What Chris Long Foundation does

The Chris Long Foundation is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2021 by former NFL defensive end Chris Long and his wife Megan Long, building on the earlier Waterboys initiative (launched 2015) and water4Her program (launched 2020). The foundation operates two mission areas: clean water access — delivered through Waterboys (wells, pipelines, distribution points, and filtered water stations in East Africa), HometownH2O (domestic U.S. wells), water4Her (women-and-girls water access), and Conquering Kili (Kilimanjaro climbing fundraiser for veteran/athlete water-well funding) — and educational equity, delivered through the EdZone program (books via First Book, plus clothing, shoes, hygiene products, and winter coats via Cradles to Crayons in Philadelphia, Charlottesville, and St. Louis). Implementation is executed through a partner network including WorldServe International (East Africa wells), Dig Deep (Navajo Nation water delivery and tank installation), Water Well Trust and Xylem (domestic wells), and First Book (literacy).

The foundation runs a community-led go-to-market model anchored by more than 70 professional athlete ambassadors (including Myles Garrett as Waterboys captain, Jason Kelce, Steven Jackson, Haloti Ngata, Julie Ertz, and Nate Boyer) who drive awareness through podcasts, social media, online video, and public events. Revenue is philanthropy-only — individual donations, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, auctions, and corporate sponsorships (Xylem, Goulds, TR Essentials Hydration, Hersha, Mission Hydro, GWC, Liquid IV, CSDW, Moneta Group); no products or services are sold and financials are not publicly disclosed. Operations are professionally staffed by Executive Director Nancy Hopkins, Director of Marketing & Communications Cain Turner, and Director of Development Portia Boggs, with a board that includes Diane Long, Gus Gast (Moneta Group), Jillian Moore (Google for Education), Rahul Lamba (Columbia MBA, formerly Endeavour Capital / Harris Williams), Matt O'Malley (CEO of Premier Orthopaedics), Tom Santi (Dry Creek Partners, ex-NFL), Nate Boyer, Alyssa Romano (CMO, Octagon), Peter Wilson (J.P. Morgan Private Bank), Amanda McCool (Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General), and Carly Rullman Walsh. The foundation reports it has reached 480,000+ people with a goal of 1 million.

Name

Chris Long Foundation

Legal name

Chris Long Foundation

Website

https://chrislongfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chris Long Foundation is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based nonprofit that funds clean-water access in East Africa and the Navajo Nation and provides books and basic necessities to low-income U.S. students, operating through Waterboys, EdZone, water4Her, HometownH2O, and Conquering Kili programs delivered via implementing partners and a 70+ professional-athlete ambassador network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Human Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Clean water access
• Educational equity
• Humanitarian foundation
• Nonprofit philanthropy
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring donations to support clean water and educational equity programs. The foundation operates donation forms on its website.
2. Fundraising Campaigns: Supporters can create fundraising teams or join existing fundraisers to raise money for specific programs. The foundation facilitates peer-to-peer fundraising.
3. Auctions: The foundation runs auction programs where supporters can bid on items, with alerts sent when new auction items go live.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors and partners provide financial support and in-kind contributions. Partners include Xylem, Goulds, TR Essentials Hydration, Hersha, Mission Hydro, GWC, Liquid IV, and CSDW.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Chris Long Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization that delivers two core programs: clean water access initiatives (Waterboys, water4Her, HometownH2O, Conquering Kili) building wells, pipelines, water distribution points, and filtered water stations in East Africa and underserved US communities; and educational equity programs (EdZone) that distribute books, clothing, hygiene products, and basic necessities to low-income children in Philadelphia, Charlottesville, and St. Louis. The foundation mobilizes more than 70 professional athlete ambassadors to fundraise and raise awareness for these programs.

Product overview

The Chris Long Foundation operates a portfolio of charitable programs focused on two core mission areas: clean water access and educational equity. The main product offerings include Waterboys (clean water initiative with sub-programs Conquering Kili, water4Her, and HometownH2O), EdZone (educational equity program providing books and basic necessities), and various fundraising tools including a Math Facts Football mobile game. The foundation also organizes events like Hike4Her and maintains a Waterboys Young Professionals Committee. All programs are designed to mobilize professional athletes, fans, and partners to address basic human needs in the U.S. and East Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waterboys: Professional athletes, coaches, and sports fans team up to tackle thirst by bringing life-sustaining drinking water to communities in need.
• water4Her
• EdZone
• HometownH2O
• Conquering Kili

