Water For People Donors Challenged To Make A Million Dollar Impact
By Peter Mason
Water For People is honored to announce the 2010 Rosenthal Million Dollar Challenge: IMPACT2.
For the third consecutive year, New Orleans-based philanthropists Stephen and Sandy Rosenthal have donated $500,000 to Water For People challenging others to match their investment in support of Water For People's mission to end global water poverty.
Funds raised through IMPACT2 will be used to further Water For People's vital work in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Their unique approach results in solutions that stand the test of time by leveraging donor dollars with community, government, and partner investments; utilizing basic free-market business principles; empowering social entrepreneurs; training in operations, maintenance, and finance; and monitoring annually for 10 years.
"Our family foundation has made several major gifts to Water For People over the last few years. Our due diligence has revealed a well run, transparent, and honest organization. We are impressed by their monitoring and evaluation; the results are compelling. This tangible proof of sustainability shows that our money and time are well invested," said Stephen Rosenthal.
"We are thrilled to be the recipient of the Rosenthal family's continued support and look forward to once again meeting this challenge," said Wende Valentine, Water For People Assistant Director of Individual Major Gifts. "Our success in the past two years allowed us to leverage the financial and physical support of local, regional, and national partner organizations to build long-lasting solutions for communities around the world. Through the IMPACT2 challenge, we will continue to leverage each dollar raised to multiply results."
"Around the world, developing countries are littered with broken wells and abandoned latrines," Rosenthal said. "Clean water and safe sanitation are truly compelling needs. However, it does little good to meet these needs if systems quickly break; if girls have to return to a life of carrying water, and babies continue dying from preventable waterborne illnesses. That's why we support Water For People. The organization goes beyond just counting how many people have services that first year. They place greater emphasis on how long those systems last—if they are truly sustainable in future years."
To donate to this campaign, visit http://www.waterforpeople.org/milliondollarchallenge.
About Water For People
Founded in 1991, Water For People is an international, nonprofit development organization that focuses on long-lasting, safe drinking water resources and improved sanitation facilities in the developing world. While Water For People is in its 20th year of work, it focuses not on creating a dependency on charity in the 11 countries it works in, but rather strengthening the ability of the local community to plan, build, finance, maintain and operate their own systems. The organization works in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America to show that its successful programs are adaptable around the world and can be replicated anywhere. Water For People is a charity of choice of the American water and wastewater community. For more information, visit www.waterforpeople.org.
SOURCE: Water For People