Facing the challenges of sustainably managing and sharing water
— our most precious natural resource — requires collaboration,
education and outreach. The Water Education Foundation, an
impartial nonprofit that was founded in 1977 in the midst of a
deep drought, has put water resource issues in California and the
West in context to inspire a deep understanding of and
appreciation for water.
Taking a steady pulse of the water world, the
Foundation offers educational materials, tours of key
watersheds, water news, water leadership training and conferences
that bring together diverse voices. By providing tools and
platforms for engagement with wide audiences, our team aims to help build sound
and collective solutions to water issues.
The Water Education Foundation garnered Candid, GuideStar’s
Platinum Seal, which is awarded to nonprofits that achieve the
highest level of transparency for donors.
Our Mission & Vision
Mission: To inspire understanding of water
and catalyze critical conversations to build bridges and inform
collaborative decision-making
Vision: A society that has the ability to
resolve its water challenges to benefit all
How We Get It Done
We support and execute a wide variety of programming to build a
better understanding of water resources across the West,
including:
Terry Fulp,
former Regional Director of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower
Colorado River region, is president of the Board of Directors,
which represents a wide array of interests in the water
world.
The staff is led by Jenn
Bowles, the executive director. She took over in 2014 from
longtime executive director Rita Schmidt
Sudman.
Where We Work
We are headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., but our work takes us
throughout the West and beyond.
Connect with Us!
Sign up here to get email announcements
about upcoming workshops, tours and new publications.
You can learn more about the daily comings and goings of the
Foundation by following us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
