Waterkeeper Alliance

The Waterkeeper movement was started by a band of blue-collar fishermen on New York's Hudson River in 1966. Their tough, grassroots brand of environmental activism sparked the river's miraculous recovery and inspired others to launch local Waterkeeper groups around the world.

Today, Waterkeeper Alliance unites more than 300 Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates that are on the frontlines of the global water crisis, patrolling and protecting more than 2.6 million square miles of rivers, lakes and coastal waterways on 6 continents.

Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates defend the fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and swimmable waters from the Great Lakes to the Himalayas, and combine firsthand knowledge of their waterways with an unwavering commitment to the rights of their communities.

Whether they're on the water tracking down polluters, in courtrooms enforcing environmental laws, advocating in town meetings or teaching in classrooms, the Waterkeeper movement speaks for the waters it defends with the backing of local communities. Waterkeeper Alliance ensures that the world's Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates are as connected to each other as they are to their local waters, organizing the fight for clean water into a coordinated global movement.

Our strategic priorities include:
Priority 1 - Strengthen Waterkeeper groups and grow a sustainable and diverse movement.
Priority 2 - Amplify the collective voices of the Waterkeeper movement across the world.
Priority 3 - Fortify, defend, and enforce clean water policies and laws for communities and countries in which we work.
Foundational Priority - Build and enhance Waterkeeper Alliance’s capacity and resources to sustain a global network of Waterkeepers.

Every five years, we bring together stakeholders to develop a five-year strategic plan to help us work toward our long-term mission and vision. The priorities and strategies from our current strategic plan, which are each supported by clear metrics, are as follows:

Priority 1 - Strengthen Waterkeeper groups and grow a sustainable and diverse movement.
Strategies ▪ Define a broadly owned Waterkeeper culture, principles, and commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency to solidify our Movement
▪ Develop and launch a certification program with a robust suite of trainings to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of Waterkeeper groups
▪ Improve collection and reporting of data across all Waterkeeper groups using consistent metrics, monitoring, and shared tools
▪ Foster community through shared learning and peer-to-peer interactions to support existing and new Waterkeeper groups
▪ Recruit and support Waterkeeper groups based on aligned geographies, issues, and interests
▪ Help ensure the safety and security of all Waterkeeper groups

Priority 2 - Amplify the collective voices of the Waterkeeper movement across the world.
Strategies ▪ Connect and collaborate with Waterkeeper groups to:
– Build shared narratives, Increase political will for clean water, Support frontline communities, Mobilize regional and global action
▪ Co-create a cohesive set of strategic communications and tools that reflect our global movement’s shared commitments and interests
▪ Broadly communicate our collective impact by reporting all Waterkeeper group’s measurable progress and impact
▪ Expand The Movement’s global brand awareness and leadership

Priority 3 - Fortify, defend, and enforce clean water policies and laws for communities and countries in which we work.
Strategies ▪Collaborate with Waterkeeper groups to identify and prioritize policies, environmental justice issues, and legal action in the countries in which we operate
▪ Support Waterkeeper groups in applying existing laws, holding polluters accountable, and advancing new legislation in targeted countries
▪Work with a diverse group of partners and coalitions at all levels to elevate critical voices and successfully enact and defend laws and policies for fresh and marine water resources
▪ Elevate the political influence of frontline communities as part of an inclusive clean water movement

Foundational Priority - Build and enhance Waterkeeper Alliance’s capacity and resources to sustain a global network of Waterkeepers.
Strategies ▪ Recruit and deploy five additional staff by 2023 to establish and manage new fundraising, finance,
operations, and internal and external communications
▪ Significantly increase and diversify revenue to enhance support of the Waterkeeper Movement
▪ Develop a global Governance and staffing structure
▪ Enhance member services for efficient and effective global support
▪ Engage in strategic partnerships to support the efforts of our membership

We have a variety of internal and external resources that enable us to meet our organizational goals. Internally, we have a staff of nearly 30 people to support, promote and advocate our Waterkeepers. The Waterkeepers themselves are an incredibly important resource, as they are the local grassroots advocates fighting for clean water in their communities. Additionally, we have a Board of Directors, composed of members of our Trustee Council and Waterkeeper Council, and a Leadership Circle of supporters.

Externally, we have various revenue sources, such as foundations, major donors, and corporate sponsorships. We also have leveraged many strategic partnerships with likeminded organizations to further our work around the globe.

We measure our success through the presence of strong Waterkeeper organizations; by the direct improvements achieved through Waterkeeper Alliance and Waterkeeper organization joint campaigns; and through the individual and collective successes of Waterkeeper organizations. The actions we pursue are essential not only to the localities where the Waterkeepers work, but also to raising overall consciousness for clean water on a global basis. We believe that our growing network of advocates must have the best training available, utilizing a vast array of resources, tools, and experience, in order to be most effective at protecting their local waterways. Our unmet funding needs at this time are generally capacity needs - for regional strategic meetings, mentoring new Waterkeepers, and further training for our Waterkeepers to:
Maintain and enhance the knowledge and skills needed to galvanize a community;
Be at the leading edge of trends and directions in technology and society, as the pace of change is faster than it has ever been before;
Learn innovative techniques to protect their waterway and community;
Deliver a deeper understanding of the implications and impacts of their work; and
Integrate best practices into their work.