Water.org is a U.S.-based non-profit organisation working to increase access to water and sanitation by working with a variety of partners to deliver innovative programmes and products. Water.org’s WaterCredit initiative leverages the existing relationships, infrastructure and expertise of financial institutions to increase access to capital for water and sanitation services, and to educate and empower low-income households to invest in water and sanitation facilities.

Water.org first launched WaterCredit in India in 2004, through a partnership with the Indian NGO Gramalaya. Encouraged by the results of this initiative, Water.org in 2008 rolled out WaterCredit to five Indian microfinance institutions.

Currently, WaterCredit has scaled to reach more than 8.5 million people through 1.7 million loans. WaterCredit partner institutions include local microfinance institutions, commercial banks, and self-help promotion institutions working across sixteen Indian states and two union territories.

In order to continue the expansion and impact of the WaterCredit programme in India, Water.org contracted IPC to identify the success factors in working with MFIs and banks in India, outline the business case and financial model for financial institutions partnering with Water.org, and provide a brief summary of the findings for microfinance professionals.