Who we are

Founded in 2016, Solvatten Charitable Foundation USA’s mission is to provide people living in developing countries with safe and hot water in a portable, environmentally friendly way. We work closely with Solvatten AB, a Swedish social enterprise that invented the Solvatten Solar Safe Water System, a cost-effective solution for use at the household level for people living off-grid in the developing world. The US foundation raises funds to help support Solvatten Safe Water Projects throughout the world. We also hope to continue to raise awareness of the challenge facing so many families in developing countries – lack of access to clean and hot water.

Solvatten Charitable Foundation USA is a registered 501c3 organization, providing individuals and organizations in the US the opportunity to help support Solvatten’s Safe Water Projects through donations, grants, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities. Additional information can be found at www.solvatten.org.

We are currently looking for volunteer board members to help Solvatten reach its goal of one million families by 2040. If you want to be a part of this journey and have the time, energy and connections to help us fulfill our mission, we’d love to hear from you!

Why we do what we do
The lack of safe water leading to poor hygiene and poor health are daily challenges for millions of people living in poverty. Worldwide, 1 of 3 people live without reliable access to electricity and 1 out of 8 people live without access to safe, clean water at home. Due to the lack of a reliable energy infrastructure in the developing world, people use natural resources – such as wood and charcoal – for cooking, washing and heating water. This strong dependence on natural resources leads to numerous personal issues including smoke inhalation and burn injuries. It also increases carbon dioxide emissions and leads to deforestation, which gravely impact environmental issues. Indoor plumbing and secure electricity are distant dreams for far too many people. In the developing world, millions of primarily women and children must walk dozens of miles each day to fetch water and firewood. Reducing the daily use of firewood for heating water and utilizing a solution that can be used on unimproved water sources closer to home makes life much easier for these women and children.

Solvatten’s solution
Solvatten is the brainchild of a Swedish inventor, Petra Wadström. Exposing water to sunlight has the effect of both purifying and heating water, eliminating many commonly found contaminants and bacteria. Solvatten works by incorporating three established methods for treating water: Filtration, Heat Pasteurization and UV-disinfection. Solvatten was subjected to rigorous initial trials and followed by field visits throughout Africa and Asia, where Petra and her team began conducting studies to validate the efficiency of her creation in various contexts. Today, Solvatten is used in more than 40 countries worldwide, reaching more than 450,000 people.
The impact from Solvatten has been thoroughly measured from the start. What makes the Solvatten solution unique from other water treatment devices is that users can immediately understand how to use it effectively. Using Solvatten becomes a habit. Lasting impacts can only be achieved when a solution addresses both human wants and human needs. High quality, innovative design, and aesthetic value are central to winning hearts and motivating people to change habits and move towards something better.

Using Solvatten betters the everyday lives of individuals and entire communities, and its impact extends to the environment surrounding them. Solvatten contributes to achieving each of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Board Member Responsibilities

• Attend regular board meetings, to be held quarterly: Mar/June/Sept/Dec. Meetings are typically held virtually via video call and usually last approximately one hour.
• Actively participate in development of strategy, budget, operating and fundraising plans.
• Raise awareness of Solvatten and SCFUSA’s mission and projects within personal and professional networks.
• Review and provide feedback on / approve key governance documents including but not limited to meeting minutes, budget, program or project decisions.
• Fulfill either time or financial commitments, ideally both.
• Time commitment: At least 40 hours per year to support governance, marketing, fundraising, financial management and operations – responsibilities will be divided across members of the Board.
• Financial commitment: An annual “give or get” commitment of $10,000 – achieved through personal giving, fundraising from their network, and/or securing grants from corporations or family foundations.

The SCFUSA team is remote. While prospective Board of Directors members can be located anywhere in the United States, there is a slight preference for West Coast / SF Bay area based individuals based on current board members’ locations, as co-location is likely to create opportunities for larger scale events. Because we are a relatively small nonprofit, these are volunteer roles, not paid employment positions.