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.

Elevate Prize Catalyst Award
ABC - Can celebrities influence environmental issues? Experts weigh in.

April 22, 2024

ABC's Julia Jacobo spoke with Co-founder Matt Damon about the scale of the water crisis and its intrinsic relationship with climate change.

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ABC - Power of Water: Mexico’s water warriors

April 19, 2023

ABC News’ Linsey Davis travels to Mexico to see firsthand the silent water crisis happening around the world, and speaks with Co-founder Matt Damon about his push to get access to clean water for all.

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A woman in Ethiopia walks to get water
Fortune - Climate change is exacerbating the global water crisis. Corporations must be part of the solution

March 22, 2023

771 million people around the world don't have access to safe water. 1.7 billion do not have a toilet. But there are solutions that work.

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TubeFilter - Ryan Trahan’s latest penny challenge raised $400,000 for Water.org

July 7, 2023

Ryan Trahan successfully made it back to America in just one week, starting from one penny. And he raised more than $400,000 for Water.org in the process.

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UN interview
SDG Media Zone | United Nations - Matt Damon on "Breaking through to a Water-secure Planet"

March 22, 2023

Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, interviews Water.org Co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White.

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EuroNews - Clean water shortages steal women’s time. Here’s what happens when they get it back.

March 8, 2023

Water.org's Senior Knowledge Analyst, Zehra Shabbir, contributes to a conversation about why the water crisis is a woman's crisis.

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Harvard Business School Alumni - A market-based approach to solving the world's water crisis

Nov. 21, 2018

Jennifer Tisdel Schorsch, President of Water.org, discusses the way the organization approaches financing solutions to the global water crisis.

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Ethiopia Herald - Accelerating access to safe water through affordable financing

Nov. 21, 2018

Read how Water.org is working with local partners in Ethiopia to break down financial barriers to help more people get access to safe water and sanitation and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6.

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CEO Magazine - The power of purpose

Nov. 15, 2018

From Matt Damon to Mark Zuckerberg, celebrities and tycoons are using their platforms for positive action.

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Winrock's SWP & Water.org Partner For Water Security & Access In Cambodia

Nov. 8, 2018

Water.org and the USAID Sustainable Water Partnership (SWP), implemented by Winrock International, will mobilize $4M in microloans to improve water access, sanitation and hygiene for 37,000 people in Cambodia.

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Water.org and Bank of America Expand Partnership to Bring Safe Water to India and Brazil

Nov. 2, 2018

Water.org received a $3 million grant over three years from Bank of America to empower more than 250,000 people in southern India and Brazil with safe water and sanitation, accelerating positive change in their homes and communities.

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Harpic Launches Its 'More than a toilet' Campaign to Support Water.org

Oct. 24, 2018

Harpic has launched its ‘More than a toilet’ campaign to support Water.org in its effort to end the water and sanitation crisis around the world. They will be raising awareness and funds in time for World Toilet Day on November 19th.

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Skoll Foundation - How to Spend a Billion Bucks? The Global Water Crisis

Oct. 5, 2018

How would you spend a billion dollars? Gary White knows what he will do. The Water.org CEO and co-founder says his organization has reached the $1 billion milestone in its efforts to help people access clean water and sanitation.

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Water.org Announces $1 Billion in Capital Mobilized for Water and Sanitation Solutions for Families in Poverty

Sept. 24, 2018

Water.org and its partners reached a critical milestone this month: mobilizing $1 billion in capital for small loans that have empowered 14 million people living in poverty to obtain safe water and sanitation

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Banco da Família meets annual credit goal for basic sanitation in just eight months

Sept. 17, 2018

In partnership with Water.org, Banco da Família financed R $1.9 million for families to build or renovate their bathrooms.

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Water.org joins Finish Mondial to team up for affordable toilets worldwide

Aug. 31, 2018

Water.org and Waste signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work more closely together on the Finish Mondial concept, creating commercial lending facilities for both households, as well as suppliers in the whole supply chain for cheap toilet.

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CNN - Why Matt Damon is helping get water to the poor

July 18, 2018

Matt Damon and Gary White speak with CNN's Christiane Amanpour during their visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.

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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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