Celebrating 30 years of helping you give wisely
America's most independent,
assertive charity watchdog
Top Rated

charity: water

CharityWatch report issued
May 2024

Top-Rated Charity
A
CharityWatch Grade
Our independent grade based
on a number of factors.
 
82%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$12
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

charity: water
40 Worth Street
Suite 829
New York, NY 10013

Other Names

Charity Global

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

To bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.

View similar charities
Charity  
Accion International  
ActionAid USA  
Africare (DISSOLVED)  
Aid for Starving Children  
Alight  
All Hands and Hearts  
American Friends Service Committee  
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)  
Americares  
Archewell Foundation  
Brother's Brother Foundation  
CARE  
Catholic Medical Mission Board  
Catholic Relief Services  
Central Asia Institute  
Church World Service (CWS)  
Comic Relief  
Convoy of Hope  
CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort)  
David Livingstone Missionary Foundation  
Direct Relief & Direct Relief Foundation  
Doctors Without Borders USA  
Engineers Without Borders - USA  
Episcopal Relief & Development  
FINCA International  
Fistula Foundation  
GiveDirectly  
Global Communities  
GlobalGiving Foundation  
Grameen Foundation USA  
HealthRight International  
Heifer International  
HIAS  
Humanity & Inclusion  
International Medical Corps  
International Rescue Committee  
Islamic Relief-USA  
Lutheran World Relief & IMA World Health  
MAP International  
Medical Teams International  
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.  
Mercy Corps  
Muslim Aid USA  
New Incentives  
One Acre Fund  
Operation USA  
Opportunity International  
Oxfam-America  
Partners In Health  
Planet Aid  
Project HOPE  
Refugees International  
ReSurge International  
Rotary Foundation of Rotary International  
Salesian Missions  
Samaritan's Purse  
Sudan Relief Fund  
Team Rubicon  
Tearfund USA  
TechnoServe  
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)  
United States Association for UNHCR  
United States Fund for UNICEF  
United to End Genocide (DISSOLVED)  
World Central Kitchen  
World Concern  
World Emergency Relief  
World Neighbors  
World Villages for Children  
Zakat Foundation of America  
Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2022

Program Percentage: 82%

The percentage of charity: water's cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$99,000,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $12

How many dollars charity: water spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$96,000,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Charity Global, Inc. and Affiliate Consolidated Audited Financial Statements Multiple
Charity Global, Inc. and Affiliate IRS Form 990 22-3936753
Entity: Charity Global, Inc. and Affiliate
Document Type: Consolidated Audited Financial Statements
Tax ID: Multiple
Entity: Charity Global, Inc. and Affiliate
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 22-3936753

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
This charity is Top-Rated
What does it mean to be Top-Rated?
 
charity: water
meets governance benchmarks.
 
charity: water
meets transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy No Sharing  

  Name Title Compensation
1 Scott Harrison Founder / CEO $416,323
2 Christoph Gorder Chief Global Water Officer $409,917
3 Benjamin Greene Chief Development Officer $327,406
1
Name: Scott Harrison
Title: Founder / CEO
Compensation: $416,323
2
Name: Christoph Gorder
Title: Chief Global Water Officer
Compensation: $409,917
3
Name: Benjamin Greene
Title: Chief Development Officer
Compensation: $327,406

CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

According to the Charity Global (charity: water) consolidated audit of December 31, 2022 (Note 8, Contributed Goods and Services), charity: water received in-kind contributed goods and services in 2022 on which it placed a total value of $882,110.

[Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.]

According to the Charity Global (charity: water) 2022 tax filing, charity: water reports re: Compensation, Supplemental Information (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part III):

Regarding severance or change-of-control payments to officers, directors, trustees, key employees and highest compensated employees (Schedule J, Part I, Line 4a):

"Andy Cho received severance compensation of $125,000 in calendar year 2022."

Regarding nonfixed payments to officers, directors, trustees, key employees and highest compensated employees (Schedule J, Part I, Line 7):

"Amounts reported in column (B)(ii) ['Bonus & incentive compensation'] represent discretionary bonus payments.

Employees who have served charity: water at least ten years also received loyalty bonuses in 2022, and those amounts are included in Column (B)(iii) ['Other reportable compensation']."


charity: water reports "Bonus & incentive compensation" payments to ten individuals in 2022, with amounts ranging from $250 to $16,838. The reported total compensation in 2022 for the ten individuals ranged from $177,993 to $409,917 (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II).