Charity: water
Encyclopedia
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water
to people in developing nations. Founded in 2006, it has helped fund 3,962 projects in 19 countries, benefiting over 1,794,983 people. Overall, the organization has raised over $40 million as of July 1, 2011.
platforms to raise awareness, including annual galas and events arranged via Twitter
.
The initiative has received donations from 50,000 individuals. Dedicated donors cover administrative costs, so donations from the general public go to fund water projects. It provides GPS
coordinates and photos of the wells it builds.
The organization has 20 full-time staff members, 10 interns and more than 800 volunteers.
with Mercy Ships
. He traced problems surrounding education, safety and health back to a lack of clean water and basic sanitation systems. Scott began to tap his network in an attempt to get as many people as possible to support his cause.
On July 20, 2011, Beckwith was travelling in a car with her mother and sister when it was hit in a 13 vehicle pile-up. Her mother and sister escaped with minor injuries but Beckwith was taken to hospital. On July 23, it was decided to turn off her life support.
A pastor from her church then reopened the donor page that she had created with her mother on a social network
. Donations began to pour in from all over the world. On 12 August 2011 Beckwith's campaign collections broke the $1 million mark. When the campaign ended on October 1, 2011 it had raised $1,271,713. This money was donated by 31,980 people across the world.
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
to people in developing nations. Founded in 2006, it has helped fund 3,962 projects in 19 countries, benefiting over 1,794,983 people. Overall, the organization has raised over $40 million as of July 1, 2011.
Operations
charity: water uses both mainstream and social mediaSocial media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
platforms to raise awareness, including annual galas and events arranged via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
.
The initiative has received donations from 50,000 individuals. Dedicated donors cover administrative costs, so donations from the general public go to fund water projects. It provides GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
coordinates and photos of the wells it builds.
The organization has 20 full-time staff members, 10 interns and more than 800 volunteers.
Beginnings
Scott Harrison, the founder, was a NYC club promoter for 10 years and found himself at the age of thirty wanting more out of his life. In 2004, Scott committed 8 months of his life to the poor and marginalized through volunteer service in LiberiaLiberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
with Mercy Ships
Mercy Ships
Mercy Ships is an international charity that was founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens. Mercy Ships currently operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing free health care, community development projects, community health education, mental health programs,...
. He traced problems surrounding education, safety and health back to a lack of clean water and basic sanitation systems. Scott began to tap his network in an attempt to get as many people as possible to support his cause.
Rachel Beckwith
Rachel Beckwith was a 9-year-old American girl who, for her birthday, wanted to raise $300. She asked family and friends not to buy her any presents but to give money towards the Charity: water campaign. In the month after her birthday, she had raised $220.On July 20, 2011, Beckwith was travelling in a car with her mother and sister when it was hit in a 13 vehicle pile-up. Her mother and sister escaped with minor injuries but Beckwith was taken to hospital. On July 23, it was decided to turn off her life support.
A pastor from her church then reopened the donor page that she had created with her mother on a social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
. Donations began to pour in from all over the world. On 12 August 2011 Beckwith's campaign collections broke the $1 million mark. When the campaign ended on October 1, 2011 it had raised $1,271,713. This money was donated by 31,980 people across the world.
External links
- charitywater.org
- From nightlife to saving lives, CNN News, September 29, 2008
- Providing safe water for the world, ABC News, June 10, 2008
- Helping People in Need Get Clean Water, My Fox NY News, June 11, 2008
- Raising Awareness of the Water Crisis, ECONOMY TRIBUNE, January 21, 2010
- Rachel’s Last Fund-Raiser, New York Times, August 11, 2011