This blog explores how philanthropy in water and sanitation can move beyond the old divide between charity and professionalism, showing that sustainable progress often comes from blending the two. It highlights lessons from the field and the importance of local knowledge in shaping lasting solutions.
Since the days of Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth (1889), philanthropy has been caught between two poles: giving as charity—direct relief for those in need—and giving as professionalism, or strategic investment for long-term change. Carnegie argued that wealthy individuals had a duty to fund institutions—libraries, universities— that would empower communities over generations. John D. Rockefeller followed with an emphasis on measurable social progress through foundations. Together, they birthed what became known as “scientific philanthropy.”
Fast forward more than a century, and we’re still asking the same question in the development sector: Is it better to fund grassroots charities that meet immediate needs, or to professionalize philanthropy, embedding accountability, data, and large
scale strategy?
Water and Sanitation: Where the Balance is Most Needed
Few sectors highlight this balance more clearly than safe water and sanitation. The numbers are staggering:
- 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water.
- 3.5 billion lack safe sanitation (Impakter, 2025).
- In India, groundwater supplies nearly 87% of irrigation, 11% of domestic needs,
and 2% of industry—but nearly 70% of surface and groundwater is polluted
(CPCB, 2023).
Philanthropic efforts in this space have taken many shapes: from charity: water, which pioneered transparency tools to show donors exactly where wells were drilled, to Water.org, which developed WaterCredit, small loans enabling households to finance their own taps and toilets. Both models combine elements of grassroots immediacy with technical and financial innovation.
What Works—and What Often Doesn’t
Pure charity—building a well without local buy-in—often leads to abandoned infrastructure when pumps break and no one has the training or funds to fix them. Purely technical approaches—large infrastructure projects designed by outside experts—can miss the realities of local hydrology, cultural norms, or affordability. For example, urban sewage plants may be built but sit idle due to lack of electricity or poor operation.
The sweet spot lies in blended approaches: technical expertise + local ownership. This is where philanthropy, when done right, acts as a catalyst rather than a top-down solution.
Learning from the Field
Many philanthropic efforts, working in partnership across international, regional, and local scales, have tapped various strengths to build successful conservation and restoration models. In Africa, programs focusing on watershed restoration and soil conservation have improved water quality and agricultural yields. In India, participatory groundwater management and programs like Indo-German initiatives have combined technical guidance with local knowledge to sustain water resources and enhance community participation.
In India, many international and local philanthropic efforts have supported programs focusing on community-led rainwater harvesting, where technical advice helped ensure recharge systems were properly designed and local committees managed
upkeep. These initiatives have often been implemented through participatory approaches, resulting in sustained groundwater levels even in drought-prone areas. Philanthropic efforts have also shown how innovative finance mechanisms can be
unlocked: catalytic funds can reduce the risk for lenders, while households or communities make the final choice, tailoring solutions to their needs.
Why Local Knowledge Matters
Water flows through landscapes and cultures, not just pipes. Technical solutions— whether wells, wetlands restoration, or sanitation systems—become sustainable only when they align with local knowledge: how people use water daily, what governance traditions exist, how women or marginalized groups access resources. Ignoring these realities can turn even the most sophisticated project into a failed investment.
Local knowledge acts as both a compass and a foundation. It provides insights into seasonal water availability, traditional recharge practices, or community norms around collective management. It highlights the subtle power dynamics that shape who gets access to water and when. Crucially, it surfaces the lived experiences of those most affected—particularly women, small farmers, and marginalized groups who often carry the greatest burden of water scarcity.
Successful philanthropic and CSR programs recognize this. In India, participatory groundwater management initiatives have demonstrated that blending hydrogeological science with community wisdom can transform how aquifers are governed. Farmers who once saw groundwater as an individual resource begin to understand its collective dynamics, leading to more equitable and sustainable use. By valuing local knowledge, philanthropy moves from being an external benefactor to a genuine partner, and CSR shifts from risk management to shared value creation. This approach not only increases the longevity of investments but also strengthens community ownership and resilience.
The Role of Philanthropy: De-Risking and Bridging
Reaching global water and sanitation goals will require financing at an unprecedented scale—estimated at $114 billion annually, nearly three times current investment levels. Philanthropy alone cannot close this gap, but it plays a crucial role in de-risking and bridging efforts. As highlighted in the Impakter article (2025), philanthropic capital can enable early-stage pilots, blend finance with grants, loans, and private investment, and support innovation in monitoring, governance, and grassroots capacity. In doing so, it creates the enabling environment for governments and markets to scale solutions. In India, the growing role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in WASH reflects this bridging function. Traditionally, philanthropy in the sector leaned towards charity, offering short-term relief without always ensuring sustainability. CSR, however, operates as a hybrid model—bringing in technical expertise, financing, and long-term partnerships while also fostering community participation. By aligning business interests with social needs, CSR programs demonstrate how private capital can advance philanthropic goals in practical, scalable ways.
Examples abound: corporations are investing in rainwater harvesting in rural and semi-urban areas, wastewater treatment and water neutrality projects around industrial zones, and participatory groundwater management programs. These nitiatives not only address local water challenges but also reduce risks for businesses, creating a shared-value approach where both communities and companies benefit. A compelling case is PepsiCo India’s long-standing partnership with Alternative Development Initiatives (ADI) through the Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management (SWRDM) program. Implemented for over a decade across PepsiCo’s plant locations nationwide, the program combines groundwater recharge, soil and water conservation, and diversified agriculture. Supporting materials include:
- Media resources on ADI’s water and development initiatives
- Case studies of ADI’s sustainable water and community projects
- ADI–PepsiCo India’s water sustainability efforts
- Groundwater recharge and water management
- Community participation in resource management
Importantly, the program goes beyond infrastructure by strengthening local governance—training village institutions, farmer groups, and women’s self-help groups to manage water resources sustainably.
The outcomes are significant: rising groundwater levels, farmers cultivating up to three crops per year, higher household incomes even during droughts, and greater community empowerment. This illustrates how philanthropy, CSR, and private
investment can converge to deliver both social resilience and business sustainability. Placed alongside philanthropy’s de-risking role, CSR initiatives like SWRDM demonstrate how private sector participation can catalyze systemic change. While
philanthropy often seeds innovation and capacity, CSR provides the scale, technical rigor, and sustained financing needed to bridge the gap between pilot projects and long-term water security. Together, they illustrate an evolving landscape where charity transforms into strategic investment, making global WASH goals more attainable.
Towards Sustainable Water and Sanitation
The path forward is not about choosing between charity and professionalism, but about weaving their strengths together. Grassroots charity brings empathy, flexibility, and the ability to respond quickly to urgent needs, while professional philanthropy and CSR add systems thinking, financing, and accountability. When these approaches converge, they can create transformative impact.
For water and sanitation, this convergence calls for:
- Co-creation with communities, not top-down design.
- Balanced investment in both grey and green infrastructure.
- Strengthening governance at watershed and aquifer scales.
- Recognizing water as a shared commons, not only a commodity.
When philanthropy de-risks early efforts and CSR bring scale, expertise, and long term partnerships, the result goes far beyond infrastructure. Wells and toilets become entry points to resilience, dignity, and community-led development. Programs like India’s participatory groundwater initiatives or PepsiCo’s SWRDM show that it is possible to blend scientific rigor with local knowledge and create shared value for business and society alike.
Safe water and sanitation are not just targets under the Sustainable Development Goals—they are the foundation for health, equity, and opportunity. Building them through collaborative, hybrid models ensures they endure.