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AFRICAN WELL FUND INC

SCHENECTADY, NY · EIN 200034483 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE P80 · Human Services · Micro (<$100K) · africanwellfund.org
revenue
$32K
expenses
$38K
net assets
$32K
employees
mission · from form 990

TO BUILD CLEAN WATER PROJECTS IN AFRICA

profile · synthesized from sources

African Well Fund raises money to support clean water and sanitation projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. The organization funds comprehensive, sustainable projects implemented by local partner organizations, including spring catchments, wells, and latrines. It operates as a volunteer-run, virtual nonprofit with no physical headquarters, directing donor contributions toward community-led initiatives in countries such as Angola, Tanzania, and Cameroon.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday
Annual fundraising campaign held each May to honor Bono’s birthday, raising money for clean water and sanitation projects in Sub-Saharan Africa through individual donations and matching gifts.
Well Share Certificates
Donors receive personalized electronic or hard-copy certificates to recognize contributions made in honor of or dedication to loved ones.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Clean Water Infrastructure and Access 2 activities
    • Building local capacity for water and sanitation management
      Establishes water development committees in target communities to ensure sustainable management of water resources and delivers ongoing training in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices.
    • Implementing water and sanitation infrastructure projects in Sub-Saharan Africa
      Directly constructs and rehabilitates water sources such as wells, springs, and storage tanks, and builds sanitation facilities including latrines and hand-washing stations in communities and schools across Angola, Kenya, Cameroon, Tanzania, and multiple municipalities in Angola. Specific projects include rehabilitating 30 wells in Kenya, constructing 11 springs in Trumba Commune, and building water facilities in schools to improve hygiene and attendance.
  • Individual Child Education Sponsorship 1 activity
    • Funding clean water and sanitation projects in Sub-Saharan Africa
      Provides financial support for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of clean water and sanitation infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa, including wells, springs, latrines, and school-based water facilities. Projects are implemented through local partner organizations and have benefited over 100,000 people across 10 countries.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Conducting targeted fundraising campaigns to support water projects
      Runs annual and special-purpose fundraising campaigns, such as the May campaign and the Bono Birthday Fundraiser, which raised $22,640.89 for Tanzania projects, and Birthday Well campaigns that have raised over $365,000 over 22 years.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$32K
Contributions & grants$32K99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$4321%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$38K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$37K
balance sheet
Total assets$32K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$32K
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -28.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • AYESHA MARCEL — BOARD MBR
  • ELIZABETH GIPSON — BOARD MBR
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • Africare Partner — Partner organization through which 100% of funds raised are directed to projects.
  • Bono Partner — AWF was founded by U2 fans inspired by Bono’s advocacy but is not affiliated with or sponsored by Bono, U2, or its management company.
  • Bono Partner — Central figure in annual fundraising campaign that leverages his activism and birthday to inspire donations for clean water projects.
  • Bono Partner — Collaborates on birthday fundraiser campaigns to support water projects.
  • Bono’s Birthday fundraiser Partner — Funded the Trumba Commune spring construction project through the "Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday" campaign.
  • Kigezi Diocese Water & Sanitation Programme Partner — Faith-based organization providing water and sanitation services through partnerships with development agencies, including African Well Fund.
  • Local Angolan government authorities Government — Requested implementation of the water project in Libolo Municipality.
  • Nsiama League Partner — Small nonprofit implementing community improvements in Nsiama, Democratic Republic of the Congo; partner in African Well Fund projects.
  • PanAfricare Partner — Successor to Africare; implements African Well Fund–financed water and sanitation projects in Africa.
  • PayPal Partner — Adds African Well Fund as a favorite charity on PayPal for donor support.
  • The Outer Loop – Humanity Project Partner — Partnered with African Well Fund on four water and sanitation projects in Tanzania.
  • U2 fan community Partner — Provides donors and an anonymous match donor who supports the annual fundraising campaign.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Celebrity-Inspired Fundraising to Mobilize Public Support
    methodology: celebrity-affiliated_fundraising
    By leveraging celebrity affiliation and annual fan-driven campaigns, we generate funding for clean water projects because inspirational narratives and mass engagement increase donor participation and resource mobilization.
  • Clean Water Infrastructure as a Catalyst for Community Transformation
    methodology: water-for-development
    By constructing and rehabilitating clean water infrastructure in African communities, we produce improved health, reduced waterborne disease, increased school attendance, and economic growth because access to clean water addresses root causes of poverty and enables broader development outcomes.
  • Community-Led Development for Sustainability
    methodology: community-partnered_implementation
    By partnering with local communities who contribute labor and leadership, and by establishing local water committees, we produce sustainable water projects because community ownership increases accountability, maintenance, and long-term success of infrastructure.