UGANDAN WATER PROJECT INC
Give Water. Give Life.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Ugandan Water Project works to end the water crisis affecting millions of people in Uganda by alleviating suffering in communities that demonstrate acute water-related needs. Many of the people we serve have no access to a safely managed water source and must collect drinking water from highly contaminated lakes, rivers, or ditches. Others must walk extremely long distances to find water. We work in rural and peri-urban areas where the average income is $2.75 per person per day. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by this problem as they often bear the burden of walking miles each day carrying heavy jerry cans to gather water for their families. The time and effort it takes to collect this essential resource, combined with the high risk of contracting water-related illnesses that results from drinking contaminated water, drastically reduces the economic opportunities, educational outcomes, and health of women, men, and children.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Rainwater Collection Systems
A UWP rainwater collection system consists of a 10,000-liter polyethylene tank that’s placed on a cement base and connected to a building’s metal roof through a gutter system. As rainwater is harvested, people can collect it from the nearby tap stand we install, then purify it using the four hollow fiber membrane water filters we include with each of our rainwater collection systems.
Borehole Well Rehabilitation
A borehole well is a simple hand pump well that typically ranges from 100 ft. to 250 ft. deep. Even though this pumping system is the most common method of water delivery across Africa, the wells include so many moving parts and endure so much wear and tear that many fall into disrepair after only a few years of regular use. By bringing in our crew to disassemble the well, upgrade its hardware, repair what’s broken, and train community members to maintain it, we’re able to bring these wells back to life and prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.
Sawyer Water Filters
Made using the same hollow fiber membrane technology found in dialysis machines, the water filters we distribute to schools, communities, and clinics can purify water from any source. These small and portable filters are powerful tools for making water safe to drink, with a lifespan of up to 10 years and a capacity to filter as many as 1,000,000 gallons of water in that time.
New Borehole Wells
In communities where dependable water sources are scarce, drilling a new borehole well is often the best way to provide safe and reliable drinking water. By tapping into groundwater that is trapped in aquifers often hundreds of feet below the earth’s surface, drilling a new borehole well is a higher risk, high-reward project that can provide years of abundant water to entire communities.
Where we work
External reviews

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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of people receiving safe drinking water from community systems
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Adults, Children and youth
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These numbers indicate the number of new people receiving clean drinking water at the time of installation of each of our products. They do not indicate the aggregate of the total of our work.
Number of water projects built
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metric represents the total number of water projects funded in a fiscal year.
Number of health/hygiene product and/or tools of care (mosquito nets, soap, etc.) administered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Rainwater Collection Systems
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metric represents the total number of rainwater collection systems funded in a fiscal year.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Ugandan Water Project exists to see Uganda as a nation liberated from the bondage of water-borne disease and poverty as communities leverage the transformative power of clean water to empower all people to live the lives they were created for. We work toward this vision by implementing and advocating for safe and sustainably managed water, sanitation, and hygiene resources across Uganda, deploying the best available version of each resource and working collaboratively with local stakeholders to ensure they last.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Ugandan Water Project addresses the water crisis by funding and implementing innovative water solutions that provide clean, safe drinking water to women, men, and children in communities across Uganda. Currently, we focus our efforts on four key water solutions: (1.) advanced water filtration systems, (2.) rainwater collection systems, (3.) borehole well rehabilitations, and (4.) borehole well installations.
To accomplish this work, we partner with schools, businesses, families, organizations, churches, and individuals of all ages who share our passion for seeing the end of the water crisis in Uganda. Whether it's through a one-time gift, monthly support, fundraising campaign, or project sponsorship, we leverage our supporters' resources to create maximum impact in Ugandan communities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Excellence is one of the Ugandan Water Project's core values, so we strive to lead the way among water organizations when it comes to the quality of our work. The four water solutions we currently provide are executed by our local team of Ugandan experts, who are highly trained in industry-leading standards for community needs assessment, project implementation, and long-term monitoring and evaluation. Combined with the high priority we place on empowering communities to be knowledgeable of and trained in maintaining their specific water solutions, and our commitment to using only the highest quality materials and installation techniques, each project we complete is able to provide reliable and low-cost access to safe drinking water for decades.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
As of January 2021, UWP has successfully funded 816 major water projects, including 528 rainwater collection systems, 273 borehole well rehabilitations, 7 new borehole well installations, 7 handwashing stations, and 1 gravity-fed system. We've also distributed hundreds of filtration systems in 2020 alone. Together, these projects have benefited more than 260,000 children, women, and men across Uganda since 2008.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
In designing our new borehole well maintenance service, UWP solicited the input of individual members of interested communities and government officials of the local Ugandan District. This feedback revealed that a pay-per-volume service, rather than the planned fixed rate payment method, would better meet the needs of communities and UWP adjusted the program plan accordingly.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
UGANDAN WATER PROJECT INC
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Mark Colgan
Cherith Reynolds-Clark
Dave Christoforo
Doug Coburn
James Harrington
John Conrad
Mark Colgan
Mark Jenkins
Trish Christoforo
Jessica Nava
Jessica Nava
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/21/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.