You may have heard about the global initiative. Or perhaps you’ve read the book Thirst. If not, then take this moment to learn about the life-changing mission known as charity: water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean and safe water to people around the world. No easy task.

Just ask the team behind the movement that has brought clean water to over 18.4M people with 152,000 water projects funded since their founding in 2006.

“In order to achieve this, we’ve invested in comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions with 58 excellent partner organizations in 22 countries,” says the team at charity: water. “We send 100% of public donations straight to the field while a group of private donors, foundations, and sponsors help pay for the everyday costs of running the organization.”

According to the charity: water Team, 703 million people in the world live without clean water. That equates to 1 in 10 people worldwide or twice the population of the United States. Most of the people in desperate need of clean water spend hours of their day searching for water to transport back to their families. Often this water is disease infested and costly, as it requires precious time away from work, school, and home for sourcing. Through the advent of charity: water, they now have a fresh source of clean water and access to education, income, health, and hope for their future.

Much of the charity’s awareness and support has grown through media outlets including our favorite medium at Books Uplift—books!

Through the eye-opening personal experiences of founder Scott Harrison, his book Thirst funnels 100 percent of the profits toward this incredible mission.

According to the charity: water Team, “The more people understand the need for clean and safe water and feel connected to our founder, our cause, and our work the better. It doesn’t always lead to donations, but we know the book and Scott’s story has resonated and connected with so many people over the years leading to incredible generosity not just to charity: water but in the world.”

In addition to Thirst, other compelling stories have inspired the Team to evolve initiatives that not only capture the hearts of caring adults, partner organizations, and donors, but kids, too. One such program, Tiny Heroes, was inspired by a young girl raising money for charity: water.

“In 2011, Rachel Beckwith asked family and friends to celebrate her 9th birthday by donating $9 to her fundraising campaign. She raised $220, almost enough to reach her goal of bringing clean water to 10 kids and planned to try again the next year. One month later a tragic accident took her life. The outpouring of generosity inspired by Rachel’s efforts shaped the direction of charity: water. We wanted to honor her legacy and share more stories of kids like her who were also doing amazing things to help people get water.”

That’s when Tiny Heroes was born, a program that celebrates and honors kids’ efforts to raise money and awareness and help bring clean water to families in need. Kids inspired by Rachel’s story have stepped in to do incredible work to fundraise and honor Rachel’s legacy.

“They’re creating and selling paintings. They’re hosting 5-minute tea parties. They’re giving up their own birthdays. And so much more,” says the charity: water Team. “July 23rd, 2021 marked the 10-year anniversary of Rachel’s death, and we knew we couldn’t let it pass without a tribute to one of the original Tiny Heroes. She inspired this award. Whenever we think of Tiny Heroes, we’ll remember Rachel’s incredible life and honor her legacy.”Tiny Heroes alumni, Riley, is a living example of how charity: water can shape a child’s future in their efforts to bring clean and safe water to those in need.

“I’m living in D.C. and interning on Capitol Hill now,” says Riley. “That’s where this has led me to. And I think that’s probably true for every child when you support their passion to change the world. It’s going to evolve into even more meaningful things as they get older. It doesn’t have to mean that they become President; it can mean that they become a social worker. It can mean being a stay-at-home mom who takes care of their own children and fosters them into world-changers. I think that when you support children with their desires to change the world—and you don’t tell them that they can’t, but that they can do anything—they will go and do anything.”

Another effort to engage and honor kids’ efforts is the World Changers book. It’s designed to educate and inspire kids, schools, and families on the water crisis and how they too can make a difference. Packed with resources, links, action steps, stories, and knowledge-testing quizzes, it’s available for download on the charity: water website.

“It’s been downloaded thousands of times and know it’s helped grow The Spring and our fundraising community but to what degree is hard to know for sure,” says the charity: water Team. “The World Changers eBook is a guide focused on empowering kids to become more generous and kinder. We constantly see them doing incredible things to help bring an end to the water crisis, so this guide is meant to inspire an entire generation of potential world-changers.”

From downloading a book, educating a child, donating, or inspiring a movement, when it comes to making a difference, charity: water sees first-hand how even the smallest fundraiser is life-changing. They’re currently working on a big initiative to make it easier for all charity: water supporters to better see their direct impact of their efforts. They also rely on organizations and local partners to not only help fund their efforts but provide expertise in determining areas in need. According to the charity: water Team, “We choose the countries where we work based on water scarcity, poverty, political stability, and the availability of strong local organizations with which we can partner for major change.”

Now it’s your turn. If you would like to help charity: water, educate your team, your school, and your family, start by visiting their website. Then pick up a copy of Thirst and World Changers and learn how you can inspire Tiny Heroes in your life.

Images Courtesy of charity: water.