What Living Water International does

Living Water International is a 501(c)(3) Christian nonprofit organization founded in 1990 and headquartered in Stafford, Texas. It implements integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in approximately 15 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and South Asia, coupling physical infrastructure (boreholes, wells, piped systems, rainwater harvesting) with sanitation, hygiene education, and Christian gospel ministry through local church partnerships. Its flagship operating model is the WASH Program Area (WPA), a 5-7 year geographic engagement cycle that includes baseline assessment, continuous monitoring, endline evaluation, and 5-year post-construction data collection on every water point. To date the organization has completed more than 25,000 water projects serving over 7.5 million people, with country offices in Kenya (regional HQ), Haiti, Guatemala, and Honduras operating as wholly-owned or affiliate subsidiaries.

The organization's technology stack is non-digital: borehole drilling, solar-powered pumps, gravity-fed systems, piped water distribution, multi-stage water quality testing (E. coli, pH, turbidity, TDS, nitrates/nitrites, hardness), and an orality-based Bible storying methodology for community discipleship. Programmatic differentiation rests on the Flourish holistic development framework addressing physical, spiritual, social, and environmental dimensions of community transformation.

Revenue is generated through diversified individual giving (Every Drop monthly program at $25/$50/$250 tiers, single gifts, fundraising pages, gift cards), corporate and foundation sponsorships ($15,000-$90,000+ per project, with 3-6 sponsor caps), planned giving (charitable gift annuities, bequests, donor-advised funds), and non-cash donations (stock transfers via Fidelity, vehicles through Careasy, cryptocurrency). Go-to-market is community-led through church mobilization, supported by event-driven fundraising (Chevron Houston Marathon, NYC Marathon), digital channels (water.cc, Connection newsletter, social), and experiential Living Water Trips that bring volunteers directly to project sites. In January 2026 the organization completed a CEO transition to Dr. Jonathan Wiles with Dr. Mike Mantel moving to President, positioning for a 'third generation of impact' under the extended Overflow strategic plan.

Name

Living Water International

Legal name

Living Water International

Website

https://water.cc

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Living Water International is a Christian nonprofit founded in 1990 that delivers integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene programs across 15 countries, serving 7.5 million+ people through 25,000+ projects funded by individual donors, churches, and corporate sponsors via its water.cc platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Water and Sanitation Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Services (BPAGAAAE), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI)

Keywords

• Clean water access
• WASH programs
• Community water projects
• Sanitation hygiene education
• Water well drilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Stafford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Single gifts, monthly giving (Every Drop program), fundraising pages, and honor/memory gifts. Monthly giving enables planning and funding of long-term projects.
2. Community Project Sponsorship: Corporate and organizational sponsors fund specific water projects. Community Project Sponsorship ($15,000-$90,000+) for up to 300 people, Community Partnership Sponsorship for 500-2,000 individuals, and WASH Program Area sponsorship for 2,000-20,000 people annually. Partial sponsorships start at $5,000.
3. Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: Bequests through wills, charitable gift annuities, retirement asset designations, and donor-advised funds. Enables long-term sustainability and endowment-type funding.
4. Stock and Non-Cash Donations: Stock transfers to Fidelity Investments brokerage account, real estate, and personal property donations. Provides tax-advantaged giving options for donors.
5. Vehicle Donations: Vehicle donation program through partnership with Careasy for easy processing and free pickup.
6. Gift Cards: Physical and electronic gift cards sold at $10, $25, $50, $100, $500 denominations for gifting occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Living Water International is a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit that implements community-based Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs in developing countries through its WASH Program Area (WPA) model, a five-to-seven year strategic engagement in a designated geography covering borehole drilling, spring protection, piped water systems, sanitation infrastructure, and hygiene behavior change. The organization integrates physical WASH delivery with local church partnership and gospel proclamation, and finances the work through individual donations, monthly giving, corporate and foundation project sponsorships, planned giving, gift cards, stock and vehicle donations, volunteer mission trips, and endurance fundraising events.

