In this episode, Jamie Hopkins talks with Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water, a nonprofit that aims to solve the global water crisis.
Scott founded charity: water 16 years ago with nothing but an unshakeable mission of bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. The nonprofit organization has seen much success not only because of its stalwart cause, but also because of its 100% donation model and radical commitment to transparency.
Scott talks with Jamie about the current state of the global water crisis, the disconnect between the proposed solutions and the real issues and the ways in which the nonprofit organization is making a difference.
Key Takeaways
- Clean drinking water for everyone in the world.
- Water for food security.
- Scott’s first money memory.
- The NYC influence on Scott’s career.
- Why are financial resources always the holdup?
- How do we provide solutions for pressing social issues?
- The disconnect between the provided solutions and the real issues in impoverished communities.
- Scott’s harrowing stories after immersion in Ethiopia.
- Why the burden often falls on women.
- Why do water, sanitation and hygiene always go together?
- The world needs generosity from you and world leaders.
Quotes
“That’s kind of the joy of working in this space. You are working on a solvable problem. But yet we haven’t created the awareness. We haven’t created the will. We haven’t allocated the financial resources to make this happen on the planet.” – Scott Harrison
“We have a role as individual philanthropists and as corporations, as citizens, to use what we’ve been blessed with – to help you around the world.” – Scott Harrison
“The beauty of water is everybody thinks it’s a good idea. I mean, it’s an inarguable common good. It’s not political. It’s not religious. You’re not coming in with an agenda trying to change anybody’s worldview or push an ideology. You’re just trying to provide the most basic need for life.” – Scott Harrison
