The Digdeep Right to Water Project
The Digdeep Right to Water Project reported $14.6 million in revenue and $16.7 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $84.03 went to program services, $5.33 to management and general costs and $10.64 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 94.7% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $329,764 (FOUNDER & CEO). 16 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 368% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $17MFor context, the median across 371 covered environment charities: $85.82 programs, $10.80 management, $3.38 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $15MOther revenue was negative: −$4,595. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 84.0% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 5.3% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 10.6% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.13 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 94.7% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $329,764 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.98% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 16 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 16.0 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 9 of 10 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseCommunity-led water projects increase access to safe drinking water, appropriate waste water treatment, and improved hygiene. This program provided direct and indirect water, sanitation, and hygiene benefits to more than 3,000 households in the US
Education and research help americans learn about the water and sanitation access gap and find the tools to solve this crisis
Building the sector and mobilizing america is working collectively with community leaders, residents, nonprofit organizations, the public sector, and other experts across the nation to coordinate solutions, develop policies and practices, and work on implementing solutions at scale to solve the water access crisis
Highest reported compensation
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOUNDER & CEO Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $306,172 | $0 | $23,592 | $329,764 |
| PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $233,435 | $0 | $19,334 | $252,769 |
| CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $211,361 | $0 | $29,988 | $241,349 |
| CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $195,376 | $0 | $25,262 | $220,638 |
| VP, POLICY & EXTERNAL RELATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $172,595 | $0 | $16,540 | $189,135 |
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIGDEEP LABS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $170,940 | $0 | $9,457 | $180,397 |
| VP, COMMUNICATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $161,382 | $0 | $16,475 | $177,857 |
16 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Digdeep Right to Water Project (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $613K (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b10 · 9 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 596
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| SANKY COMMUNICATIONS INC Professional fundraiser | $312,541 |
| MARKHAM GROUP LLC Event planning | $227,702 |
| LESTER'S EXCAVATING Construction | $217,466 |
| MULLINS EXCAVATION CO Construction | $192,477 |
| MARIANO PLUMBING Plumbing/construction | $136,818 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 6 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
37 private foundations reported grants to The Digdeep Right to Water Project totaling $1.1M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The Digdeep Right to Water Project's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Digdeep Right to Water Project, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Digdeep Right to Water Project spent in 2025, $84.03 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of The Digdeep Right to Water Project's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, The Digdeep Right to Water Project reported that 84.0% of its $16.7 million in expenses went to program services, 5.3% to management and general and 10.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Digdeep Right to Water Project pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Digdeep Right to Water Project reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $329,764, for the role of FOUNDER & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Digdeep Right to Water Project get its money?
Of $14.6 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 94.7% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Digdeep Right to Water Project a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 46-0686920 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202602179349301005 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202532599349301043 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202422829349301962 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202342839349301224 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202202469349300165 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202132029349301313 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202031929349300538 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 46-0686920: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.