Thankyou Water is a new brand of Australian bottled water using 100% of its profits to fund water projects in developing nations across Africa and South East Asia.

The Melbourne based team behind Thankyou Water are all between 18-21yrs old and have balanced their uni studies and part-time jobs to get the concept off the ground over the past eight months.

“Thankyou Water exists to bring a collision between two extremes, the world water crisis and Australia’s $600 million bottled water industry.” says Dan Flynn, 20, Founder.

After months of research, knock-backs, sleep-deprivation and convincing their parents they could pull it off, the first Thankyou Water bottles hit shelves around the country late last year.

The purchase of one bottle of Thankyou Water is enough to provide clean drinking water to one person for at least one month in the developing world.

“We’re not asking people to spend more money; we’re simply giving them a choice as to which brand they choose when they next buy a bottle of water.” Dan Flynn, 20, Founder.

The concept evolved after Thankyou Water founder Dan Flynn was impacted profoundly by watching a film clip of a boy exactly the same age in Africa and the lengths he had to go to just to obtain drinking water for his family.

After Dan’s personal revelation of just how desperate the water crisis in the developing world is and learning how much money Australians spend on bottled water he felt compelled to do something.

The first project that Thankyou Water is partnering with is through Australia for UNHCR in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda Africa. The Nakivale project aims to provide water to 5,000 refugees within the camp.

“We have strict criteria that projects must line up with to receive our support. In Nakivale, the average person is walking 4km everyday to receive just 8L of water, half UNHCR’s recommended amount. The freedom from collecting water daily will allow refugees to focus on family, health and education,” Nicolette Beets, 20, Charity Project Director.

“People have laughed at the Thankyou Water concept, often saying it was a great idea but would be impossible without spending at least $5 million in advertising, I think one of the best things about our generation is we sometimes have selective hearing when it comes to the phrase it can’t be done,” Morgan Ranieri, 19, Marketing Director.

The Thankyou Water team addressed the crowds at Melbourne’s Youth Tick March in January and have been invited to speak at various schools around Victoria already inspiring the next generation to think bigger than themselves.

Thankyou Water sources and supports projects through established charities, such as Australia for UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency), providing funding for a diverse range of water-based projects.

Thankyou Water is stocked in participating cafes and universities throughout NSW, VIC, WA, SA and QLD. For further information on Thankyou Water please visit www.thankyouwater.org

Photo: Nicolette Beets, Dan Flynn, Jarryd Burns, Morgan Ranieri & Justine Hart – the team behind Thankyou Water

Increasingly, corporate giving is being recognized as a successful vehicle for businesses and organisations to acknowledge and contribute to the very communities that have made them successful.
The 2007 Australian Governments ‘Corporate Community Investment in Australia’ report confirmed that companies are devoting more resources to develop, manage and implement strategic community relations programs that build relationships with local communities and support local initiatives.

Many of Australia’s most recognizable companies are incorporating charitable activity into their everyday business activities through cash donations, product provisions, in-kind services and employee giving and volunteer programs.

But to be effective, a corporate giving program must be appropriately leveraged, administered and aligned with projects and initiatives that address clear needs within the community at large.
The Good Guys presents an excellent model for corporate giving. Established since 2006, The Good Guys Local Giving Program has recently achieved over $2million in donations distributed between 150 charities, supporting essential programs, services and projects at a local level across Australia.

Each store within The Good Guys family returns a percentage from every transaction to local not for profit organisations and additionally engages in a range of employee volunteering and events fundraising activities.

“Our national community relations program is embedded in The Good Guys culture. Each of our Proprietors connect and support charities in the communities they live and work, highlighting that The Good Guys are not just a national retail brand but 81 individual organisations creating change and addressing specific community needs and goals locally,” said Alicia Peardon, The Good Guys Community Partnerships Manager.

To date, The Good Guys Local Giving Program has funded a host of projects including the purchase of caravans used for temporary housing during the Victorian Bushfire crisis, the purchase of essential medical equipment for regional medical services and support of cancer treatment programs, youth programs and disability access initiatives.

The company has identified that corporate giving not only enhances brand recognition and reputation but also provides beneficial outcomes for both the community and the store proprietors. All of which is very good news for local not for profit organisations.

“We know that each community is unique, so to make the donation more meaningful we created a local program that lets individual stores decide how their funds are used in their community. What is a valuable resource to the community in Bundaberg might not be the same in Essendon for example,” explained Alicia.

“Beyond the bottom line, programs like this help us to win and maintain community trust and build positive reputations providing us with a competitive edge,”

“We have also seen a lift in staff morale, retention and leadership, the program is an excellent team building tool and helps generate internal pride.”

Want to know more about corporate giving programs available within your state? Visit www.unitedway.com.au for further information.