Giving Compass' Take:

• Cisco has awarded more than 21 grants to nonprofits working towards clean water solutions. The company is specifically investing in digital technology so these organizations can do the most efficient work possible.

• Is it more effective to invest in technology solutions for clean water access? More technology is being poured into developing countries, but are we seeing sustainable results?

• Many organizations are already on the path to providing access to clean water. Read about how one for-profit company is traveling around Kenya donating water-filtration systems.

Water is everywhere. It covers 70% of our planet and makes up nearly 60% of the human body. Despite its abundance, 663 million people around the world lack access to safe water.

Lack of access to clean water and sanitation results in economic losses of $260 billion each year and poor communities are impacted most acutely. The burden of water collection falls primarily on women and children, who spend 125 million hours each day collecting water, often walking long distances to do so. This is time and energy that could be better spent in school, pursuing careers, or supporting their families.

Clean water and sanitation is a critical part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development agenda, and it’s uniquely tied to all 17 of its overarching goals. It drives economic growth, supports food and energy production, and is key to biodiversity, health, and social development.

At Cisco, we recognize the need for sustainable access to safe water and the tremendous impact of ensuring access to clean water on all aspects of society. It’s why we’ve awarded over 21 grants to nine different nonprofit grantees since 2010, reaching more than 3900 organizations and nearly 50 million people. By investing in digital solutions, we are helping nonprofit organizations to increase the efficiency and quality of their programs, reduce overall costs, and enable greater reach and scale of WASH initiatives around the world.

Akvo Foundation, for example, creates open-source, mobile software and sensors to help partners improve the management of water and sanitation. Today, their mobile-based data collection tool, Akvo FLOW, is used by over 250 organizations in over 40 countries, enhancing the ability of governments, nonprofits, and communities to plan, implement, and remotely manage WASH projects.

Read the full article about clean water by Erin Connor at TriplePundit.