Water.org
Small, affordable loans that bring clean water and sanitation to families worldwide
Our editorial assessment
Co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org takes a financing-based approach to the water crisis: rather than only building infrastructure, its WaterCredit model connects families with small, affordable loans to install their own water taps and toilets, which they repay at high rates. This lets philanthropic dollars recycle into many more households over time. Charity Navigator gives it a four-star rating with a perfect accountability and finance score, and roughly 74% of spending reaches programmes. It suits donors attracted to a scalable, market-based route to safe water.
The problem they're solving
Billions of people lack safe water or a decent toilet at home, and many could afford a connection if they could spread the cost. Water.org's microloans unlock that access and, because loans are repaid and re-lent, each dollar can reach far more families than a one-time grant.
About Water.org
Water.org expands access to safe water and sanitation by pioneering small, affordable "WaterCredit" loans that let families finance household water connections and toilets, repaying over time.
Where your dollar goes
How this score was produced
The GiveWise score is our own editorial assessment, produced with a weighted rubric covering program spending, transparency and governance, evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and leadership. It draws on publicly available reports from independent evaluators such as GiveWell, Charity Navigator, and CharityWatch, but it is not a rating issued or endorsed by any of those organisations. Read the full methodology →