Before giving to a clean water charity, ask: Who leads the work locally? How are sites chosen? What happens when a pump breaks? How will you report on wells years later? Are numbers verified or estimated? How are stories and photos shared with dignity? Where does my gift actually go? And will I receive a receipt?
The eight questions
Who leads the work on the ground?
Look for local partners, leaders, and communities who own the project — not a model where outsiders arrive, build, and leave.
How are communities and sites chosen?
Good answers mention community requests, local government, and hydrogeological surveys. See how a community well is built.
What happens when something breaks?
Ask about water committees, trained mechanics, spare parts, and repair funds. Sustainability is the difference between a well and a monument.
How will you report on wells over time?
The best organizations share updates long after the ribbon-cutting, including when things go wrong.
Are the numbers verified?
“People served” figures are often estimates. Ask how they are counted and whether they are confirmed.
Are people shown with dignity?
Stories should centre partnership, agency, and hope — with permission — rather than exploit hardship.
Where does my gift go?
Ask for budgets, funding goals, and financial reporting, and check who processes your donation.
Will I receive a receipt?
Receipt eligibility depends on the organization and the platform you give through. Confirm before you give.
How Water Well Project answers today
Questions people ask
What should I look for in a water charity?
Look for local leadership and community ownership, careful site selection, a real maintenance and repair plan, honest long-term reporting, verified numbers, dignified storytelling, clear financial information, and a trustworthy donation process.
Why do water projects fail?
Most failures come from a lack of maintenance and ownership after construction — broken parts, no repair fund, or no trained mechanic — rather than from drilling itself.
Does Water Well Project publish impact numbers?
Not yet. No confirmed projects have been announced, and the site deliberately publishes no impact totals until they are verified.