3.5 million people die every year because of unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation.

We live on a water-covered planet, but only about 2.5% of the world’s water is available for human use. The rest is locked away in oceans, ice, and the atmosphere. Water is the single most important resource for all life and development.

Life cannot exist without water.

Yet today, nearly one billion people lack access to clean water. More than twice that many, 2.5 billion people, don’t have access to a toilet. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases killing more people every year than all forms of violence (including war). The UN predicts that 1/10th of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.

But there is good news: for the vast majority of people without access to water, today’s water crisis is not an issue of scarcity, but of access.

Just a few dollars is enough to give one person clean drinking water and sanitation for decades.

Never Settle funds water projects in developing countries all over the world. And the solutions are simple and cost-effective. We work with our amazing local partners to determine exactly where and how to give water to a community. Our projects focus on communities with limited access to a safe water supply and high numbers of water-related deaths due to lack of sanitation.

We work closely with our partners to find the best technology, location, and budget solution for each water project. Then, we use 100% of donations to directly fund construction and implementation costs of water projects. This means every dollar of your donation is used to purchase raw materials, build infrastructure, and provide local sanitation education. Never Settle and our partners never take a cut for administrative costs, salaries, or advertising.

Our projects are built to last. We provide spare parts, maintenance, training, and education for 10 years. By year 11, community leaders have all the tools and knowledge they need to sustain their project without our help.

Water means opportunity for a healthy life, education, and economic development.

We prove results of every project we fund through GPS coordinates, photos, videos, and community stories. The impact clean water brings is far reaching. It changes everything for people living in poverty. Here is the difference water makes:

Sanitation
Clean water along with hygiene training and sanitation can reduce disease by up to 50%.

Health
The UN estimates that 1/10th of the entire global disease burden could be prevented with cleaner water and better sanitation.

Education
Clean water allows children to go to school and build the future of their communities instead of spending hours everyday looking for water.

Women
Water gives the gift of time and opportunity to women. Instead of looking for water or being sick, they can get an education, earn an income, and take care of their families. In addition, local water committees often give women their first leadership position in their community.

Food
A new water source allows communities to plant small gardens near their homes and secure their own food supply. Self-sufficient households are less affected by external conflict, famine or inadequate government services.

Development
In Africa alone, the overall economic loss due to lack of safe water and sanitation is $28 billion. Every $1 invested in improved water access and sanitation can yield as much as $12 in economic returns.