Water Is Right Foundation

Name

Water Is Right Foundation

Legal name

Water Is Right Foundation

Website

https://waterisright.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Sanitation Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Clean water access
• Water sanitation nonprofit
• Sustainable water infrastructure
• Water dispenser rental
• WASH project implementation

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Dispenser Rental Program: WIR rents water dispensers to businesses (offices, hotels, restaurants, concerts, public facilities). 10% of rental fees contribute directly to water projects under the #DrinkWaterGiveWater motto. Tour dispensers have accompanied artists like Udo Lindenberg, Apache 207, and Coldplay.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Long-term partnerships with companies providing various support: per-unit donations (Techem donates €1 per cubic meter consumed), per-liter donations (CERVO donates CHF 1 per liter sold), vehicle donations (Stern Auto), IT infrastructure (Heidelberg iT), and co-branded merchandise.
3. Individual Donations: Online donations from private individuals supporting specific projects or general foundation operations. Also includes corporate donations, deposit donations (SV Sandhausen), and employee giving programs (Opta Data).
4. Project Financing: Companies and individuals can sponsor specific water and sanitation projects at four funding levels: Level 1 (€5,000-20,000), Level 2 (€20,000-50,000), Level 3 (€50,000-100,000), and Special Projects (€100,000+).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Water Is Right Foundation rents WIR water dispensers to businesses, venues, and public institutions, with 10% of rental fees funding clean water and sanitation projects. The foundation implements direct field projects (wells, water treatment plants, Waterbox systems, Water Trucks, hospital sanitation upgrades) in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Haiti through local partnerships. Project sponsorship is offered at four funding levels ranging from €5,000 to over €100,000.

Product overview

The Water Is Right Foundation operates as a non-profit organization providing clean water and sanitation solutions globally. The core product portfolio centers on water dispensing equipment (WIR Water Dispensers) for various settings including offices, hospitality, concerts, and public institutions, along with water treatment systems (Waterbox) and mobile water delivery solutions (Water Truck). These products are supported by the #DrinkWaterGiveWater initiative that links water dispenser usage to direct funding of water projects. The Foundation's Culture of Maintenance program ensures local communities can sustainably operate and maintain water infrastructure independently. Projects span multiple countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Haiti, and address water access, sanitation facilities, and drought relief.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waterbox: A self-developed water treatment system for public use, designed to be nearly maintenance-free and requiring only twice-yearly checks. Provides autonomous water supply for communities.
• WIR Water Dispensers
• #DrinkWaterGiveWater (#DWGW)

