The Clinton Global Initiative is always an annual highlight for witnessing pledges of money to help disadvantaged people and support projects for change. Yesterday, at the launch of the fifth annual three-day meeting, Matt Damon took to the podium to announce that his charity Water.org will commit $2 million to provide 50,000 people in Haiti with safe water and sanitation over the next three years. Additionally, Water.org has also launched a social media campaign so that anyone can participate in meeting the water challenge in Haiti.
“The situation in Haiti is extreme – it’s the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and nearly half of its people don’t have access to clean water,” said Water.org Co-Founder Gary White. “Expanding Water.org’s programming to Haiti will help people break the cycle of disease and poverty.”
The social media campaign Water.org is leveraging is pretty slick — integrating with Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word and raise cash. It also features a “points” system that rewards you anytime you invite a friend to the cause or make a donation; beyond that, we’re not sure what those points might be good for except peace of mind.
Check out a video of Damon making the announcement after the jump.
Categories: Causes
Tags: matt damon.
About Michael dEstries
Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.View all posts by Michael dEstries →
Pingback: Water.org » Clinton Global Initiative opens with Water.org commitment for Haiti
Pingback: Clinton, Damon, and The Clean Water Project « THERMOS(R) ECO-LOGIC LIVING
Pingback: Matt Damon Announces Clean Water Project for Haiti
Pingback: Matt Damon Announces Clean Water Project for Haiti - Zidee.com