Living Water International 
Summary
Living Water International (LWI) exists to demonstrate the love of God by providing desperately needed clean water and medical attention, along with the Living Water of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone satisfies the deepest thirst. LWI's services are provided in developing countries. The goal is to provide services by establishing independent nonprofit organizations in the country being served. In countries where LWI has not yet established a relationship with a nonprofit organization, LWI provides support to individuals
or groups who work to further the ministries.
Locals are trained to operate, maintain and service community water systems. LWI also offers limited medical assistance and training in health and hygiene. Through its drill camp near Houston, LWI trains volunteers to operate portable drilling rigs. Short-term mission trips are conducted in cooperation with missionaries working in developing nations. These trips provide opportunity for volunteers to meet physical needs through well drilling and hygiene education and meet spiritual needs through presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the true Living Water, and establishment of local churches.
Contact information
Mailing address:
4001 Greenbriar Drive
Stafford, TX 77477-3922
Website: www.water.cc
Phone: (281) 207-7800
Email: info@water.cc
Organization details
EIN: 760324875
CEO/President: Michael J Mantel, Ph.D.
Chairman: Mr. W. David Welch
Board size: 12
Founder: Group of Houston Businessmen
Year founded: 1991
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1998
Purpose
Living Water International (LWI) exists to demonstrate the love of God by providing desperately needed clean water and medical attention, along with the Living Water of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone satisfies the deepest thirst. LWI's services are provided in developing countries. The goal is to provide services by establishing independent nonprofit organizations in the country being served. In countries where LWI has not yet established a relationship with a nonprofit organization, LWI provides support to individuals
or groups who work to further the ministries.
LWI operates in 25 different countries. Nationals are trained to construct, operate, maintain and service community water systems.
LWI also conducts training in well drilling, pump repair, hygiene education and construction of bio sand filters. Seminars are offered year round in various locations throughout the U.S. Upon completion of LWI's training program, volunteers can operate portable drilling rigs and take short term mission trips in cooperation with LWI Missionaries working in developing countries. These trips provide an opportunity for individuals and churches to demonstrate the love of God by providing desperately needed clean water and medical attention, along with the "living water " pf the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.
Mission statement
Living Water International uses the following to express its Mission Statement:
"LWI exists to demonstrate the love of God by providing desperately needed clean water and medical attention, along with the "living water" of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone satisfies the deepest thirst."
Statement of faith
Living Water International uses the following to express its Statement of faith:
1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His present rule as Head of the Church and in His personal return in power and glory.
4. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, they that are saved unto the resurrections of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, with equality across racial, gender and class differences.
Transparency grade
A
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Relief and Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 365 of 585 | 53 of 68 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 521 of 585 | 62 of 68 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 376 of 585 | 53 of 68 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 122 of 585 | 29 of 68 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 8% | 16% | 13% | 15% | 12% | 14% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 15% | 13% | 14% | 11% | 13% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 94% | 97% | 94% | 93% | 92% | 97% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 13% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 6% | 3% | 6% | 7% | 8% | 3% |
| Operating ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 82% | 79% | 79% | 80% | 81% | 81% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 98% | 103% | 89% | 108% | 97% | 103% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 80% | 81% | 70% | 86% | 78% | 84% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 2% | -3% | 11% | -8% | 3% | -3% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 2% | -7% | 27% | -35% | 8% | -8% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 11% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Investing ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.08 | 2.05 | 1.91 | 3.97 | 2.05 | 2.28 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.69 | 1.95 | 1.82 | 2.20 | 1.55 | 1.59 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.18 | 4.01 | 3.49 | 8.71 | 3.17 | 3.63 |
