Fighting these statistics is the nonprofit organization, Charity: Water.  With a singular mission to bring safe and clean drinking water to people in developing nations, the organization has and is working on a total of 2321 water projects around the globe.  While I like to focus on grassroots sustainability, the magnitude and breadth of Charity: Water’s work is inspiring.

Today is the launch of the organization’s Unshaken campaign, a $1.3 million effort to help Haitians get clean water.  It’s an ambitious project with an ambitious goal: 100 percent of all donations will fund 11 large-scale projects serving 40,000 people. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Charity: Water is a fluid master at giving donors, supporters and interested parties narrative that pops.  Their website is an easy-to-navigate mix of simple messaging, multimedia content and a bit of pop marketing flair, possibly derived from Founder Scott Harrison’s background as an NYC nightclub promoter.

The Unshaken campaign is no exception.  A fantasticly edited and powerful video (below) shows the rationale behind the campaign.  The eleven projects are told and sold with arresting slide shows and succinct stories.  Want to help?  The donate and sponsor tabs are clear and separate from the general donation page .  If you support the cause, but lack the cash, you can help the organization by tweeting their message or adding a banner to your site.  Such endeavors are easy with a Spread the Word page, a fantastic way to consolidate supporter efforts.

When it comes down to it, a nonprofit is good ideas buoyed by great support.  The ability to navigate new media to  show, tell and SELL is crucial.  I think Charity: Water is one of the foremost international development nonprofits to excel at these qualities.  What do you think?

 A  nonprofit with a Washington State U.S. office, World Vision works in almost 100 countries in sustainable international development, disaster response and U.S. anti-poverty projects to create better lives for children worldwide.  Spending 86.7% of funding on program expenses, this Christian-based organization notes in its vision statement that it serves “all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

Beyond the excellent work the organization does, I like that it reaches its audiences on multiple levels.  The handwritten card denotes time,an incentive for certain levels of donation  and customer consciousness.  Looking into World Vision’s web content, it is clear that the organization knows their audiences, where they click and   meets them there. 

A video and interactive map compose much of the landing page, but don’t overshadow nice orange tabs to programs, sponsorships, galleries and slide shows.  Without overwhelming an audience member of any generation or web 2.0-savvy, World Vision presents great content.  Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel links mark the top of the page, but don’t clutter any content.

Marketing Strategist David Meerman Scott   looks to reaching various audiences as crucial to any online marketing.  he notes that knowing what is important to your target demographic is key to success. 

Here is World Vision’s recent YouTube Video requesting donations for Haiti  featuring Hugh Jackman:

What are your thoughts?  Should large nonprofit organizations switch completely to online marketing methods?  If you are a donor, what correspondence and/or marketing reaches you best?  If you work for a nonprofit organization, what methods of outreach compel the greatest response?