Water1st was started in 2005 by a group of professionals with solid experience in the water and sanitation sector. Our focus was simple: build an organization from the ground up with the ability to consistently implement high-quality water and sanitation projects that provide permanent solutions for the worlds most vulnerable communities. Our comprehensive, cost-effective approach impacts the health, economy, education, food security, and overall well-being of our project communities. Addressing the water and sanitation needs of the world’s poorest people is the one activity that, when done properly, generates benefits that can lift a community out of extreme poverty.
Why did the world need a new water and sanitation organization? Because 35-50% of water projects fail in the first 5 years. This staggering statistic hasn’t changed for the past 30 years. Why? Because fundraising for new projects often takes priority over monitoring the old projects. This means that less than 10% of projects receive any monitoring once completed, and that organizations are not learning from past work to improve their outcomes. We knew it didn’t have to be that way – our experience proved that we had a method that could successfully provide a permanent solution.
Water1st was created to support water projects that would last. Our vision was to support local, on-the-ground organizations (our partners/colleagues in this work) who would organize and train community members to participate in every step of the process. And we would commit to consistent project funding as well as monitoring and evaluation. In a world that entices us with new technologies, new inventions, and new gadgets, we have remained steadfast to our effective mission. We have 4,232 independently operated projects to demonstrate that our approach works.
Today, our Water1st community is comprised of more than 8,000 supporters across the country, including a network over 300 youth advocates. Collectively, our extraordinary community is making a huge difference in the lives of vulnerable families.
We establish long-term partnerships with local, non-governmental agencies and we fund them consistently. Stable funding to our partners enables them to retain qualified staff who develop trusting relationships with local communities and leaders to engage in strategic planning. This approach also allows us to efficiently saturate a region with water and sanitation projects. Our local colleagues are key to our success.
We fund comprehensive, cost-effective projects which include piped water systems, sanitary toilets, and hygiene education. Every project serves a whole community; water is piped directly to individual homes, schools, health clinics, and community centers. Our partners train communities to operate and maintain their systems in perpetuity. Often this requires investing in projects that have higher up-front capital costs but that have proven more efficient and cost effective to operate over time. It also means that our partners don’t opt for new gadgets that haven’t been proven in the field and/or do not have supply chains for service or replacement parts.
We follow up. We routinely visit our projects to evaluate our work, to hold our partners accountable, and to exchange knowledge. We make sure each project is providing the intended benefits and generating the best possible outcomes. You can be confident that your donation is spent wisely and is making a real difference in the lives of the people we serve.
There is also a philosophical value that we hold up — we start from a place of respect for the people we assist. We believe people are their own best resource in escaping poverty and we support solutions based on their priorities. We listen, involve community members in every step of the process, and fund solutions that are most effective in the long run. Every vulnerable community is rich in human intellect and strength of spirit. We are successful because we invest in these resources and provide the poorest people in the world a path out of poverty.
On the fundraising side, we made a conscious decision to focus on grassroots funding. We remain committed to the solutions that best serve vulnerable communities rather than focusing on the priorities of donors. The stable funding provided by individual donors and foundations has proven to maximize the effectiveness of our international work. We believe the global water and sanitation crisis can be solved by building a community of concerned people who take simple and effective actions together.
A world free of extreme poverty where everyone has access to a clean, permanent water supply and a toilet.
To enable the world’s poorest people to implement and sustain community-managed projects integrating clean water supply, toilets, and hygiene education.
Water1st unites people to fight the global water and sanitation crisis. We believe this worldwide, silent catastrophe will be solved when people come together as a concerned community and take effective, simple actions.
Get email updates about our work and information about ways to get involved in your area.
Water1st International is a 501(c)(3) and our tax ID is 20-2601035 | privacy policy | terms | © 2021
Sales tax: Sales tax is based on your address. We’ll send you a receipt that includes your sales tax and shipping fee (if applicable).
Approximate shipping costs:
Complimentary Seattle-area deliveries for all purchases.
Fall 2022 promotion – Free shipping of orders of 12 bottles (1 case) or more. You may order as many cases as you want.
Please note approximate shipping costs vary depending on destination. Due to shipping fees that are beyond our control, our suggested minimum order is 3 bottles:
1-3 bottles $24-28
6 bottles $27-37
12 bottles $37-57
*If shipping to Alaska and Hawaii, please call the winery for a quote at (509) 875-2211
Shipping available to the following 35 states + Washington DC: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Water from Wine is a very small winery and unable to benefit from competitive shipping rates that larger wineries enjoy. Wine is shipped via UPS, which adds additional fees for shipping alcohol because an adult over 21 must sign for delivery. Water from Wine does not profit from shipping costs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sales tax: Sales tax is based on your address. We’ll send you a receipt that includes your sales tax and shipping fee (if applicable).
Approximate shipping costs:
Fall 2021 promotion – Free shipping of orders of 12 bottles (1 case). You may order as many cases as you want. Free shipping promotion is limited to 2 cases/person/month.
Please note approximate shipping costs vary depending on destination. Due to shipping fees that are beyond our control, our suggested minimum order is 3 bottles:
1-3 bottles $24-28
6 bottles $27-37
12 bottles $37-57
*If shipping to Alaska and Hawaii, please call the winery for a quote at (509) 875-2211
Shipping available to the following 36 states + Washington DC: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Water from Wine is a very small winery and unable to benefit from competitive shipping rates that larger wineries enjoy. Wine is shipped via UPS, which adds additional fees for shipping alcohol because an adult over 21 must sign for delivery. Water from Wine does not profit from shipping costs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns..
