Water For People has achieved all of its 2011 goals two years ahead of schedule, it announced last week at the nonprofit’s semi-annual board meeting.
“We are thrilled with these results and deeply grateful to both our donors and our volunteers. Our donors provide the financial backbone of our organization. And our volunteers are equally crucial,” said CEO Ned Breslin. “From our local volunteers that perform fundraising and awareness, to our international volunteer organization, World Water Corps, that provides technical expertise and monitoring, we could not do it without them.”
Some of Water For People’s highlights for 2009 include:
• Serving almost 400 communities, a 90 percent increase over 2008;
• Serving almost 250 schools, an 80 percent increase over 2008;
• Over 100,000 sanitation beneficiaries served, a 26 percent increase over 2008;
• Over 200,000 water beneficiaries served, more than double the 2008 number; and
• Over 50 percent growth in the World Water Corps volunteer program.
Breslin went on to say that while everyone at Water for People is celebrating these results, they are also working to set new, even more aggressive goals.
World Water Corps helps support Water For People’s goal to make sure its projects are still functional and even self-sustainable up to ten years after implementation, explained Andrew Britton, World Water Corps Manager.
“Our volunteers serve as independent monitors and evaluators—ensuring integrity and objectivity in data collection and reporting,” Britton said. “They also fill technical gaps in the field, which allows Water For People to stay lean and dedicate more resources to field programs rather than adding overhead.”
Caetie Ofiesh, a volunteer with Water For People's World Water Corps, said she is impressed with the work Water for People has done.
“I admire Water For People’s dedication to sustainability through their monitoring program, and their willingness to be honest about what works and what doesn’t work,” she said. “It’s easy to cut a ribbon for a new water system, but the real victory is five, ten years later when that system is still working after all the ribbons are gone.”
Source: Water for People
