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Water for People

EIN 84-1166148 · Greenwood Vlg, CO

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

WATER FOR PEOPLE EXISTS TO DEVELOP HIGH QUALITY WATER AND SANITATION, ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, AND SUSTAINED BY STRONG COMMUNITIES, BUSINESSES, AND GOVERNMENTS, WORKING IN TEN COUNTRIES; GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, TANZANIA, PERU, BOLIVIA, UGANDA, MALAWI, RWANDA, INDIA,UNITED STATES.

Income
$30.8 million
Spending
$33.8 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
3.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 85%
Employees
67
Volunteers
330
Highest pay
$289,492, ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 37% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (international, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 (4)
  1. $19.3 million spent. AFRICA:WE FOCUS ON IMPROVING ACCESS TO RELIABLE WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES IN TEN EVERYONE FOREVER DISTRICTS ACROSS MALAWI, RWANDA, UGANDA, AND TANZANIA. OUR EFFORTS INCLUDE DEVELOPING PIPED WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS, CONSTRUCTING BOREHOLES, AND ENHANCING WATER AND SANITATION FACILITIES IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS SCHOOLS AND HEALTHCARE CENTERS. WE COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO CREATE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR SANITATION SERVICE DELIVERY BY SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH MARKET-BASED SOLUTIONS. PIT-EMPTYING BUSINESSES ARE THRIVING, AND DECENTRALIZED FECAL SLUDGE TREATMENT PLANTS ARE EXPANDING. BY STRENGTHENING LOCAL CAPACITY, WE AIM TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY WHILE INCREASING COVERAGE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) ADDITIONALLY, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH GOVERNMENT PARTNERS TO REINFORCE WASH SYSTEMS AT BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS. THE EVERYONE FOREVER MODEL HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY REPLICATED BY OTHER NGOS AND IS GAINING REGIONAL AND NATIONAL MOMENTUM. IN 2024, WE DIRECTLY REACHED 194,807 PEOPLE WITH IMPROVED WATER SERVICES, 77,052 PEOPLE WITH IMPROVED SANITATION SERVICES, AND 104,719 PEOPLE THROUGH HYGIENE INTERVENTIONS.
  2. $4.9 million spent. LATIN AMERICA:WATER FOR PEOPLE ADDRESSES THE GLOBAL WATER AND SANITATION CRISIS BY IMPLEMENTING CONTEXTUALLY APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE IN 18 EVERYONE FOREVER MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS BOLIVIA, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, AND PERU. WE STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL PARTNERS TO MANAGE THESE SYSTEMS EFFECTIVELY. OUR SANITATION STRATEGY PROMOTES AWARENESS OF HOUSEHOLD SANITATION FACILITIES AND SAFE FECAL SLUDGE MANAGEMENT WHILE FOSTERING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO MEET CONSUMER DEMAND. AS WE CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT AND VALIDATE THE MODEL LOCALLY, WE ALSO ADVOCATE FOR ITS ADOPTION BY NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS AND PEER ORGANIZATIONS. IN 2024, WE REACHED 12,627 PEOPLE WITH IMPROVED WATER SERVICES, 27,982 PEOPLE WITH IMPROVED SANITATION SERVICES, AND PROVIDED HYGIENE EDUCATION TO 13,263 INDIVIDUALS.
  3. $2.3 million spent. INDIA:IN INDIA, WE WORK TO EXPAND ACCESS TO WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES AND BUILD THE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITIES AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THESE SERVICES IN TEN EVERYONE FOREVER DISTRICTS. OUR OPERATIONS SPAN BIHAR, MAHARASHTRA, WEST BENGAL, ASSAM, ODISHA, AND JHARKHAND. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN COMMUNITIES AND PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, WE PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND DISTRICT GOVERNMENTS TO IMPLEMENT NATIONAL WASH POLICIES AND PROGRAMS EFFECTIVELY. TOGETHER WITH LOCAL PARTNERS, WE DEVELOP ROBUST SANITATION MARKETS TO ENSURE RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE SERVICES. WE ALSO FOCUS ON SOURCE SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) IN 2024, WE REACHED 32,568 PEOPLE WITH IMPROVED WATER SERVICES, 9,280 PEOPLE WITH IMPROVED SANITATION SERVICES, AND DELIVERED HYGIENE INTERVENTIONS TO 28,472 INDIVIDUALS ACROSS EVERYONE FOREVER DISTRICTS AND ADDITIONAL PARTNER AREAS.
  4. $50,321 spent. UNITED STATES: WE WORK AT A NATIONAL SCALE, REGIONALLY IN THE SOUTHWEST, AND LOCALLY IN ARIZONA TO CLOSE THE WASH ACCESS GAP THROUGH ADVOCACY, PARTNERSHIPS, CAPACITY BUILDING, KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGES, AND COLLABORATION. THROUGH STRENGTHENING NATIONAL WASH COALITIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS, WE CO-CHAIR REGIONAL WORKING GROUPS, PARTICIPATE IN ADVOCACY DISCUSSIONS, AND SUPPORT SECTOR BUILDING INITIATIVES. AS STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND CO-FOUNDERS OF THE VESSEL COLLECTIVE, A COALITION OF NATIONAL WASH ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO ADDRESSING THE WATER AND SANITATION CRISIS IN THE UNITED STATES, WE SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL ROADMAP TO CLOSE THE ACCESS GAP. WE PARTICIPATED IN THE PLANNING OF A NATIONAL CONVENING, BRINGING THE SECTOR TOGETHER, AND WE COLLECTIVELY ADVOCATED FOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND FUNDING MECHANISMS. WE ALSO STRENGTHENED AND SUPPORTED A STATEWIDE WASH NETWORK WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS IN ARIZONA. LOCALLY WE CO-LEAD THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE- BRINGING LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTO WATER DECISION-MAKING SPACES, CONNECTING THEM TO LOCAL LEADERS. WE ARE WORKING TO SCALE THESE PLACE-BASED PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT MORE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1996.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.