charity: water was taking donations by check and phone. The founders had rough ideas and mocks for something new: a site where anyone could give up their birthday, or run any kind of campaign, to fund clean water projects. The build was backed by Michael and Xochi Birch. I led engineering as a contractor while the founders drove product, and helped shape the UX along the way. With one junior developer, I took it from mocks to a launched platform, including the virality mechanics and the scale readiness it needed, because it was launching straight into their September Campaign media push.

It raised $500,000 from 2,000 donors in its first two months, funding 100 water projects and bringing clean water to 25,000 people. In its first two years, over 10,000 fundraisers raised more than $11 million on the platform. Social fundraising is everywhere now; this was the site that proved the model, and charity: water’s peer-to-peer fundraising has since passed $100 million in donations.

The mycharity: water homepage on October 20, 2009 showing $502,758 raised

October 20, 2009, seven weeks after launch: the live counter passes $500,000, with 100 water projects funded.

The platform even kept a lane for the old world: donors who still wanted to mail a check got a memo code so their gift counted toward the right campaign.

The donate by check screen with a memo code

Bridging the check era into social fundraising.

In the press

The mycharity: water website… was the source of 70% of charity: water’s fundraising last year.

– Fundraising & Philanthropy magazine, 2011

A shift happened where people started doing the most remarkable things that we never thought of.

– Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water, 2010

Coverage