Products and services

• Waterboys A coordinated clean water initiative that mobilizes professional athletes, coaches, and sports fans to fund and deliver sustainable drinking water solutions (wells, pipelines, water distribution points, filtered water filling stations) to communities in need in East Africa and the United States.
• water4Her An initiative designed to highlight the difficulties faced by East African women and girls who spend entire days collecting water from unreliable, far away sources and to promote women's leadership in water resource management.
• HometownH2O A program addressing contaminated local water supplies in low-income, rural, and tribal communities in the United States, funding water delivery trucks and the distribution and installation of water tanks for homes.
• Conquering Kili A program that supports participating military veterans, athletes, and clean water advocates as they climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and raise funds to build sustainable water wells.
• EdZone Educational equity initiative that provides books to low-income children throughout the United States and supplies clothing, shoes, hygiene products, and winter coats to kids in Charlottesville, Philadelphia, and St. Louis.
• Hike4Her Annual event uniting women from across the country to bring attention to how water access uniquely empowers women and girls and raise funds for the water4Her program.
• Math Facts Football Mobile Game A mobile game combining math facts with football gameplay used as a fundraiser for the Chris Long Foundation.
• Waterboys Young Professionals Committee A New York City-based chapter of the Chris Long Foundation focused on raising funds and awareness for the Waterboys initiative through events throughout the year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 480,000+ people provided with clean water access to date
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WorldServe InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaterboys partner that drills wells for remote communities throughout Tanzania and Kenya, providing sustainable clean water access.
• Dig DeepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners to fund water delivery trucks and distribution and installation of water tanks for homes throughout Navajo Nation, where 30% of people lack access to running water.
• XylemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading global water technology company partnered with Water Well Trust to fund 9 domestic wells through HometownH2O program.
• Water Well TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner for domestic well projects through HometownH2O, with 9 wells funded to date.
• First BookcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to fund distribution of books at schools across the United States, providing free books to low-income children for literacy development.
• Cradles to CrayonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing partner providing essential needs items such as hygiene products and coats to children in Philadelphia through EdZone program.
• Charlottesville City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partnership to fund distribution of essential need items including hygiene products and coats. Chris Long participated in Response to Essential Needs event in December 2021.
• Well-AwareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean water implementing partner supporting water projects.
• World VisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean water implementing partner supporting water projects.
• MamaMajiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean water implementing partner supporting water projects.
• Waterboys Young Professionals CommitteeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNYC-based chapter of Chris Long Foundation focused on raising funds and awareness for Waterboys initiative through events throughout the year.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Athletes for Hope: Athletes for Hope is a nonprofit that harnesses the power of athletes' charitable interests and helps them unite around causes. It shares the athlete-driven philanthropy model and competes for the same athlete ambassador pool as Chris Long Foundation.
• Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon combines military veterans with disaster response and community service. The Conquering Kili program (veterans + athletes climbing for water) shares the same veteran-engagement DNA, though Team Rubicon focuses on disaster response rather than water infrastructure.

Direct peers

• DIGDEEP: DIGDEEP is a nonprofit working to ensure every American has clean, running water. It is both an implementing partner on Navajo Nation projects and a direct peer in domestic water access advocacy and infrastructure.
• Water.org: Water.org, co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, focuses on sustainable access to safe water and sanitation through market-driven financing. It is a direct peer to Chris Long Foundation's water access work with substantially larger scale and donor recognition.
• charity:water: charity:water is a leading nonprofit focused exclusively on funding clean and safe drinking water projects in developing countries. It is the most direct peer to Chris Long Foundation's Waterboys and HometownH2O programs, competing for the same donor pool and operating with a similar well-funding model.
• Room to Read: Room to Read focuses on literacy and gender equality in education across Asia and Africa. It overlaps with EdZone's literacy mission and competes for educational equity donor dollars in similar geographies.
• First Book: First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books and educational resources to children in need. It is both an EdZone implementing partner and a direct peer in the literacy-focused educational equity space.
• WaterAid: WaterAid is an international nonprofit focused on clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in some of the world's poorest communities. It is comparable to the foundation's East Africa water programs and competes for institutional donors in the WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) sector.
• Pencils of Promise: Pencils of Promise is a nonprofit that builds schools and increases access to education in developing countries. It is directly comparable to EdZone's educational equity mission and operates a similar grassroots fundraising model.

Others

• NIL Collective Organizations: NIL collectives and athlete-driven fundraising organizations like The Foundation (Travis Kelce's fund) operate in the same sports-driven philanthropic space. They share the athlete-ambassador fundraising model but operate around specific causes or athletes rather than water/education infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCouuLuegr6o-AHqaMjpvJVg
• Facebookfacebook.com/thechrislongfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-chris-long-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 Chris Long Foundation