| Liquidity ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 8.84 | 3.98 | 4.74 | 3.04 | 4.97 | 4.26 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.11 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.33 | 0.20 | 0.23 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.71 | 2.24 | 2.71 | 0.92 | 3.02 | 2.53 |
| Solvency ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 10% | 13% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 15% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 75% | 42% | 46% | 21% | 43% | 37% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Cash | $1,371,537 | $1,436,590 | $1,190,653 | $2,565,289 | $1,961,292 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $4,733,899 | $5,593,579 | $941,886 | $2,201,872 | $2,057,436 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $2,441,918 | $3,165,994 | $3,253,283 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $6,105,436 | $7,030,169 | $4,574,457 | $7,933,155 | $7,272,011 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $5,820,327 | $5,796,654 | $5,469,479 | $4,379,213 | $4,286,130 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $5,820,327 | $5,796,654 | $5,469,479 | $4,379,213 | $4,286,130 |
| Total assets | $11,925,763 | $12,826,823 | $10,043,936 | $12,312,368 | $11,558,141 |
| Liabilities | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $1,194,328 | $1,358,763 | $1,437,122 | $1,219,555 | $1,361,862 |
| Other current liabilities | $341,303 | $123,585 | $66,376 | $377,141 | $344,930 |
| Total current liabilities | $1,535,631 | $1,482,348 | $1,503,498 | $1,596,696 | $1,706,792 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $1,535,631 | $1,482,348 | $1,503,498 | $1,596,696 | $1,706,792 |
| Net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Unrestricted | $5,775,984 | $6,292,403 | $7,884,148 | $7,964,684 | $7,753,264 |
| Temporarily restricted | $4,614,148 | $5,052,072 | $656,290 | $2,750,988 | $2,098,085 |
| Permanently restricted | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $10,390,132 | $11,344,475 | $8,540,438 | $10,715,672 | $9,851,349 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Total contributions | $22,949,571 | $25,861,449 | $34,281,333 | $24,031,295 | $24,792,982 |
| Program service revenue | $782,414 | $1,707,043 | $2,512,804 | $1,997,071 | $617,741 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $0 | $0 | $56,906 | $16,039 | $150,145 |
| Other revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total other revenue | $782,414 | $1,707,043 | $2,569,710 | $2,013,110 | $767,886 |
| Total revenue | $23,731,985 | $27,568,492 | $36,851,043 | $26,044,405 | $25,560,868 |
| Expenses | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Program services | $19,308,064 | $19,383,023 | $31,776,913 | $20,379,412 | $21,476,084 |
| Management and general | $1,578,232 | $1,720,263 | $2,826,689 | $1,879,339 | $1,566,852 |
| Fundraising | $3,588,702 | $3,453,794 | $5,241,457 | $2,921,331 | $3,347,834 |
| Total expenses | $24,474,998 | $24,557,080 | $39,845,059 | $25,180,082 | $26,390,770 |
| Change in net assets | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($743,013) | $3,011,412 | ($2,994,016) | $864,323 | ($829,902) |
| Other changes in net assets | ($211,330) | ($207,375) | $818,782 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($954,343) | $2,804,037 | ($2,175,234) | $864,323 | ($829,902) |
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
History
Living Water International uses the following to express its History:
LWI was established in 1991 when a group of Houston area businessmen on a visit to Kenya realized the overwhelming need for safe drinking water. They also recognized the opportunity to use clean water as a means for opening doors and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
They returned to Houston and began the process of forming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In Kenya, a large drilling rig was obtained and a Kenyan Christian driller was hired who began the process of creating an NGO, the local equivalent of a non-profit organization.
Over the past 12 years, LWI has expanded across 4 continents, and now maintains ongoing work in 16 countries.
Program accomplishments
As of fiscal year ending 2007 LWI completed more than 4,800 water projects in 25 countries, providing clean wter to more than 7.5 million people daily.
Needs
- It costs LWI on average $0.98 to provide clean, safe water to one person for one year: every dollar makes a difference.
- Well Rehabilitations/Pump Repair
One well rehabilitation for $3,000 or buy a new pump for $600. - Shallow Well
A shallow well (up to 200 ft with a hand pump) provides approximately 500 people with fresh, clean water. Sponsor a shallow well for $5,000. - Deep Well
A deep well (between 200 and 1,000 ft with electric submersible pump, storage tank and generator, as needed) can provide up to 10,000 people with clean water. Sponsor a deep well for $10,000 to $50,000. - Equipment
LWI needs $1 million of additional equipment to meet their goals. Equipment can include vehicles, rigs, drilling supplies, pumps, etc. Consider contributing $10,000 to $100,000 to help equip their field personnel and begin new projects.