About the Tap Project

What is the Tap Project?

In 2007, the Tap Project was born in New York City based on a simple concept: restaurants would ask their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free, and all funds raised would support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world.

Growing from just 300 New York City restaurants in 2007 to thousands across the country in 2008, the Tap Project has quickly grown into a national movement. Restaurants, corporations, volunteers, advertising agencies, community groups, local governments and everyday diners participated to save millions of children’s lives.

During World Water Week, March 22-28, 2009, the Tap Project once again raised vital donations and awareness for UNICEF’s water and sanitation programs. For every dollar raised, a child will have clean drinking water for 40 days. All funds raised support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world.

UNICEF’s Role

UNICEF has saved more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, and UNICEF is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve the goal of reaching zero preventable deaths. Currently, UNICEF provides access to safe water and sanitation facilities while promoting safe hygiene practices in more than 90 countries. By 2015, UNICEF's goal is to reduce the number of people without safe water and basic sanitation by 50 percent.

General FAQs

WHAT IS THE TAP PROJECT?

In 2007, the Tap Project was born in New York City based on a simple, tangible and easy-to-implement concept: restaurants would ask their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free, and all funds raised would support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world.

WHEN DOES THE TAP PROJECT TAKE PLACE?

The Tap Project takes place each year during World Water Week, beginning March 22, the United Nations World Water Day.

WHY A CAMPAIGN ABOUT CLEAN WATER?

Because clean water is essential, yet nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to it. Waterborne illness is the second largest killer of children under five, with more than 4,200 children dying every day of water-related diseases. We think those numbers should be zero.

WHAT IS WORLD WATER DAY?

In December of 1992, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22nd of each year World Day for Water. Countries were invited to devote the day to concrete activities such as the promotion of public awareness, conferences, round tables, seminars and expositions related to the conservation and development of water resources.

WHERE CAN I MAKE A DONATION?

You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time by visiting the Donate section of tapproject.org (please note the minimum donation online is $5).

HOW WILL THE TAP PROJECT DONATIONS BE USED?

The money raised will be used to support UNICEF's clean water programs. UNICEF works in more than 90 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, and to promote safe hygiene practices. Every dollar donated to the Tap Project will be used to support these programs. Funds collected will be allocated to the countries and areas UNICEF has identified as most in need. