Posted on November 30, 2011

Caterpillar Foundation Announces Partnership With Water.org

The Caterpillar Foundation in Peoria, Illinois, has announced a three-year, $3 million partnership with Water.org to help provide more than 218,000 people in India with clean water and sanitation and expand its programming into Indonesia.

The grants will support an expansion of Water.org's WaterCredit program in India, which provides people living in poverty with small loans for a wide range of water and sanitation improvements and promotes sustainability by re-lending funds to the next person in need after the initial loan has been repaid. The Revolving Door loan program in Bangalore aims to reach more than 38,000 people, while support for other Water.org partners in Bangalore and Tamil Nadu is expected to provide 180,000 residents with access to hygienic sanitation facilities. In addition, the grant will fund an initial market assessment intended to lay the groundwork for the launch of WaterCredit programs in Indonesia.

"The Caterpillar Foundation supports a number of basic human needs programs in areas where [the company] has a presence," said Jim Baumgartner, Caterpillar's director of corporate public affairs. "The sustainability of Water.org's model is really what drew us to WaterCredit. This program will provide clean water and sanitation facilities to thousands of families in India, but the cycle of progress will continue as the loans are repaid and these funds are provided to others in need."