December 2012  ///  The 69th Regiment Armory  ///  NYC

Since 2006, charity: water has been making waves in the NFP community for both their 100% donations to projects model, as well as their charity: ball ticket price geared towards the everyman rather than just the uber rich. This model has raised funds to fund over 8,000 water projects in Africa, delivering clean drinking water to nearly 3.2 million people.

charity:ball 2012 featured an innovative (or can-we-pull-this-off) 'donation zones' system, where guests would step into increasing pledge levels, resulting in their pledge and name instantly appearing on the projection screens encircling the massive armory space. This live-data tracking was enabled by each guest wearing a pre-registered RFID wristband with their name and credit card information stored inside. With over $3 million raised, the technique and technology were a historic success.

A 60' net structure was flown where guests could purchase and release $5 yellow balloons that aggregated to become a giant charity water logo by the end of the night. Additional infographic-laden installations included a lifesize 'Yellow Thunder' drilling rig, a PVC pipe labyrinth highlighting CW's gravity systems in Rwanda, and a birthday donors canopy featuring the photos and names of individuals who have raised money by pledging their birthdays for donations instead of receiving presents.

​www.charitywater.org