ONE DROP and Rotary launch the "2020 Water Partnership" to provide sustainable water and sanitation access to communities in need on three continents with an investment of $20M

MONTREAL, July 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - ONE DROP is pleased to announce the launch of the "2020 Water Partnership", a joint sustainable water and sanitation program with Rotary, one of the world's largest investors in this area, to deliver unique and sustainable benefits in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Coming on the heels of the announcement of ONE DROP's partnership with Water For People, the 2020 Water Partnership is another significant step in the implementation of the organisation's strategic vision of striking bold and ambitious partnerships to achieve greater impact and sustainability in the field. This partnership unites ONE DROP's unique sustainability approach and expertise and the power of Rotary's 1.2 million member network in over 200 countries. Together they will bring lasting water access and economic empowerment to entire communities in Central America, Africa and India.

Through a unique financial model for the sector, each partner will raise $5 million respectively and $10 million jointly for a total investment of $20 million towards the 2020 Water Fund. The first program financed by the 2020 Water Fund is set to begin this fall in Mali.

"The primary focus of our organization is on delivering sustainable water and sanitation programs on three continents and we are now more than ever determined to increase the scale and impact of our work through strategic partnerships", said Catherine B. Bachand, CEO of ONE DROP. "Between our partnership with Water For People and now Rotary, that's $36 million in new direct investments in the countries where we operate, unleashing millions more in local and corporate funding, and we are just getting started."

"We have embarked on this most ambitious collaboration with ONE DROP because we are confident that together, we can truly improve life and livelihood by scaling up access to sustainable water service in these countries," said Ron Denham, Chair-emeritus of the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (Wasrag). "Rotary created a partnership to eradicate polio. We are now putting that experience towards solving the water and sanitation crisis."

About Rotary

Rotary is an international organization represented by some 35,000 clubs, comprising 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. The Rotary Foundation is the charitable entity through which Rotary engages in a substantial amount of its charitable endeavors. The Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group ("WASRAG") was launched in 2007 to mobilize Rotarians and provide leadership in bringing safe water and sanitation to those lacking these essentials of life. Over 7,000 Rotary clubs are engaged in water and sanitation projects, primarily in 82 developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. WASRAG provides a vehicle for multi-year programs as well as a framework for program-specific partnerships.

About ONE DROP

ONE DROP—a non-profit organization created in 2007 by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté—strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever. ONE DROP significantly and sustainably improves living conditions through innovative projects which promote self-reliance in communities worldwide. To learn more, visit ONEDROP.org.

SOURCE One Drop