Sponsoring a company volunteer
Corporate volunteering is a win-win for everyone – WaterAid gets much needed manpower and expertise, while corporate partners foster increased employee pride and teamwork.
As a general rule, we do not offer short-term volunteer opportunities in our country offices due to language barriers, safety concerns, and staff availability to support a volunteer. However, we encourage longer-term corporate volunteer programs.
Having a structured program maximizes the contribution for both the corporation and for WaterAid. These formal programs usually require WaterAid’s country programs to post job descriptions for positions that they need filled. In turn, corporate employees undergo a competitive application process for the positions posted and must have the approval of their supervisors since they usually stay for three to six months.
Applicants may have backgrounds in Engineering, Clinical Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Human Resources, Communications, Policy and Advocacy, Information Technology, or Marketing; these specialty areas in particular are relevant to the needs of our country programs.
Depending on the specific country and circumstances, a three month program generally requires a $15-25,000 commitment. We would be pleased to work with you on developing a corporate volunteer program that would take best advantage of your company’s strengths.
The Pfizer Global Health Fellows program represents an innovative collaboration between NGOs and the private sector to significantly improve the lives of people around the world in a sustainable way. 
Read on for examples of two companies who have sponsored their employees in undertaking a placement with WaterAid.
Arup
Engineer Zak Kostura was supported by his employer Arup, a worldwide corporate partner of WaterAid, in helping the WaterAid program in Nigeria enhance the sustainability of its interventions. With guidance from Zak, WaterAid in Nigeria developed recommendations for the construction of wells and latrines in loose soil regions.
Read full story about WaterAid and Arup.
Pfizer
Through the Global Health Fellows program, Pfizer loans members of staff to non-profit organizations such as WaterAid in the developing world to help address systemic health care challenges. Since we began working with Pfizer in 2005, WaterAid has hosted eight Fellows in five countries.
Hank McKinnell, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer said: “The Pfizer Global Health Fellows program represents an innovative collaboration between NGOs and the private sector to significantly improve the lives of people around the world in a sustainable way.”
Read full story about WaterAid and Pfizer's Global Health Fellows program.
For more information on corporate support of WaterAid America, please call Christina Maggi at
(212) 683-0430 or email us.
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Pfizer employee Amy Tranzillo (second from left) with a latrine emptying device she helped WaterAid develop in Tanzania.
WaterAid in Tanzania works in five rural districts and the major city of Dar es Salaam to help poor communities plan, construct, manage and maintain water and sanitation facilities. Technology approaches include rehabilitating boreholes and constructing shallow wells and pit latrines. We also lobby government to improve the equity of distribution of their water points.
Read about WaterAid in Tanzania
Having lost five children to diarrheal diseases, Sani Meijakai from the Jigawa State of Nigeria knows first hand the dangers of poor sanitation. With WaterAid's help he is now building latrines for the village.
Read full story