Blood:Water Mission
Partners for enduring health and dignity in Africa
Mission
Blood:Water is an equipping agency that partners with African grassroots organizations to address the water and HIV/AIDS crises. We do this by identifying Africa’s hidden heroes and coming alongside their vision for change. We provide technical, financial, and organizational support so that African civil society organizations have expanded reach and effectiveness in the communities they serve. From our experience there is a lack of local, long term solutions to the water and HIV/AIDS crises in Africa. Our solution is to invest in scalable, African-led organizations and support their capacity building so that the investment will be leveraged for years to come. The target population is Eastern and Southern Africa, and particularly communities heavily affected by HIV/AIDS.
Ruling year
2005
Executive Director
Mr Jake Smith
Main address
P.O. Box 60381
Nashville, TN 37206 USA
EIN
56-2483082
NTEE code
International Development, Relief Services (Q30)
International Economic Development (Q32)
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (Q12)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Register now
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
HIV/AIDS is the single most complex health condition to affect communities the world over. In particular, the persistent risk of and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in underdeveloped communities magnify markers of pre-existing poverty, stigma, lack of social support mechanisms, and gender inequality. Similar trends and patterns apply in the context of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). The global HIV/AIDS burden is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, where WASH services are also limited. From our experience there is a lack of local, long term solutions to the water and HIV/AIDS crises in Africa. Our solution is to invest in scalable, African-led organizations and support their capacity building so that the investment will be leveraged for years to come. The target population is Eastern and Southern Africa, and particularly communities heavily affected by HIV/AIDS.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
WASH Partnerships
Through various technologies, the three areas of WASH – water, sanitation, and hygiene – work together to strengthen one another and maximize health impact at the community level. For instance, the impact of clean water is dependent upon access to and use of latrines and safe hand-washing behaviors, and vice versa. All three are necessary for one to be a success. And when local leaders rise up to form water committees to lead WASH solutions and promote health from within their own communities, there is no end to the change that can take place. We work with our local partners to provide access to clean water through a wide range of technologies. With knowledge of the local context, our partners select the technology that will be most effective in the community where they are working based on environmental, cultural, economic, and technological factors to optimize quantity, quality, access, and reliability. In many cases, a combination of technologies is required to achieve these goals.
HIV/AIDS Partnerships
Blood:Water’s HIV/AIDS programs center around community care and support. Blood:Water invests in partners that work at the community and household level to address individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS, comprehensively addressing psychological, social, cultural, material and legal vulnerabilities that occur through the continuum of illness. This work encompasses clinical support services such as palliative care, nutritional assessment, case management, ART adherence and other support that improves outcomes both within and outside the clinic. Our partners also focus on psychosocial care, creating support groups for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as addressing and advocating against stigma and discrimination associated with HIV.
Organizational Strengthening Programs
Organizational Strengthening (OS) is the capacity building processes through which partner organizations invest in and improve their institutional and technical capacities for the delivery of high-quality programs and efficacy of mission. This includes an externally-facilitated participatory self-assessment using the Institutional Development Framework (“IDF”), incorporating representatives of an organization’s board, senior management, and staff to allow for a diverse, unbiased critique. Partners score themselves across 4 developmental stages and identify priorities for investment. This prioritized improvement plan is executed over 2-year cycles for up to 8 years in partnership with Blood:Water, with up to $10,000 of additional funding each grant cycle. In addition, Blood:Water implements OS activities across the portfolio of partners, currently including peer exchange visits, a partner summit every two years, support with monitoring and evaluation, and technical updates and learning.
Where we work
Accreditations
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) 2011
Charity Navigator 2011
Give.org (BBB Wise Giving Alliance) 2022
Awards
Social Innovation Award 2021
Classy
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of members from priority population attending training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
WASH Partnerships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Individuals trained in WASH -- water, sanitation, hygiene (The significant increase in 2020 relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and community-based responses related to hygiene training in particular)
Number of people receiving safe drinking water from community systems
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, Economically disadvantaged people, People with HIV/AIDS
Related Program
WASH Partnerships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, People of African descent
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Total number of organizations benefiting from grants awarded
Number of HIV-positive people begin HIV treatment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People of African descent, People with HIV/AIDS
Related Program
HIV/AIDS Partnerships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Individuals provided with HIV care, treatment and support; program and project shifts in 2018 (2020 decrease due to COVID-19 constraints and shifts in program delivery temporarily)
Individuals reached with interventions addressing HIV stigma and discrimination
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Indigenous peoples, People of African descent
Related Program
HIV/AIDS Partnerships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Community members who received awareness interventions addressing the fear and misinformation existing around HIV/AIDS will lessen environments of discrimination & stigma (2020 constraints from COVID)
Individuals with access to latrines
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People of African descent
Related Program
WASH Partnerships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
International benchmark is 1:20 for women and 1:50 for men (2018 results average 1:5); outputs based on scale of WASH programs. (2020 limitations due to COVID-19 and effects on program delivery)
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?
