charity: water
Franklin, TN · EIN 223936753 · FY2022 is the latest filing on record · pre-cached
charity: water's recent deficit isn't a red flag; it's a sign of an organization investing in its mission.
charity: water had a challenging year with a -5% operating margin, marking its first deficit in a while. However, this follows a strong historical performance, with an average operating margin of 11% over 12 years. They maintain a healthy operating reserve of 10.1 months of expenses, indicating good financial planning.
Myth
A good charity never spends money on staff; low compensation means more for the cause.
Reality
charity: water spends 11% of its budget on compensation, which is right in line with its peers (48th percentile). This shows a commitment to attracting and retaining the talent needed to deliver on its mission effectively.
Myth
A charity with a deficit year is poorly managed and unsustainable.
Reality
While charity: water had one year with a -5% operating margin, this is an anomaly. Their average operating margin over 12 years is 11%, demonstrating a history of strong financial health and the capacity to absorb occasional fluctuations.
Worth watching
- • The organization experienced a -5% operating margin in its latest fiscal year, leading to its first deficit in recent history.
- • Total expenses ($101.3M) exceeded total revenue ($96.8M) in the most recent year.
Multi-year trend
Operating reserve months
Net assets ÷ monthly expenses — how long the org could run on savings alone.
Operating margin
(Revenue − expenses) ÷ revenue, per fiscal year.
How it compares to peers
Percentile rank among 73 Human Services organizations. Higher is framed as better on every bar here — including reserves and staff investment, which conventional overhead-ratio scoring would penalize.
Dashed line = peer median (50th percentile)
Ask about charity: water
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