Water for All

What Water for All does

Water for All is a non-profit charitable initiative founded on August 22, 1984, by two Atlas Copco employees in Stockholm, Sweden, in response to a TV documentary about drought in Peru. It is run entirely on a voluntary basis by employees of Atlas Copco Group and Epiroc across more than 50 countries and has no paid headcount of its own. The initiative funds clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects for communities in need worldwide, with a geographic concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa but active programs also in South Asia, the Middle East, Central Europe, and the Americas. Since inception it reports having helped more than 2 million people gain access to clean drinking water and improved sanitation facilities.

The initiative's core "products" are physical infrastructure projects — boreholes and wells, water purification systems, rain harvesting systems, sand dams, solar-powered pumping systems, gravitational flow distribution networks, and latrines/sanitation facilities — combined with hygiene training programs. Distinctive methodologies include PHASE (a child-led hygiene education approach that uses primary-school children as peer educators) and UMOJA (a village clustering method that conditions water-point delivery on prior household latrine construction). Projects are implemented through partner NGOs such as Amref Health Africa, the Swedish Red Cross, Sevavardhini, and PWRDF, with Water for All local organizations in each country identifying needs and channeling funds.

The business model is donation-funded. Employees of Atlas Copco Group and Epiroc contribute via monthly salary deductions, and the employer matches each donation at a 2:1 ratio. External donors can also contribute via bank transfer to local Water for All organizations or to the Peter Wallenberg Water for All Foundation, which was established in 2015 to co-fund projects and administers the annual Water for All Award. Administrative costs are entirely absorbed by Atlas Copco Group and Epiroc, so 100% of donated funds flow to projects. There are no products or services sold, no revenue in the commercial sense, and no equity ownership structure.

Name

Water for All

Legal name

Water for All

Website

https://water4all.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Water for All is a volunteer-run non-profit initiative of Atlas Copco Group and Epiroc, founded in 1984, that funds clean water, sanitation, and hygiene projects for communities in need across 50+ countries using employee donations matched 2:1 by the corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Water and Sanitation Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI), WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) Organizations (HLAJAKAI), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• Clean water access
• Sanitation infrastructure
• Hygiene education
• Nonprofit water projects
• WASH funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Employee donations: Voluntary donations from Atlas Copco Group and Epiroc employees, typically collected via monthly salary deductions. The company matches each donation with twice the amount (2:1 matching).
2. External donations: Donations from non-employees or other companies to local Water for All organizations or the Peter Wallenberg Water for All Foundation. These donations are not matched by the company.
3. Peter Wallenberg Water for All Foundation co-funding: The Foundation co-funds water, sanitation, and hygiene projects with local Water for All organizations, offering application-based funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Water for All is a non-profit charitable initiative that funds water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in communities around the world. The initiative is financed primarily through voluntary employee donations collected at Atlas Copco Group and Epiroc, and the funds are disbursed as grants to partner organizations delivering clean water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in underserved regions.

Product overview

Water for All is a community engagement initiative of Atlas Copco Group and Epiroc that funds water, sanitation, and hygiene projects globally. The core offering consists of clean water access projects (wells, boreholes, water purification, rain harvesting systems) combined with sanitation facilities (latrines, sewer systems) and hygiene training programs. The organization operates through a network of local Water for All organizations supported by employee donations, with projects implemented by partner NGOs. Additional offerings include the Water for All Award (initiated 2022) recognizing outstanding organization achievements, and a photo/video gallery documenting project work worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water for All Grant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 million people provided access to clean water since 1984
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Amref Health AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Water for All partnered with Amref Health Africa for the Uganda project in Pader District. Amref, founded in 1957 in Kenya, is Africa's largest non-profit health organization reaching about 10 million people per year. They have been present in Pader District for 18 years with established community engagement methods.
• Swedish Red CrossflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Water for All collaborated with Swedish Red Cross on COVID-19 project for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Zahle settlement. Red Cross managed field implementation including water, sanitation, and hygiene support over 8 months.
• Cash/Food for Work program participantsminorOthers · 1 January 2019
• Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2017Toronto-based organization managing funds for Pikangikum First Nation community water project in Canada. Specializes in emergency relief, refugees, development and justice.
• Peter Wallenberg Water for All FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Foundation established in 2015 to honor Peter Wallenberg's memory. Offers co-funding to local Water for All organizations for water, sanitation, and hygiene projects. Also funds the Water for All Award and its own flagship projects in Malawi and Uganda.
• SevavardhinicoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2015Local partner organization for Project Jaldoot in Maharashtra, India. Sevavardhini (meaning 'water messenger' in Hindi) worked with 27 villages implementing water resource development and conservation plans.
• Atlas Copco GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain community engagement initiative of Atlas Copco Group. Company matches employee donations 2:1 and absorbs all admin costs, ensuring 100% of donations go to projects.
• EpiroccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain community engagement initiative of Epiroc (spun off from Atlas Copco in 2018). Company matches employee donations 2:1 and absorbs all admin costs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WaterAid: WaterAid is a global non-profit focused on water, sanitation and hygiene in low-income countries, working with local partners and governments. Highly comparable to Water for All as both are WASH-focused, multi-country NGOs serving similar beneficiary populations.
• Water.org: Water.org (founded by Matt Damon and Gary White) empowers people in developing countries with access to safe water and sanitation through market-based financing. Comparable WASH mission, non-profit model, and beneficiary focus, though Water.org emphasizes financial solutions over direct project funding.
• charity: water: charity: water funds clean water and sanitation projects in developing countries through donor-funded campaigns with 100% model (public donations cover operating costs). It is the most directly comparable WASH non-profit peer to Water for All in terms of mission, beneficiary focus, and proof-of-completion reporting.
• Lifewater International: Lifewater International drills wells and provides WASH training in developing countries with a focus on child-focused education programs similar to Water for All's PHASE methodology. Both share sub-Saharan Africa focus and the integration of hygiene training with infrastructure delivery.
• The Water Project: The Water Project funds clean water and sanitation infrastructure primarily in sub-Saharan Africa through local partner implementation. Comparable as a WASH non-profit with similar partner-led delivery model and Africa focus, including Kenya (Kitui), Uganda, and South Sudan overlaps with Water for All.
• Water for People: Water for People is a non-profit working to ensure access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries via locally sustainable solutions. Directly comparable mission and target population to Water for All, with similar emphasis on long-term sustainability rather than emergency response.

Emerging players

• Blood:Water: Blood:Water is a smaller WASH non-profit focused exclusively on sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable in geographic focus and partner-led delivery but at materially smaller scale than Water for All.

Regional players

• WaterCan: WaterCan is a Canadian WASH non-profit focused on clean water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries with a distinctly Canadian donor base. Comparable mission and product mix, but operates primarily from Canada whereas Water for All is Sweden-led.

Broad incumbents

• Engineers Without Borders: Engineers Without Borders is a broader international development non-profit where WASH is one of several program pillars (alongside agriculture, energy, and infrastructure). Compared to Water for All's single-mission WASH focus, EWB is a broader incumbent with overlapping WASH programming.
• UNICEF WASH Program: UNICEF's WASH program is the leading global institutional WASH effort, working with governments and partners across 150+ countries. Compared to Water for All's employee-funded, partner-delivered model, UNICEF operates at vastly larger scale as a UN agency with government-led delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/waterforallsupporters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-for-all

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 for All