News, Press & Perspectives

Find the latest news and press releases about our work in the water and sanitation sector below. 

Looking to interview someone from Water.org or request a speaker? Or need resources to understand our work and share information with others? Visit our Resources page.

Systems Catalyst Podcast - Uniting Philanthropy and Capital Markets with Water.org

Aug. 21, 2023

Philanthropy and the private sector haven’t always known how to work together. On the Systems Catalyst Podcast, Water.org co-founder and CEO, Gary White, shares how we can collaborate to solve our world's more pressing issues.

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Milken Institute - To Solve the Water Crisis, We Must Rethink the Way We Invest

Nov. 11, 2020

Co-founders Gary White and Matt Damon share how WaterEquity has continued to expand and scale during COVID-19, empowering people with access to safe water and sanitation, while also providing attractive returns to investors.

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Paying for the Spout: Innovative Financing Could Expand Access to Water

March 2, 2020

No country, region, or city is the same, especially when it comes to its water and sanitation needs. Read how Water.org, WaterEquity and other organizations are using innovative financing to help close the SDG6 financing gap.

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CSIS - Channeling Financial Flows for Urban Water and Sanitation

Nov. 27, 2019

From the Center for Strategic & International Studies, "Increasing the amount of financing available to citizens in low- and middle-income countries will allow them to take out loans in order to purchase toilets and water purification systems for their homes. One of the leaders in providing these microfinance solutions is Water.org."

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KC-based Water.org fills need with focus on poverty as a market to be served

Sept. 26, 2019

“The poor should not necessarily be seen as a problem to be solved but a market to be served,” Gary White told a recent crowd at the University of Missouri, highlighting the importance of microfinancing and smart solutions in the global water crisis.

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Brunswick - Matt Damon and Gary White Turn On a Life-Saving Faucet

June 4, 2019

We believe the way to bring clean water and sanitation to the poor of the world at scale isn’t by drilling wells or installing toilets. Nor is it through charity alone. The solution is market-based financing.

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Penta - Matt Damon is on a Mission to End the Global Water Crisis

March 25, 2019

Co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White share the beginnings of WaterEquity, the first-ever impact-investment manager exclusively focused on ending the global water crisis.

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The Pew Charitable Trusts - Water.Org’s Gary White and Matt Damon: Bringing Water to Those in Need

March 13, 2019

Interview with Co-founders Gary White and Matt Damon on how Water.org is bringing safe water and sanitation to the developing world.

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CNBC - Water.org has helped 16 million people so far

Jan. 28, 2019

“Our model is undeniable now.” -Co-founder Matt Damon. Through access to affordable financing, we’re changing more lives faster with safe water and sanitation.

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Forbes - Water.org Takes Impact Investing Plunge

Jan. 2, 2019

“It took Water.org about 20 years to reach one million people through the traditional approach of digging wells and installing toilets. We are now reaching over one million people a quarter." Hear more from Gary White about the power of impact investing to change lives with safe water.

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Milken Institute - Investing in Safe Water Allows Opportunities to Flow

May 8, 2018

Written by Gary White and Matt Damon - The power of impact investing is why we believe we’re now standing on the brink of the solution to finally end the global water crisis. That's why we created WaterEquity.

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Next Billion - WASH Away Inequity

March 22, 2018

CEO Gary White shares the impact of access to safe water through affordable financing, including a personal story of one woman's changed life in the Philippines.

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