The Water Project Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
261455510
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Concord, NH, USA
Phone
6033693858
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Relief

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,435,127
Expenses
$6,013,637
Assets
$10,484,661
Liabilities
$107,059

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STAN PATYRAK (PRESIDENT &)

Highest reported compensation

  • STAN PATYRAK (PRESIDENT &): $248,517 total reported compensation
  • R PETER CHASSE (FOUNDER & CI): $226,874 total reported compensation
  • DANIEL KIM (DIR OF FINAN): $172,061 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The water project, inc. Unlocks human potential by building and connecting global networks of local leaders, communities of generous supporters, and an informed public to provide sustainable water and sanitation programs to needlessly suffering communities in developing countries. Donations are linked to specific water projects through online reporting, allowing donors to see how specific water programs impact communities and view the ongoing functionality of those projects.

What it reported doing in 2025

Western kenya wash program: in partnership with western water and sanitation forum, friends of timothy foundation, and the water project's regional service hub, the water project co-developed and strengthened regional water, hygiene, and sanitation (wash) programs in western kenya, resulting in the protection of springs, drilling of boreholes, and construction of rainwater harvesting tanks. School wash projects also included the construction of latrines and handwashing stations. In 2025, 89 new projects were implemented. All programs include community vetting and engagement, hygiene training, water project implementation, post-construction community engagement, multi-year monitoring/evaluation, and service/maintenance/repair initiatives. The water project's western kenya program includes in-person (data collection using smartphones) and call-based monitoring programs to collect real-time data on past and present water points. The water project's operation and maintenance program provides ongoing community support to resolve non/under-functioning water points. In 2025, 7,196 monitoring events occurred across 1,573 water points, triggering 801 service/maintenance/repair events. Rigorous and ongoing online reporting links givers with all of the above activities, showing how each donation makes a tangible impact in the water program and community. Southeastern kenya wash program: in partnership with africa sand dam foundation, the water project co- developed and strengthened regional water, hygiene, and sanitation (wash) programs in southeastern kenya, resulting in the implementation of protected dug wells, subsurface dams, solar-powered water distribution networks, and rainwater harvesting tanks. School wash projects also included the construction of handwashing stations. In 2025, 45 new projects were implemented. All programs include community vetting and engagement, hygiene training, water project implementation, post-construction community engagement, multi-year monitoring/evaluation, and service/maintenance/repair initiatives. The water project's southeastern kenya program includes in-person (data collection using smartphones) and call-based monitoring programs to collect real-time data on past and present water points. The water project's operation and maintenance program provides ongoing community support to resolve non/under-functioning water points. In 2025, 2,505 monitoring events occurred across 622 water points, triggering 111 service/maintenance/repair events. Rigorous and ongoing online reporting links givers with all of the above activities, showing how each donation makes a tangible impact in the water program and community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 95% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 52% for direct work, and 48% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 85
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75.6%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 71.1%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Pass
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.5%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.74; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.3%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.7% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75.6% of revenue deployed · 71.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 8 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $4.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $249K · 13 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $122K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 12/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 15/100.