Goals (Broad):
We want to see the end of the HIV/AIDS and water crises in African in our lifetime, and see stronger, healthier organizations in Africa.
Goals (Specific):
- Reach more than 20 communities with life-saving WASH and HIV/AIDS initiatives
- Engage 250 African professionals with the Leader Collective
- Help 4 African-led organizations reach the "expanding" stage by 2023
- Positioning resources for 11 organizations where needed most and neglected by other funders
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Blood:Water partners with African civil society organizations to address the HIV/AIDS and water crises. We believe that local African organizations are the true drivers of social change, and best positioned to ensure sustainability long after we have exited. These organizations are often overlooked and under-resourced, creating organizational and programmatic challenges that inhibit their success in communities.
We work with local, African-led partners to provide clean water through a wide range of technologies, which they optimize through their local context. Sanitation solutions and hygiene practices are also vital for water to stay clean and to reduce water-borne illnesses. Local leaders form water committees to promote health and catalyze transformation in their communities. For a water point’s long-term success, we are committed to ensuring WASH standards are applied throughout programming.
Our programs also center around community care and support. Blood:Water invests in partners that work at the community and household level to address individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS, comprehensively addressing psychological, social, cultural, material and legal vulnerabilities that occur through the continuum of illness. Our partners also focus on psychosocial care, creating support groups for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as addressing stigma and discrimination.
We strategically blend partner-driven and Blood:Water driven capacity building initiatives to strengthen our partners. The partner-driven activities revolve around the Institutional Development Framework that includes a participatory self-assessment, improvement plan and additional funding from Blood:Water. We also implement organizational strengthening activities across the portfolio of partners, including an online community of practice, workshops, peer exchange visits, and leadership coaching.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The following elements contribute to Blood:Water's capabilities to address and meet our goals:
+ Staff and external human resources with a blend of technical training and implementation experience
+ Network of partners (civil society organizations) in multiple countries and environments
+ Systems for grants, partnerships, implementation plans that reinforce accountability and best practice as well as nimbleness and constant learning
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Achievement highlights of the past 4-5 years:
+ 100% WASH coverage in partner's catchment area in northern Rwanda
+ Vetting and selection of 4 new partners in 2018 and 2 new partners in 2020
+ Partner summits in 2015, 2016, and 2017 gathering representatives from our implementation partners for collaborative training, learning, and networking; Next one scheduled for 2022 and when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted
+ Rolling out data collection tools and systems
2020-2021 Highlights (COVID-19 response):
756,761: Number of individuals reached with COVID-19 preventative education and hygiene promotion
39,683: Number of individuals provided with COVID-19 hygiene interventions
2021 Highlights:
11,553: Number of Individuals reached access to safe water
5,646: Number of females reached with support for menstrual hygiene management
9,531: Number of individuals with access to improved hygiene and sanitation facilities
4,522: Number of Individuals tested and counseled for HIV
58,417: Number of individuals provided with HIV prevention services
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Our work benefits people at both the community level and organizational level in sub Saharan Africa. At the community level, the WASH and HIV/AIDS programs serve the most vulnerable and at-risk populations. At the organizational level, our organizational strengthening programs strengthen leaders within the organizations and empower staff and community volunteers in their work.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
What significant change resulted from feedback?
In our partnerships with local African organizations, we receive quarterly reporting that includes narrative, core indicators, and financial reporting. The reporting process includes rounds of feedback for clarity and improvement before filed as “complete”, which reinforces the building of capacities and our role as a partner, not just a funder. We recently modified the core indicators after feedback from partners that some indicators were not core to the project (and the project's evaluation) even if they were potentially valuable to other organizations. We also collaboratively developed a Community-Response Monitoring Tool in the midst of COVID-19 so that our partners could make real-time adjustments and improvements in tracking COVID-19 data.
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our 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.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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.
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.
Blood:Water Mission
Board of directorsas of 10/17/2022
Rich Hoops
Steven Garber
(Emeritus)
Kevin Clark
Brad Gibson
Jena Nardella
Rich Hoops
Collin Brown
Katy Byers
Katherine Carpenter
Chris Hobday
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Thanks for signing up!
An email has been sent to the address you provided. Click on the link in that email to get more GuideStar Nonprofit Profile data today!
(Don't see an email in your inbox? Click here to resend it.)
GuideStar Pro Reports
Report successfully added to your cart!
Want more data?
A GuideStar Pro report containing the following information is available for this organization:
- Email contact information
- Financial trends metrics for five most recent years 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017*
- Financial statements for 2020, 2019
- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
- Contractor and/or Paid Preparer data for 2021, 2020, 2019
- Board of Directors data for 2022
- *with the ability to download the data for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
Download it now for $125.
Need the ability to download nonprofit data and more advanced search options?Consider a Pro Search subscription.