Water Foundation is a Sacramento, California-based left-of-center environmentalist grantmaker with a focus on water-related issues. It occasionally takes stances on non-environmental issues as well. Major donors such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation provide funds to the organization. ¹

In 2022, the group’s largest donation was a $801,400 contribution to the left-of-center advocacy group PolicyLink. The group also made substantial donations to the left-of-center environmentalist groups Anthropocene Alliance, Community Water Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Trout Unlimited. ²

Background

The Resources Legacy Fund founded the Water Foundation in 2011and it became an independent group in 2017. ³

The group adopted the far-left diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice framework. The group pledges to give at least 30 percent of its grants to non-white led groups. ⁴

Issue Stances

2020 Police Shootings

In June 2020, the Water Foundation issued a statement supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. It claimed that racism and white supremacy infected every system necessary to live safely and with dignity. ⁵

Water Access Issues

In September 2020, the Water Foundation published an article claiming that racism, denial of tribal rights, redlining, and disparate impacts of flooding were responsible for the access to clean drinking water issues Americans faced. The article also claimed the practices impacted black, Latino (the article used the controversial term “Latinx” instead), indigenous, and low-income people the most. ⁶

January 6^th Response

The Water Foundation condemned the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol claiming the attack was the result of hundreds of years of white supremacy that created and undergird the United States and was aided by then-President Donald Trump and members of Congress. The statement called on Americans to follow the expertise of non-whites. ⁷

Political Strategy Making

In a February 2021 article, the Water Foundation outlined possible political strategies for water advocates that involved lobbying for new legislation. In the article, the group claimed it must address that the power inequities that are a consequence of systemic racism. ⁸

Condemning Anti-Asian Hate

In March 2021, the Water Foundation released a statement condemning anti-Asian hate and violence. The statement attacked the United States for systemic racism and cited as an example former President Donald Trump scapegoating Asian communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It called for the dismantling of white supremacy. ⁹

Grantmaking

In 2022, the Water Foundation gave large donations to left-of-center groups PolicyLink ($801,400),  Trout Unlimited ($796,600), Anthropocene Alliance ($700,000), Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors ($585,000), Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership ($450,000), Community Water Center ($375,000), Rural Community Assistance Corporation ($350,000), Western States Water Council ($255,000), Clean Water Fund ($250,000), American Rivers Inc. ($245,000), River Partners ($245,000), Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation ($235,000), Headwaters Economics ($200,000), Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability ($150,000), Tides Advocacy ($150,000), We The People Of Detroit ($150,000), California Environmental Voters ($130,000), and  Natural Resources Defense Council ($120,000). ¹⁰

Other donations of note are Communities for a Better Environment ($55,800), Conservation Voters New Mexico ($50,000), East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice ($82,100), Environmental Defense Fund ($50,000), Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy ($75,000), Los Angeles Waterkeeper ($68,500), Michigan League of Conservation Voters ($30,000), Physicians For Social Responsibility—Los Angeles ($55,900), Public Policy Institute of California ($10,000), Resources Legacy Fund ($50,000), Union of Concerned Scientists ($50,000), Washington Conservation Voters ($65,000), Western Environmental Law Center ($40,000), and Western Resource Advocates ($50,000). ¹¹

Funders

The Water Foundation is funded in part by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Campbell Foundation,  William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,  Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Pisces Foundation, the Resources Legacy Fund, and the Walton Family Foundation. ¹²

Leadership

The Water Foundation’s CEO is Allison Harvey Turner. She previously worked at the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. ¹³

Jim Lochead is the president and chair of the board of directors. ¹⁴

Financials

According to the Water Foundation’s 2022 tax returns, the group had $25,984,608 in revenue, $16,681,548 in expenses, and $31,142,344 in assets. ¹⁵

1. “Water Foundation Grantee and Funder Partners in the US Water Field.” Water Foundation. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://waterfdn.org/partners/#funders.
2. “Water Foundation, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371833985/202313109349303956/full.
3. “Allison Harvey Turner – Water Foundation Chief Executive Officer.” Water Foundation. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://waterfdn.org/team/allison-harvey-turner/.
4. “About.” Water Foundation. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://waterfdn.org/about/.
5. “Water Foundation Statement on Protests against Police Violence.” Water Foundation, June 1, 2020. https://waterfdn.org/water-foundation-statement-on-protests-against-police-violence/.
6. Fahlund, Andrew, and Juliet Christian-Smith. “Thirsty for Democracy.” Water Foundation, September 17, 2020. https://waterfdn.org/thirsty-for-democracy/.
7. “Water Foundation Statement on Jan. 6 Attack on the US Capitol.” Water Foundation, January 7, 2021. https://waterfdn.org/water-foundation-statement-on-jan-6-attack-on-the-us-capitol/.
8. Sokolove, Jennifer. “To Enact Systems Change, It’s Time to Get Political.” Water Foundation, February 18, 2021. https://waterfdn.org/to-enact-systems-change-its-time-to-get-political/.
9. “ Water Foundation Condemns Racist Violence against Asian Communities.” Water Foundation, March 18, 2021. https://waterfdn.org/water-foundation-condemns-racist-violence-against-asian-communities/.
10. “Water Foundation, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371833985/202313109349303956/full.
11. “Water Foundation, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371833985/202313109349303956/full.
12. “Water Foundation Grantee and Funder Partners in the US Water Field.” Water Foundation. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://waterfdn.org/partners/#funders.
13. “Allison Harvey Turner – Water Foundation Chief Executive Officer.” Water Foundation. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://waterfdn.org/team/allison-harvey-turner/.
14. “Jim Lochhead – Water Foundation Board of Directors.” Water Foundation. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://waterfdn.org/team/jim-lochhead/.
15. “Water Foundation, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/371833985/202313109349303956/full.