Statements
Mission
Blood:Water is an international nonprofit that partners with African community-driven organizations to end water & HIV/AIDS health disparities through organizational strengthening & financial support. The water & HIV/AIDS crises are inextricably linked. Africa is disproportionately impacted by both. Despite decades of effort, solutions are still out of reach for millions of people.
Blood:Water works differently than most international NGOs: We believe that when organizations are led entirely by people from the same communities they serve, they are more impactful. Guided by our model, we find, vet, and partner with community-driven and -led organizations in East and Southern Africa. We support these organizations by pairing long-term and intentional organizational strengthening with flexible financial support. Grants focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and three overlapping elements of HIV/AIDS: community care support, combination prevention, and health system strengthening.
We commit to eight-years of funding (4 two-year funding cycles) and utilize an assessment tool used by civil society organizations globally for over 20 years to guide our organizational strengthening activities. Our model has proven successful with increasing the capacity of the local team and leadership, increasing the organization's financial health, and ensuring that these activities increase overall program quality through rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning. This is a recipe for a healthy and sustaining organization poised to serve their communities for years to come.
Background
Blood:Water was founded in 2004 by the multi-platinum, GRAMMY® Award-winning band, Jars of Clay, and advocate Jena Lee Nardella. Since our inception, we've supported more than 35 partners across 12 countries with resources from a community of thousands of individuals and organizations who commit to our shared vision. We have a staff of 15, based in the United States and in Nairobi, Kenya. Blood:Water is a faith-based organization, rooted to our work by a core belief: all people are equally created and purposed by God. This motivates us to act and work outside of ourselves and immediate communities to support needs of others around the world.
Blood:Water finds, vets, and partners with organizations in East and South Africa that are community-driven and -led. We support them by pairing long-term, iterative, intentional organizational strengthening with flexible financial support. We make an eight-year funding commitment that includes four two-year cycles. During each cycle, we guide the partner through a proven organizational strengthening model, in which they identify key organizational needs. We then fund the needs with a flexible grant earmarked for capacity building.
Our interventions are geared towards increased positive outcomes in four key areas: team capacity, financial health, program quality, and community representation. We'll know we've succeeded when partners have the essential systems and structures in place to help them increase their reach and deepen their impact.
Impact
Go to https://www.bloodwater.org/2022-annual-report to see examples of our impact with water, HIV/AIDS, and strengthening organizations. We measure outcomes in 4 key areas across our eight-year partnership: team capacity, financial health, program quality, and community representation. By measuring the % increase/improvement with each area as well as a combined growth score we can demonstrate the organization's expanded capacity and reach based on our partnership with them.
We graduate partners that have viable programs, adequate resources, and credible systems consistently applied throughout their work. What does that look like?
- Their vision and mission are clear and have buy-in across stakeholders
- Their strategic plan drives planning, resourcing and decision making
- Their recruiting, hiring, performance management, and compensation practices improve retention and team culture
- They bring expertise in their programs and utilize quantitative and qualitative data in decision-making
- They demonstrate best practices in accounting and financial management along with diversity in funding
- They create and leverage existing networks of collaboration where they serve.
Over the next 3 years we plan to increase our partner portfolio by 25%, impacting 2,000,000 people, including directly impacting more than 400,000 people with life-saving WASH and HIV interventions. In that time we will have completed 6-8 years of partnering with several organizations, helping them reach the "expanding stage" of organizational capacities and "graduate" from our grants program. All of our partners will engage in the Leader Collective where we convene, cultivate, and amplify African leaders to drive health and development change. They will have reduced financial vulnerability while improving program quality through improved systems and processes.
What will the effects in communities in Africa look like? Improved community coverage with clean water and sanitation, at the household level and as a percentage of the region; A reduction in the incidence of water-related illnesses, particularly with infants and young children (highly preventable waterborne illness is a leading cause of death for kids under 5); The gradual elimination of mother-to-child transmission, and improved physical, material and psychosocial health for people living with HIV.
Needs
Join us today and help us increase our partner portfolio by 25%, investing in 12 organizations, and impacting over 400,000 people.
We're raising $11,150,000 between 2022-2025 to do it, and are seeking new philanthropic partners to accomplish the following:
(a) Provide more partners with vital organizational support offerings like partner exchange visits, leadership coaching, and partner summits;
(b) Launch and grow the Leader Collective, extending membership and access beyond our community of partners to expand the diversity, expertise and influence;
(c) Build out our Kenya office, network and team, including additional staff members (WASH and HIV/AIDS Partner Portfolio Manager, Organizational Strengthening Manager, Leader Collective Coordinator, and Programs Coordinator).
CEO Statement
The water, HIV/AIDS, and more recent COVID-19 crises will not be solved by outsiders. These crises will be impacted most directly by those organizations living and working in the communities they serve. The sustainability of their work is only as effective as the strength and health of their organization. Providing the resources and tools needed to expand and sustain these local organizations is our missional mandate.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security - International Development |
| Secondary Category: | International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security - International Economic Development |
| Tertiary Category: | International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security - Fund Raising & Fund Distribution |
Areas Served
Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural and peri-urban regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi where a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS intersects with limited access to clean water. This strategic concentration of partnerships ensures Blood:Water is best positioned to have the greatest potential for lasting change in their communities.
| International |