Product overview

Living Water International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of integrated WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programs and donation products rather than a traditional software product. The core offering centers on the WASH Program Area (WPA) model—a 5-7 year strategic approach delivering safe water, sanitation, hygiene education, and gospel proclamation in designated geographical areas. Supporting programs include Living Water Trips (volunteer mission experiences), the Every Drop monthly giving program, Project Sponsorship tiers, Fundraising tools, Gift Cards, and Planned Giving options. The Flourish Model provides the holistic development framework guiding all activities. The organization works across 15 countries and has completed over 25,000 water projects serving 7.5 million people, relying on partnerships with local churches as primary partners and maintaining operational programs in countries including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Peru, and South Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WASH Program Area (WPA)

Quantifiable outcome

• 42% to 72% household satisfaction increase with water source quality (Cabaret, Haiti WPA)
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Advent ConspiracycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal campaign encouraging churches to celebrate Christmas with less spending and more impact through water gifts. Provides free resources including sermon notes, devotionals, and social media content.
• ChevroncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership supporting water programs. Chevron Houston Marathon event sponsorship connecting endurance athletes with Living Water's mission.
• Chick-fil-AminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate charitable partnership supporting water ministry initiatives.
• Compassion InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild sponsorship organization collaborating on holistic community development integrating WASH with child sponsorship programs.
• Cross FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting Christian organizations engaged in water, sanitation, and gospel ministry.
• Hobby LobbyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail corporate giving program supporting Christian ministry initiatives.
• Lazos de AguacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with local churches and organizations providing water access, sanitation, and hygiene programs.
• Legacy ThriftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrift store chain supporting Living Water through charitable partnerships.
• Loveless EnterprisesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily business supporting water ministry through charitable partnerships.
• Paper for WaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth-focused water organization raising funds for Living Water water projects through origami paper crafts.
• SEFAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for water and sanitation initiatives with shared ministry focus.
• Stewart TitleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle insurance company supporting water ministry through corporate charitable giving.
• The Last WellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian organization pursuing gospel-centered water missions in specific regions.
• Water4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian water organization working to end the water crisis through sustainable solutions and church partnerships.
• WeathermaticminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIrrigation company supporting water ministry through corporate partnerships.
• Woord en DaadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch Christian organization meaning 'Word and Deed' supporting integrated gospel and development work.
• WaterbridgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater access organization supporting WASH programming.
• Millennium Water AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of leading water organizations working collaboratively on large-scale WASH solutions.
• Mission NexusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian mission network supporting collaboration among mission organizations.
• IWASHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector collaboration.
• Global Water ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative mobilizing corporate and government partnerships for sustainable WASH solutions.
• GainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Alliance for Improved Nutrition partnership for nutrition-sensitive WASH programming.
• Foursquare Disaster ReliefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisaster response ministry of Foursquare Church supporting emergency water response.
• Municipal Operations ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm providing operational expertise for water infrastructure projects.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WaterAid: Large international NGO focused exclusively on WASH across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable geographic scope, deep technical expertise, and institutional funder access.
• Compassion International: Large evangelical child sponsorship organization explicitly partnering with Living Water on integrated WASH. Overlapping donor base and church mobilization model.
• charity: water: Faith-friendly WASH-focused nonprofit operating in developing countries with a strong digital fundraising brand and recurring donor model. Most direct head-to-head peer for individual donor fundraising in the WASH space.
• Water4: Faith-rooted WASH nonprofit partnering with Living Water on shared programs; uses sustainable market-based water systems and church partnerships — a closely aligned model and named collaborator.
• Blood:Water: Christian nonprofit combining WASH with HIV/AIDS and community development in Africa. Similar faith-based funding model and integrated community program approach.

Broad incumbents

• World Vision International: Very large faith-based humanitarian organization running WASH as one program among many (sponsorship, health, food security). Comparable geographic reach and donor channels but substantially broader mandate.
• Water.org: Major WASH nonprofit (Matt Damon / Gary White) focused on water and sanitation finance via microfinance. Comparable mission; secular positioning differentiates brand.
• Samaritan's Purse: Evangelical disaster relief and development organization running large WASH programs in fragile contexts. Comparable evangelical donor base, but operates as a much broader disaster response and development portfolio.

Others

• Millennium Water Alliance: Consortium of leading WASH NGOs that Living Water is a member of; comparable program methodology and provides shared grant access, technical resources, and field coordination.

Emerging players

• Engineers Without Borders: Volunteer-driven WASH engineering nonprofit operating in similar rural geographies; less faith-rooted but overlapping program methodology around community-built water systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/lwi
• Facebookfacebook.com/livingwaterinternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/living_water
• Xx.com/livingwater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-water-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Living Water International