The nonprofit has raised over $40 million for clean water projects worldwide. WaterForward is a pay-it-forward model of charitable giving where, for $10, a donor inscribes a friend of his or her choosing in a public book; each donor can only be in the book once, so any sense of reciprocation has to be directed to another friend, hopefully sparking a cascade of forward reciprocity."We're trying to give you an opportunity to get involved, and to get others involved."
The ultimate goal is to bring clean water to a billion people who don't have it; 100% of public donations go to clean water projects. Physical volumes of the book will be printed every time an "edition" is one million people strong. Several thousand lucky individuals were notified via Facebook and Twitter that a $10 donation was made in their honor, and, if they felt inclined, they could continue the chain of giving by doing the same for their friends. "It doesn't start with an ask, it starts with a give," using storytelling to keep both initial donors and future donors engaged. To think that all of this came from a birthday party...
We also recommend watching: "Charity Water: Water Changes Everything" and "Q Drum: The Wheel Reinvented".
Scott Harrison is an American photographer, photojournalist, entrepreneur and founder and president of the non-profit charity: water.
WaterForward: Viral Philanthropy for Water
The Story of Charity: Water