Water Wells for Africa
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
MISSION: WWFA PROMOTES RURAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BY PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE WATER SOURCES AND REDUCING THE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTAMINATED WATER. WE HONOR INDIGENOUS AFRICAN CULTURES AND THEIR WAYS OF LIFE, WHILE WORKING COOPERATIVELY WITH LOCAL LEADERSHIP AND EMPOWERING THEM WITH WATER, KNOWLEDGE, AND HOPE.
- Income
- $639,192
- Spending
- $545,474
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- 3.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 16
- Highest pay
- $6,000, director/president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (international, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 57% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 79 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (international, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $498,697 spent. WATER WELLS FOR AFRICA (WWFA) GIVES FRESH, CLEAN WATER TO APPROXIMATELY 500 PEOPLE EACH TIME WE INSTALL A NEW WATER WELL. BECAUSE OF THE DEPENDABILITY OF OUR EQUIPMENT, SOME HAVE REMAINED IN CONSTANT USE SINCE 1996. ALL OF THEM LAST DECADES - WITH ONLY THE NEED FOR SIMPLE MAINTENANCE AND (RARELY) REPAIRS. WE KNOW MANY OF OUR PUMPS HAVE ALREADY LASTED MORE THAN 20 YEARS. BEFORE GETTING A WELL, EACH RECIPIENT COMMUNITY MUST LEARN AND COMMIT TO BASIC MAINTENANCE.FROM AN EQUIPMENT PERSPECTIVE, EACH PUMP COULD TECHNICALLY SERVE MORE PEOPLE (AND MANY DO), BUT WE INTENTIONALLY SEEK TO KEEP NUMBERS AT SUSTAINABLE LEVELS TO PROTECT LOCAL WATER TABLES, ENSURE THE LONGEVITY OF BOTH PUMPS AND WATER SUPPLIES, AND KEEP WAITING LINES SHORTER. ANOTHER IMPORTANT REASON WE KEEP THE RATIO OF PEOPLE-TO-WELLS AT ABOUT 500-TO-1 IS THE FACT THAT WATER IS CARRIED HOME IN BUCKETS, USUALLY BY GIRLS AND WOMEN. THEY MUST WALK FROM HOME TO THE WELL, WAIT IN LINE, AND EVENTUALLY RETURN WITH A BUCKET OF WATER BALANCED ON THEIR HEAD (THESE WEIGH 8.3 POUNDS PER GALLON, EQUALLING 40+ POUNDS PER 5-GALLON BUCKET). THEY USUALLY DO THIS MULTIPLE TIMES PER DAY. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF 50 PEOPLE LINE UP AT THE SAME WELL - AND THE FILLING PROCESS TAKES ONLY TWO MINUTES EACH, THE LAST PERSON WILL HAVE WAITED ABOUT AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTES BEFORE GETTING HER SINGLE BUCKET OF WATER. THIS IS A VERY REAL AND WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, BUT ONE WE AND OUR DONORS ARE HELPING TO REMEDY. WAITING IN LINE FOR WATER CREATES A STRAIN ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES (OPPORTUNITY COSTS) AND EXPOSES SOME OF EACH COMMUNITY'S MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE TO WEATHER, PREDATORS (ANIMAL AND HUMAN), REDUCED SCHOOLTIME, AND PHYSICAL HARDSHIP. MORE WELLS MEAN LESS WAITING AND MORE TIME FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WORK, EDUCATION, GARDENING, ETC. THIS IS WHY WE SOMETIMES CHOOSE TO PLACE MORE WELLS WITHIN AN AREA: WE'RE INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND THEIR HEALTH, MUCH MORE THAN NUMBERS.OUR PLANNING PROCESS BEGINS WITH A LOCAL, ON-SITE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. BACK IN 2018, WE MADE A CLEAR DECISION AS AN ORGANIZATION: WHEN NECESSARY, WE WILL PLACE MORE "WELLS PER PERSON" BECAUSE (QUITE SIMPLY) THAT IS WHAT WILL HELP THEM THE MOST BY BRINGING THE GREATEST LONGTERM RELIEF AND WATER STABILITY TO THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE. AFTER ALL, WWFA EXISTS TO SERVE THESE PEOPLE. DEPENDING ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS, WE MAY PLACE ADDITIONAL WELLS ON OTHER NEARBY WATER SOURCES SO NO SINGLE PUMP BECOMES OVERBURDENED OR ANY WATER SOURCE DEPLETED.THE POPULATION OF MOST MALAWIAN VILLAGES IS IN THE HUNDREDS RATHER THAN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, SO WE WORK WITH FEDERAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS, AS WELL AS LOCAL LEADERS, TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF EACH WELL WE INSTALL. OUR SYSTEMATIC LOCATION SELECTION PROCESS HELPS ACCOMPLISH OUR "GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED OVER THE LONG TERM" GOAL BY PLACING NEW WELLS IN LOCATIONS EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES. THE WWFA TEAM HAVE ALSO BECOME SPECIALISTS AT BRINGING WATER TO PEOPLE IN THE MOST REMOTE AND DIFFICULT AREAS. WE HELP PEOPLE IN PLACES WHERE OTHER WATER PROVIDERS OFTEN AVOID. WE OFTEN (AND LITERALLY) "GO WHERE OTHERS WON'T", AND OUR WELLS ARE KNOWN TO LAST SO LONG THAT PEOPLE SOMETIMES RELOCATE TO BE NEAR THEM. THIS IS A WONDERFUL FEELING.WE USUALLY WILL NOT INSTALL A WELL UNLESS IT WILL SERVE 50 OR MORE FAMILIES, AND WE STRIVE FOR EACH WELL TO MEET THE NEEDS OF AT LEAST 100 FAMILIES. AVERAGE FAMILY SIZE IN MALAWI IS FIVE, SO THIS MEANS EACH WELL HELPS APPROXIMATELY 500 RESIDENTS. WHEN YOU INCLUDE PASSING TRAVELLERS, MANY WELLS SERVE MORE THAN 500.A NEW OFFERING WWFA PROVIDES TO LOCAL SCHOOLS - AND ONE WE'RE PROUD OF AND EXCITED ABOUT - IS OUR BLOSSOM PROJECT. AS WE WORKED WITH SCHOOLS IN MALAWI TO ENSURE WATER FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF, WE REALIZED THAT GIRLS OFTEN MISSED SCHOOL FOR A WEEK OR MORE DURING THE TIME THEY MENSTRUATED. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS A STRONG SOCIAL STIGMA AROUND MENSTRUATION, SO THEY GENERALLY STAY OUT OF SCHOOL RATHER THAN USE THE TINY THATCHED ROOF "BATHROOM" FACILITY THEY SHARE WITH BOYS. THIS PROGRAM GIVES THEM A SAFE, SECURE, AND MORE SANITARY PLACE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. IN 2024, WWFA CONSTRUCTED / COMPLETED 5 BLOSSOM PROJECT FACILITIES.IN 2024, WWFA'S "SMALL BUT MIGHTY" TEAM PROVIDED LIFE-GIVING WATER TO APPROXIMATELY 32,500 MORE PEOPLE THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF 65 NEW WELLS: 15 OF THEM IN SCHOOLS, AND 50 IN VILLAGES! WE ANTICIPATE THESE 32,500 PEOPLE HAVING CLEAN, CLOSE WATER FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT 20 YEARS. 2025 WILL SEE ADDITIONAL WELLS IN BOTH SCHOOLS AND VILLAGES, AND MORE BLOSSOM FACILITIES TOO.TO DATE, WITH THE HELP OF OUR WONDERFUL AND LOYAL SUPPORTERS: WWFA HAS PLACED A TOTAL OF 545 WELLS THAT CONTINUE TO SERVE ABOUT 500,820 PEOPLE WITH FRESH, LIFE-GIVING WATER EVEN AS YOU READ THIS.WATER WELLS FOR AFRICA IS OUR NAME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY OUR PASSION AND MISSION. WE'RE SAVING LIVES, INCREASING INDEPENDENCE AND GROWTH WITHIN COMMUNITIES, AND PUTTING HEALTHY SMILES ON FACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY OF MALAWI.OUR SUCCESSES ONLY MAKE US WANT TO ACCOMPLISH MORE. GIVEN ADEQUATE RESOURCES, WWFA WOULD GIVE EVERY HUMAN ON THE PLANET CLEAN WATER, BUT PRAGMATISM LEADS US TO WHERE WE CAN DO THE GREATEST GOOD. RETURN WITHOUT CHANGES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2008.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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