Three things to consider when making a charitable holiday donation
Calgary is renowned for its generosity as much as its entrepreneurial, can-do spirit.
And Calgarians’ giving spirit often peaks around the holidays.
Yet with so many charitable organizations to choose from, picking whom to support can feel overwhelming. Here are three things to consider.
GIVE LOCAL; HAVE A GLOBAL IMPACT
A top consideration is where your hard-earned money will go, and what will it be used for.
If you want your locally donated dollars to have a global impact this year, look no further than Calgary-based Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology — CAWST, for short.
The non-governmental organization (NGO), co-founded by engineers Camille Dow Baker and David Manz, helps people around the world unlock sustainable and affordable solutions to address the global need for safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
Founded in 2001, Dow Baker and Manz first sought to use the NGO to provide the professional services needed for the humanitarian distribution of the biosand filter — a filter Manz developed while working at the University of Calgary. This technology is one of the most widely used water filters in areas where there is a lack of access to clean water and sanitation, says Shauna Curry, CAWST’S chief executive officer.
“It can be built using materials you can find anywhere, and that’s important for helping households to become independent in accessing clean water.”
And fostering independence among communities is paramount at CAWST. It is focused on empowering millions of people in more than 85 nations with the know-how to develop and maintain their own water and sanitation technology and infrastructure.
“Our answer to the problem of lack of access to clean water in these communities is to teach people how to implement solutions themselves,” Curry says, adding this reflects the entrepreneurial roots of CAWST’S founders.
“It’s based on the notion that technologies exist to make a big difference in peoples’ lives and that people anywhere can take care of their own water and sanitation. There is no cookiecutter solution that can be applied to every situation. Our 50-plus experts work directly with organizations in places like Ethiopia, Colombia, Haiti, India and Nepal.”
Indeed, CAWST experts — Calgary engineers, educators and other professionals among them — are in high demand. They work year-round with community groups in developing nations, helping them select and implement the most appropriate, low-cost, scalable technologies and other measures to address often complex challenges, including purifying contaminated drinking water and protecting water sources.
CAWST’S impact is profoundly beneficial, and growing, she adds. Since 2001, CAWST’S clients have reported reaching more than 15 million people with access to clean water and sanitation.
“When people don’t have access to clean water it impedes their ability to go to school and work because they’re sick,” Curry says. “So clean water has a huge impact on their lives.”
A GIFT THAT CREATES SUSTAINABLE CHANGE
When you decide to give money to an organization, you want to feel secure it will have a meaningful and lasting effect. Sometimes you hear claims that a $30 donation can give a person clean water for life. You have to wonder if that’s really possible, especially when you consider the price of your own monthly water bill.
At CAWST, money is used to empower people so they can develop sustainable, clean water and sanitation solutions all their own. That’s a gift that lasts.
Donations support CAWST programs such as Water Expertise and
Training (WET) Centre in Ethiopia. In keeping with the organization’s mandate, it’s led by Ethiopian Martha Gebeyehu, who was trained by CAWST. Since its inception, CAWST’S Ethiopian WET Centre has educated clean water practitioners in more than 600 rural community groups across six districts in Ethiopia.
Piggy-backing on existing community groups, akin to entrepreneur collectives, CAWST’S Ethiopian WET Centre has been so successful that Gebeyehu’s efforts recently earned her the University of Oklahoma’s prestigious International World Water Prize.
MAXIMIZE YOUR DONATION
Once you find a charity that matches your ideals, another thing to consider is how far the money goes. Sometimes other agencies or benefactors will step in to boost the funds gathered by matching donations.
That’s the case right now at CAWST, where two local philanthropists —David O’brien and Geoff Cumming — will match donations dollar for dollar, a commitment of up to $12 million.
It’s a great opportunity to make dollars go even further. And it’s something worth sharing with others.
“Your gift and generosity helps spread joy and hope ,” Curry says.
“And when you inspire others to also give, our collective impact multiplies.”
To donate to CAWST’S Gift of Water campaign this holiday season, visit cawst. org/takeaction/givewater.