Products and services

• WIR Water Dispenser (WIR Wasserspender) A filtered water dispensing machine rented to businesses, hospitality venues, concerts, schools, and public institutions in Germany and internationally. Replaces bottled water with filtered drinking water and channels 10% of rental fees to Water Is Right clean water and sanitation projects. For 10-employee companies, annual dispenser cost (€46) is shown as substantially below bottled water (€1,380).
• Waterbox A compact, foundation-developed water treatment system for off-grid communities. Uses UV purification combined with capillary membrane and carbon block filtration (99.9999% bacteria reduction), with near-maintenance-free operation requiring only twice-yearly inspections. Deployments include St. Joseph House of Hope (Mombasa, Kenya) serving 400 students and Ziwa la N'Gombe Public School (Mombasa) serving 2,000+ people.
• Water Truck A mobile water delivery service using trucks to transport water to drought-affected and underserved communities. Creates local employment and trains community members; 200 liters are sufficient for 6-10 persons per day. Used for drought relief in Kenya's Kilifi County.
• Water and Sanitation Project Financing Sponsorship of specific water and sanitation projects at four funding levels: Level 1 (€5,000-€20,000) for wells, filters, latrines, and sanitation training; Level 2 (€20,000-€50,000) for water treatment plants and training; Level 3 (€50,000-€100,000) for large water supply and irrigation systems; and Special Projects (€100,000+) for large-scale regional transformation with governments and local organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5+ million people provided with sustainable access to clean water and sanitation since 2011
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Udo Lindenberg StiftungflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Long-term strategic partnership with Udo Lindenberg Foundation. Joint projects include water supply for nearly 5,000 people in Kenya. Co-funding of €55,000 project in Mombasa (€35,000 from Udo Lindenberg Stiftung). Collaborative approach working on Augenhöhe (eye level) with local communities.
• UN-HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation with UN-Habitat network for project selection and implementation. UN-Habitat Messenger of Truth recognition. Mathare Youth Centre officially accredited as UN-Habitat One Stop Youth Centre. Collaboration on water and sanitation projects in informal settlements.
• Techem GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner donating €1 per cubic meter of water consumed. Techem is a major energy and water service provider. Partnership creates ongoing donation stream based on water consumption.
• CERVO Mountain ResortcoreGTM or Marketing Partner5-star Swiss mountain resort donates CHF 1 per liter of table water sold. Visible partnership promoting #DrinkWaterGiveWater to affluent guest demographic.
• Stern Auto GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGermany's largest Mercedes-Benz dealer provides two vehicles to support foundation operations and project implementation.
• Heidelberg iT Management GmbH & Co. KGcoreTechnology or IntegrationIT infrastructure partner providing cloud services, data center support, and IT services. Donates €5 per WIR-Bottle given as corporate giveaway. Switched all offices to WIR water dispensers. Initiates WIR campaigns in their networks.
• DERTOUR FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit foundation established in 2014 by DER Touristik travel group. Demonstrates commitment to social responsibility toward people and nature in travel destinations. Supports water projects in tourism-affected regions.
• opta data Finance GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIT company offers employee giving program on internal platform. Employees can donate portions of overtime compensation to WIR.
• WAS GermanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGermany's largest kitchen supplies retailer sponsors carafes and glasses for WIR collection, supporting water dispenser program.
• COFERMIN GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides two offices on their premises for Water Is Right operations, reducing foundation overhead costs.
• SV Sandhausen 1916 e. V.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFootball club encourages fans to donate cup deposits to WIR through deposit donation campaigns at matches.
• Habitat NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Mathare slums project in Nairobi. Led Phase 2 of COVID-19 response project establishing handwashing stations in schools. Works with Mathare Environmental Conservation Youth Group.
• Mathare Environmental Conservation Youth Group (MECYG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal youth organization implementing projects on the ground in Mathare slums. Transformed garbage dump into youth center and sports field. Operates handwashing stations and football programs.
• Nobel KaffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee company partnership supporting foundation through donations or promotional activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WaterAid: Global WASH-focused NGO operating across Africa, Asia, and Latin America with institutional and government partnerships. Directly comparable in mission, geographic footprint, and multi-country project delivery.
• Planet Water Foundation: US-based nonprofit deploying water filtration systems and clean water access programs in schools and communities across Asia and Latin America. Comparable in proprietary filtration technology and school-focused deployment.
• Water.org: Founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org combines donations with microfinance to fund water and sanitation access. Closely comparable in celebrity-driven brand, WASH mission, and project financing model.
• charity: water: US-based WASH nonprofit funding clean water projects in developing countries via individual donations and high-profile campaigns. Most direct comparable in mission and funding model, though significantly larger in scale.
• DIGDEEP: US-based WASH nonprofit focused on water access on US tribal lands and internationally. Comparable in mission-driven WASH focus and donor-supported project execution.
• Water for People: US-headquartered WASH nonprofit working in Latin America, Africa, and Asia with a focus on lasting service through local capacity building. Comparable to WIR's Culture of Maintenance approach.
• Wells Bring Hope: Smaller US-based WASH nonprofit drilling wells and funding sanitation in West Africa, particularly Niger. Comparable in mission and project-level funding tiers.

Emerging players

• Splash: US-based nonprofit focused exclusively on clean water access for children in schools and orphanages in Asia and Africa. Comparable in school-focused deployment and proprietary filtration infrastructure.

Regional players

• WaterCan/EAU VIVE: Canadian WASH nonprofit funding clean water and sanitation projects in Africa and Central America. Comparable as a smaller national-anchored WASH charity.
• BORDA (Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association): German NGO specializing in decentralized water and sanitation solutions in developing countries. Regional peer with comparable WASH technical focus and German funding base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterisrightfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Right Foundation