Steve and Julie Vanderboom Pledge $1.8 Million to End the Global Water Crisis

CHARLESTON, S.C., Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Water Center (GWC) is proud to announce a generous commitment from Julie and Steve Vanderboom, who have pledged $600,000 per year for the next three years to support GWC’s groundbreaking initiatives. This substantial donation, totaling $1.8 million, will cover 10% of GWC’s $18 million goal to accelerate the end of the global water crisis.

This transformative support will position GWC as the go-to resource for the rural water sector. With a focus on sustainable and scalable solutions, GWC aims to foster global collaboration, develop and implement training programs, provide technical assistance, and roll out a cutting-edge monitoring and data management platform to support and strengthen the delivery of safely managed water.

“We are deeply appreciative of Julie and Steve Vanderboom for their visionary support,” said Thomas Johnston, CEO of Global Water Center. “They are truly pace setters in GWC’s development, and their generosity will have a profound and lasting impact on communities around the world.”

In addition to their financial support, Steve Vanderboom’s active involvement as a founding member of GWC’s Board of Directors exemplifies his commitment to advancing the organization’s mission. Drawing on his expertise as founder and CEO of Pace Analytical, Steve also chairs the Board’s Finance and Audit committee and serves on the Advancement and Global Engagement committee.

Steve shared his motivation for making this donation: “There aren’t many causes that truly have the potential to change the world, but Global Water Center does. They won’t stop at helping 30, or 100, or even 1,000 people. They are focused on helping the 800 million people without access to safe water. We believe in their mission, and we trust in the integrity and commitment of the team to put our contribution to good use.”

Global Water Center is launching a movement to end the global water crisis by ensuring that every community has access to safe water. With the support of donors like Julie and Steve Vanderboom, GWC is one step closer to achieving this vision.

About Global Water Center

At Global Water Center (GWC), we believe everyone deserves access to safely managed water. Yet a shortage of skilled water technicians remains a significant barrier to achieving this goal. That is why GWC focuses on capacity development, technical assistance, and collaboration—equipping leaders to create sustainable solutions at the scale needed to end the global water crisis. As the go-to resource for the rural water sector, we have reached people in 131 countries. Together, we are solving the global water crisis. Learn more about our mission at www.globalwatercenter.org and follow us online on Linked In, Facebook, and Instagram.

Media Contact: Alyson Rockhold

Director of Global Engagement

Global Water Center

+1 346.273.9148 arockhold@globalwatercenter.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e59e09e0-21a2-4c0a-8cd9-e337fb8b2fee