How can I make a donation to WaterAid?

1. I would like to give WaterAid a regular donation. How do I set this up?

To set up a regular gift by direct debit, simply visit our donate page.

Giving a regular gift is a great way to support our work as it means that we can plan our future work overseas safe in the knowledge that we have the funds to reach our commitments. Your regular gift really can make a huge difference, helping us to bring clean water, sanitation and hygiene education to some of the world's poorest people.

2. What are the other ways that I can donate to WaterAid?

There are a wide range of ways in which you can make a donation to WaterAid. You can give a one-off gift, give in lieu of presents for a wedding or occasion, leave us a gift in your Will or send us your old mobile phone.

To find out more about the many different ways that you can make a donation please visit our donate pages.

3. I would like to fund a specific project, is this possible?

In general we prefer not to link donations to a specified item such as a well or pump. The administration costs involved in directing funds in this way are quite high, and we feel it is important that as much of the donation as possible is directed to our overseas work, and not tied up in administration. We much prefer to direct funds to our work in general; a resource of unallocated money allows us to respond quickly when situations change, as well as giving us the security to plan future projects.

We also work very closely with communities to encourage a sense of ownership in their projects so that they manage and maintain them long into the future. This is crucial to the long-term sustainability of our work.

It is, however, possible for some donations to be linked to an area of our work. Donations of $10,000 or over can be linked to a project in one of the countries where we work. Once the donation has been linked, we can provide updates showing how the money has been used.

4. How much does WaterAid spend on administration and fundraising?

As a charity, we have a duty to keep our administration, fundraising and publicity costs as low as possible. In 2005/6 WaterAid's total expenditure was $46.9m. Of this money, $10.8m (23%) was spent on administration and $36.1m (77%) was spent on fundraising and publicity.

For more details please do read our annual report and accounts, published in October every year.

5. How do you ensure my money is spent properly overseas?

We have a rigorous system of monitoring and supporting our country offices and partners implementing our project work. Financial reports are sent to London monthly and these are checked by the Finance department. We also have dedicated Partner Monitoring Finance Officers in most countries who check the finances of the partner organizations, and all our offices have well qualified and trained finance staff.

In addition to this we have an internal audit function which carries out comprehensive audits for the country programs and reports findings to the Audit Committee. Regular follow up is then made of the action points agreed. Each country program has an annual external audit by an independent firm of accountants and the Head Office is audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

6. I would like to leave a gift in my Will to WaterAid. How do I do this?

A gift in your Will gift will help provide safe clean water to the most vulnerable people transforming lives and benefiting future generations. A share of your estate (residuary gift) is extremely valuable to us, as it maintains or increases in value over time.

No matter how you choose to give, gifts to charities are tax-free and are deducted before inheritance tax is applied. Please ask a legal professional to check your Will to ensure it is valid and give you peace of mind. If you have already made a Will, you can still include WaterAid by completing a codicil. Again, a solicitor can tell you how to do this, WaterAid is not able to provide legal advice.

Please see the A gift in your Will web page for further information.