Today is World Water Day, a day to reflect on America’s access to clean water and a day to realize that many people worldwide are denied this right. To be accurate, more than one billion people worldwide are denied this right. Eighty percent of illnesses in developing countries and 4/5 of child deaths under the age of five are due to water sanitation.
Fighting these statistics is the nonprofit organization, Charity: Water. With a singular mission to bring safe and clean drinking water to people in developing nations, the organization has and is working on a total of 2321 water projects around the globe. While I like to focus on grassroots sustainability, the magnitude and breadth of Charity: Water’s work is inspiring.
Today is the launch of the organization’s Unshaken campaign, a $1.3 million effort to help Haitians get clean water. It’s an ambitious project with an ambitious goal: 100 percent of all donations will fund 11 large-scale projects serving 40,000 people.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Charity: Water is a fluid master at giving donors, supporters and interested parties narrative that pops. Their website is an easy-to-navigate mix of simple messaging, multimedia content and a bit of pop marketing flair, possibly derived from Founder Scott Harrison’s background as an NYC nightclub promoter.
The Unshaken campaign is no exception. A fantasticly edited and powerful video (below) shows the rationale behind the campaign. The eleven projects are told and sold with arresting slide shows and succinct stories. Want to help? The donate and sponsor tabs are clear and separate from the general donation page . If you support the cause, but lack the cash, you can help the organization by tweeting their message or adding a banner to your site. Such endeavors are easy with a Spread the Word page, a fantastic way to consolidate supporter efforts.
When it comes down to it, a nonprofit is good ideas buoyed by great support. The ability to navigate new media to show, tell and SELL is crucial. I think Charity: Water is one of the foremost international development nonprofits to excel at these qualities. What do you think?
sarahkassel
SocialVibe