Safe water and sanitation are the foundation for resilient, thriving communities. Access to both opens the door to health, education, and economic opportunity. Around the world, proven solutions are transforming lives, the challenge is scaling them fast enough and directing capital where it can have the greatest impact.
Today, 2.2 billion people — one in four — live without access to safe water, and 3.5 billion — two in five — live without a safe toilet. To change these numbers and achieve universal access to safe water and sanitation will require increasing annual investment. Meeting global water and sanitation targets is estimated to require $114 billion each year — more than three times today’s $28.4 billion.
Mobilizing this funding means aligning resources across the capital spectrum, from catalytic philanthropy to blended finance and investment capital, and channeling them into both breakthrough and proven solutions, from household solutions to resilient water systems infrastructure.
Capital isn’t flowing to the solutions that need it most
Global funding for water and sanitation presents a powerful opportunity to accelerate impact. To achieve lasting results, capital must reach a broader range of solutions. Early-stage infrastructure — essential for long-term resilience — benefits from targeted support that reduces risk, accelerates development, and builds the capacity needed to bring projects to investment readiness.
At the same time, proven, people-centered solutions like household water connections, toilets, and small-scale systems deliver immediate results. They improve health, give families back valuable time, and expand opportunities for education, earning an income, and community life. Directing more capital to both large-scale infrastructure and community-level initiatives is not an either-or choice. It’s how we close the funding gap faster, and ensure impact reaches those who can benefit most.
Philanthropy as a catalyst for greater impact
Philanthropy has the power to accelerate lasting change. When used strategically, it can reduce risk, prepare projects for investment, and strengthen the capacity of local partners, creating the conditions for larger flows of public and private capital.
At Water.org, we’ve seen how targeted philanthropic support enables financial institutions to offer affordable loans for household water and sanitation solutions. Together with 188 partners worldwide, we have helped mobilize $7.1 billion in capital to support 17.8 million loans. As a result, more than 81 million people now have lasting access to safe water and sanitation — with women representing 90% of loan borrowers. And every $1 donated to Water.org unlocks $20 for life-changing solutions, making philanthropy a truly catalytic force for impact.
Philanthropic funding can also help advance early-stage infrastructure projects to the point where commercial lenders are ready to invest. This early support builds a strong pipeline of viable projects and helps ensure that capital moves efficiently to the solutions that can deliver the most impact.
Infrastructure needs better early support
Many families and communities have both the need and willingness to pay for improved water services; infrastructure gaps prevent delivery. Early-stage projects often face high development costs, complex approval processes, and risks that deter investors. WaterConnect, launched by Water.org in 2024, helps close this gap.
WaterConnect provides early-stage financing and technical expertise to make water and sanitation infrastructure projects more viable for investors. By building partnerships, sharing development risk, and aligning incentives, WaterConnect ensures that critical systems move forward and that communities benefit from strong and lasting services.
A portfolio built for impact
Solving the water crisis requires solutions that work in concert effectively:
- WaterCredit — small, affordable loans that help families finance safe water and sanitation solutions at home.
- WaterEquity — an asset manager that mobilizes private capital through impact investment funds to expand and sustain water and sanitation lending.
- WaterConnect — a project development company that helps develop infrastructure projects to reach more people in need.
Our approach combines philanthropy and investment, with proven solutions to scale lasting access to safe water and sanitation. Philanthropy lays the foundation. Investment accelerates scale. WaterConnect ensures infrastructure projects are ready to deliver solutions to the people who need them. Together, these solutions connect capital to opportunity and strengthen resilience for households, businesses, and entire cities.
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The essential role of the private sector
Private sector participation brings investment, expertise, and innovation to the challenge of expanding access to safe water and sanitation. Partnerships with foundations like the Coca-Cola Foundation and companies like Reckitt and Gap Inc. have mobilized resources that extend reach, strengthen water and sanitation systems, and expand access to life-changing solutions for millions of families in need.
Many companies are recognizing water access as central to their sustainability commitments and their core business value. Partnering with Water.org allows them to deliver measurable social and environmental impact, while strengthening resilience in the communities they serve and rely on. These collaborations demonstrate the impact possible when corporate resources and commitments align with proven, life-changing solutions.
Directing capital to where it matters most
Achieving universal access to safe water and sanitation requires more than increasing the amount of funding available. It requires targeted, coordinated investment across the capital spectrum — from catalytic philanthropy to investment capital — so solutions at every level can move forward in parallel:
- Expanding both household-level and large-scale infrastructure solutions to meet demand in homes, schools, businesses, and cities.
- Providing early-stage funding and technical assistance so infrastructure projects advance to the point where they can attract additional investment.
- Using catalytic philanthropy to unlock larger flows of public and private financing.
- Measuring outcomes to ensure results are sustainable, scalable, and delivering lasting benefits for families.
When capital is aligned in this way, solutions at every level can generate more progress, giving families lasting access to essential resources, and enabling communities to plan, adapt, and thrive.
A shared path forward
The solutions exist, and the resources are within reach. By unlocking the capital spectrum — from catalytic philanthropy to blended finance and investment capital — we can mobilize the funding needed to advance a suite of proven solutions, from household water and sanitation to resilient water systems infrastructure. Together, these efforts will create lasting opportunity and resilience for the families we serve and deliver on the promise of safe water and sanitation for all.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: Young woman carrying water home. Cover Photo Credit: Water.org
