American Water Relief is a nonprofit organization for the improvement of life in poor countries of the Americas, through the provision of water and sanitation services.

American Water Relief's vision is that people everywhere have access to safe drinking water and appropriate sanitation systems.

American Water Relief (AWR) is different from other charitable organizations:

* We raise funds specifically to assist those with a great need and desire for water and sanitation systems.
* AWR funds poor villages where people are willing to support the program through their own funds and labor.
* On average, AWR provides only half of the entire cost of each project.  These AWR funds help generate local matching contributions from public, private and village organizations, which account for the remainder of each project's funding.  This financing approach assures that the local communities have a vested interest in the continued success of the project.
* AWR volunteers work directly with small villages throughout Central and South America. They help to design and construct water systems, training the villagers for the ongoing operations, maintenance and management of their water systems.

A lifetime of clean water.

* AWR maintains high-quality standards and promotes the tested principles of community participation, management, and environmental integrity, resulting in a long-term project life.
* AWR's activities, in addition to the construction of water and sanitation systems, also include source- water protection, water user training and hygiene education.  These activities assure that the environment is protected and people learn how to fully benefit from their new sanitation services.
* AWR projects are built to last for at least twenty years.  This means that your gift is a long-term investment in improving the living standards of families in these rural communities.
* AWR's work is conducted solely by volunteers, in the U.S. and Latin America, who are dedicated to providing water relief to the many needy villagers throughout the Americas.