- Company
- charity: water
- Role
- Founder & CEO
- Est. Net Worth
- $2 Million (Est.)
- Stage
- Emerging
- Industry
- Healthcare
Scott Harrison
Founder & CEO at charity: water
About
Scott Harrison founded charity: water in 2006 after a decade as a New York City nightclub promoter, dedicating his second act to solving the global clean water crisis. The organization has funded over 150,000 water projects across 29 countries, bringing clean drinking water to more than 18 million people. Harrison's innovation was the 100% donation model — every dollar from public donations goes directly to water projects, with operating costs covered separately by private donors — which became a blueprint for nonprofit transparency.
Current Company
charity: water — Founder & CEO
Nightclub Promoter to Clean Water Crusader
Scott Harrison spent a decade as one of New York's most successful nightclub promoters, living a lifestyle defined by excess. At 28, he volunteered as a photojournalist on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, where he witnessed the devastating health consequences of contaminated water — infections, waterborne diseases, and preventable deaths on a scale he had never imagined. He returned to New York and founded charity: water in 2006.
Harrison's innovation was structural. He created the 100% model: every dollar from public donations goes directly to water projects, with operating costs covered separately by a group of private donors called The Well. This radical transparency — reinforced by GPS tracking of every well and water point funded — addressed the biggest barrier to nonprofit giving: donor skepticism about where their money actually goes.
Building a Generational Nonprofit
charity: water has funded over 150,000 water projects across 29 countries, bringing clean water to more than 18 million people. The organization works with local implementing partners rather than drilling wells directly, ensuring that projects are maintained by the communities they serve. Remote sensor technology monitors the functionality of water points in real time, catching failures before they leave communities without water.
Harrison's approach to nonprofit management borrows heavily from Silicon Valley — aggressive fundraising, sleek branding, technology-driven operations, and a relentless focus on metrics and storytelling. His memoir, 'Thirst,' became a bestseller, and charity: water's birthday campaign model — asking supporters to donate their birthdays — has raised hundreds of millions of dollars and been copied by nonprofits worldwide.