About Us
Our strategy, vision, mission, partner model, and the guiding principles that drive everything we do.
A world where water is clean, safe, accessible, and affordable for EVERYONE.
To connect communities in need of clean water with water resource experts and cost-effective, life-changing solutions.
Our PhD scientists analyze contaminants, chemistry, and community needs to identify the root cause — not just the symptoms.
We design a matched solution for the specific problem: the right filter, the right supplement, the right remediation protocol.
Working through trusted local NGO partners, we deploy solutions with community buy-in for lasting adoption and knowledge transfer.
Every project is documented with measurable outcomes — so donors see exactly where their money went and what it achieved.
The partner model
We are spearheaders, not occupiers. We come in early to prove a solution works, then hand it off to a strong local partner who runs it for the long haul. Our impact is measured by partner success, not project count.
Every project on this site is anchored by a local NGO, university, or government agency. They know the community, the politics, and the dialect we don’t. Our PhDs and engineers contribute what they don’t have: the science, the diagnostics, and the design.
Our role shrinks as theirs grows — by design. When a project no longer needs us, that’s the success metric.
How we’re organized
A task force where we live
Our executive director lives in the Philippines, working alongside a team of Filipino volunteers running four projects — from typhoon anticipatory action to mining-toxin remediation in Baguio.
One strong partner per country
In Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and DR Congo we anchor one major project to one trusted local NGO. They know the community; we bring the diagnostics, engineering, and funding support.
A global technical bench
Our advisors are scattered across the world — limnologists, geochemists, treatment engineers, microbiologists — on call for any project that needs deep expertise.
We make local heroes succeed
Our partners are the ones changing lives on the ground. Solution providers donate the technology, software, and funding that makes it possible. We give them all better science.
Our Guiding Principles
Human Health First
We prioritize projects with direct, measurable impact on human health — from safe drinking water to mitigating the long-term effects of toxins on child brain development.
Practical Solutions
We are not obsessed with complexity; we are obsessed with what works. Sound science finds the most simple, effective, and sustainable solution for each community.
Prioritize Collaboration
Complex water challenges require diverse teams. We forge partnerships between communities, universities, governments, and nonprofits to multiply our impact.
Financial Stewardship
Dedicated to eliminating waste and maximizing ROI for every donation — producing the greatest possible benefit for the communities we serve with zero overhead.
Three areas of expertise
Clean Drinking Water
Filtration, disinfection, and predictive emergency water deployment — the highest-ROI interventions in global health.
See the projects →Detoxifying Communities
Mercury, heavy metals, and cyanide from mining — stopped at the source with technical geochemistry.
See the projects →Reviving Fisheries
Free, technical limnology consulting to identify the problem and revive collapsed lake fisheries.
See the projects →Leadership & Advisors
Our Capacity Statement
A one-page brief on what Clean Water Help can take on, our credentials, and our active portfolio. Useful for grant applications, RFP responses, and institutional due diligence.
Download Capacity Statement (PDF)Join our team of experts
We’re always looking for water scientists, environmental engineers, and public health experts to volunteer pro bono. All expertise levels welcome.
Where the money goes — and doesn’t
The zero-overhead model
Nobody at Clean Water Help is paid — not the founders, not the board, not one of our volunteer scientists. Our bylaws require the founders to pay every operating cost personally, so waste would come out of our own pockets, never yours. 100% of donations fund solutions. These communities need the money more than we do.
PhDs, PEs, and public-health experts donating expertise that would cost a contractor a fortune.
Money that flows through us to the local organizations who run every system.
All of it on a lifetime admin budget smaller than most charities’ ad spend.
Live from our books — these figures update automatically.
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IRS Form 9902025 Form 990 (PDF) →
Our federal tax filing, posted each year it is filed.
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BylawsOur Bylaws (PDF) →
Including the clause that requires founders to pay all overhead.
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Financial PoliciesFinancial Policies (PDF) →
How money is handled, approved, and tracked.
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Conflict of InterestConflict of Interest Policy (PDF) →
Signed by every board member, every year.
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Capacity StatementCapacity Statement (PDF) →
One-page brief for funders, grants, and due diligence.
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Annual ReportFirst annual report — coming 2026
Project outcomes and use of funds, published yearly after fiscal close.
Questions about our finances? Contact us — we answer them.