia, with a Financial Services Framework approach to water access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterislifekenya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Water is Life Kenya