GivePower Foundation Receives $1 Million Donation from Silicon Valley Technology Veteran Chris Larsen
Grant allows non-profit to optimize clean water distribution strategy, ramp operations at desalination sites, and create local jobs; University of California, Berkeley to develop impact study on results
SAN FRANCISCO : GivePower, a non-profit organization that provides solar-based solutions to secure food, water and electricity for people in regions that need them most, has received a $1,000,000 grant from Chris Larsen, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple, a leading provider of enterprise blockchain solutions for payments. This donation will provide the funds needed to support the growing distribution of clean drinking water that is generated by GivePower’s Solar Water Farm desalination technology. The grant will also help create jobs locally in the U.S., as well as abroad. An impact study, funded by this grant, will be developed in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley.
Lack of clean, safe water is a global issue. 780 million people do not have access to an improved water source, and more than 35% of the world’s population lacks access to improved sanitation. GivePower’s mission is to leverage solar-powered solutions, including water desalination systems, to improve the lives of millions who lack these basic resources.
“We are incredibly grateful for Chris and his team’s support, partnership and passion for GivePower’s work,” said Hayes Barnard, Chairman, CEO and Founder of GivePower. “Not only will this generous grant enable us to meet the water distribution needs of many of the communities we work with, it comes at a critical time when clean water is paramount for basic hygiene, health, and the ability to combat Covid-19 in these impoverished areas.”
“As 1 in 3 people lack access to a reliable source for safe, healthy water, GivePower is playing a critical role to ensure that the world’s most vulnerable have these basic necessities,” said Chris Larsen, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple. “GivePower’s Solar Water Farms can provide access to clean water for up to 35,000 people every single day. I am proud to support their efforts to provide billions of people globally access to clean water, food and electricity using clean, renewable energy. “
Earlier this summer, GivePower opened Solar Water Farms in Likoni, Kenya, and La Gonave, Haiti. Powered entirely by solar energy and battery storage, GivePower’s desalination systems are housed in 20-foot shipping containers and capable of generating 70,000 liters of clean, healthy drinking water every day. Unlike most ground well systems, GivePower Solar Water Farms produce a higher quality of water over a longer period of time with virtually no negative environmental impact. An additional four projects are in development now and expected to be commissioned by the end of 2020.
About GivePower
GivePower is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to extending the environmental and social benefits of clean, renewable energy across the world. GivePower uses solar energy and storage technologies to deliver the most essential community services to the developing world. GivePower has helped power some of the economically poorest countries, including communities across 17 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
