Accelerating impact

Currently, stakeholders across the globe are looking for new innovative financial solutions that are successful at eliminating people living without access to drinking water or sanitation. This need is in response to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal #6 that seeks for safely managed water and sanitation. With these things in mind, Water.org has expanded its approach to include strong collaboration at multiple levels with the right stakeholders for scale. 

Our approach and continued momentum to achieve access to safe water and sanitation for all is highlighted below.

Executive Summary Water.org Strategic Plan 2018-2022  - An overview of Water.org’s five-year strategic plan for increasing access to affordable financing for water and sanitation in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals, “Leveraging financing to change lives with access to water and sanitation - A look at the next 5 years of impact"

As the water sector looks to meet global goals related to water and sanitation, Water.org assessed the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead and carefully considered how it can best contribute without losing sight of its overarching goal of bringing affordable financing options for water and sanitation access to scale as a means of achieving universal access to water and sanitation in our lifetime. The result, summarized here, is a strategic plan that looks not only to expand our core strengths but also to deepen our connectivity and collaboration with a host of influencers around the world to deepen understanding and explore innovative approaches that will collectively address the water and sanitation crisis. (August 2017)

A future that leaves no one behind - Water.org's CEO and Co-founder, Gary White, reflects on the growing momentum in favor of innovative financing for water and sanitation

Water.org GLAAS ESA (April 2017)

Learn more about Water.org's achievements in transforming lives with safe water and sanitation through access to affordable financing, as well as our vision for the years ahead. (April 2017)

WaterEquity - Investing to end the global water crisis

WaterEquity is an innovation of Water.org that creates the opportunity for social impact investors to put their capital to work to accelerate and scale proven solutions. 

Building the evidence base for WSS microfinance

Water.org pioneered microlending for water and sanitation in 2003 with the launch of its program, WaterCredit. Since then, WaterCredit has dramatically increased our ability to scale, resulting in:

• A network of 68 local microfinance institution partners worldwide
• $17 million in philanthropic capital leveraged to mobilize more than $369 million in commercial capital
• 1.4 million loans disbursed with a 99% repayment rate
• More than 6 million people reached

The growth of our impact and reach has led to ample data that supports we are on the right track. The collection of research below sheds some light on this nascent field.

Stockholm World Water Week Water.org Event: The State of the Evidence Base on WASH Microfinance (event code 7164)

This session will bring together water and sanitation nonprofits, microfinance practitioners, academics and donors to dissect the need for evidence to build the case for WASH microfinance - historical approaches and how to fill key gaps to scale WASH microfinance.

• August 27
• 11:00am - 12:30pm
• Location: Room NL 461

PEP2 Impact Assessment - "Water and sanitation microfinance operations in India: An assessment of challenges & determinants of success"

This study examines the enablers and constraints that have shaped the performance of Water.org partner organization in India between 2011 and 2015. (October 2015)

Water.org Global Learning Note - Financing Sanitation for the Poor - “Financing Sanitation for the Poor: The role of microfinance institutions in addressing the water and sanitation gap”

In cooperation with the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank's Water Global Practice, this Learning Note  spotlights the positive impacts that microfinance has upon household investment in water, and the social and economic benefits that microfinancing for water and sanitation provides MFIs, governments, and low-income borrowers and their families. (October 2015)

India Learning Note - “Financing Sanitation for the Poor: Household level financing to address the sanitation gap in India”

In cooperation with the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank’s Water Global Practice, this Learning Note highlights evidence and lessons learned for the Government of India and development partners to further integrate household level financing into the Clean India Campaign. (September 2015)

Water.org SIWI Paper (July 2016) - “Income-enabling, Not Consumptive: Association of Household Socio-economic Conditions with Safe Water and Sanitation”

This paper draws upon Water.org data to highlight the indirect role that WASH microloans can play on household income.

The importance of stakeholder engagement to attain access to affordable WSS financing

Unlocking financial flows for water and sanitation depend heavily upon local policies as well as the perceptions of the value of WSS lending – at all levels of the discussion. Water.org has increasingly been working with and through others to share information about the role that blended finance can play in sustainable, affordable access to water and sanitation as well as to remove barriers to scale.

Stockholm World Water Week Water.org Event: Increasing impact through donor-supported advocacy for water supply and sanitation (event code 6824) 

This session will define advocacy in broad terms and give examples of how it furthers water and sanitation access around the globe. Co-hosted with IRC.

• Date: August 28
• Time: 16:00pm - 17:30pm
• Location: Room FH Congress Hall C

Stockholm World Water Week Water.org Event: Private finance and equitable delivery of WASH services (event code 6639)

This session highlights critical questions that need to be addressed when using public funds to leverage domestic commercial finance for WASH to expand services to all and leave no one behind. Co-hosted with 2030 Water Resources Group; Directorate-General for International Cooperation, The Netherlands; IRC, OECD; Simavi; and The World Bank Group.

• Date: August 31
• Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
• Location: Room FH 300

Priority Sector Lending Achievement - Water.org's experience expanding Priority Sector Lending in India to include water and sanitation.

SLRM Achievement - Water.org's experience encouraging toilet construction to count as an eligible loan under the NRLM program.