SEATTLE, United States — Amid The Odyssey press tour, actor Matt Damon has used the spotlight to highlight his nonprofit, Water.org. Damon co-founded the global organization in 2009 alongside Gary White, and it works to bring water and sanitation to those without, giving people in poverty access to clean water and the sanitation solutions necessary to thrive.
Water.org’s Impact
Since its creation, Water.org has reached 92 million people across more than a dozen countries. In Mexico, the organization has reached 330,000 people and established 11 partners. In Guatemala, 89,000 people have been reached, and 39,000 in Ecuador. Peru has seen rapid growth, with the organization starting work there in 2014 and establishing six partnerships. Water.org has reached 1.4 million people in Brazil, with the help of 432,000 loans disbursed by partners. In Africa, it has reached 40,000 people in Botswana, 116,000 in Mozambique and 471,000 in Tanzania through six partnerships, along with 1 million people in Uganda supported by 64,000 partnership loans and 10.2 million people in Kenya through 2.4 million loans disbursed by the nonprofit’s partners.
The Nomad
Damon has taken on an alter ego, “The Nomad” (Damon spelled backwards), who tries rapping as a way to connect with a broader audience. Though satirical, the song points to a serious fact: 2.1 billion people do not have access to safe water. The rap was produced in partnership with Grammy Award-winning artist and producer Hit-Boy, alongside songwriter and producer Teddy Walton.
Damon said in an interview, “Music and humor are two of the best ways to cut through in culture.” The comment reflects the foundation’s creativity in raising awareness of the global water crisis, part of what has driven its work over the years.
The Get Blue Campaign
Get Blue is the most recent campaign from Water.org, launched to consumers on June 9, 2026, and stands out for its partnerships with large corporations. The campaign creates accessible ways for people to donate and contribute to the organization. Its founding partners include Gap, Starbucks, Amazon and Ecolab. Gap has released the Get Blue Collection, which includes clothing for adults, children and toddlers, available at select stores and online; Gap donates $5 to Water.org with each purchase from the collection. The Starbucks collaboration includes two coconut-flavored drinks, the Iced Blue Coconut Matcha and the Blue Coconut Refresher; for a few days in early summer, 25 cents was donated per drink purchased, toward a $975,000 fundraising goal, though the amount raised has not been confirmed.
Amazon is fundraising through a playlist on Amazon Music, donating $1 each time it is streamed, and has set up a feature allowing users to ask Alexa, its virtual assistant, to donate $5 at no cost to the consumer. Ecolab has committed to donating $1 million — $500,000 upfront and another $500,000 tied to helping its customers save 255 billion gallons of water through its products this year. These collaborations make it easier for people to contribute to the cause without a large upfront donation. Damon and White’s goal was to connect with the culture and relate to the average person, replacing an everyday purchase with one that could change a life.
Everyday Ways to Help
The campaign lets people support Water.org through the Gap Get Blue Collection or by streaming the Get Blue playlist on Amazon Music. Water.org reports that every dollar donated mobilizes $21 for water and sanitation solutions in impoverished countries, an effect of the philanthropic funds it uses to create market-driven finance. A portion of the proceeds from Get Blue products supports the organization’s work connecting families to safe water and sanitation.
– Emily Fleetwood
Emily is based in Seattle, WA, USA and focuses on Good News and Celebs for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr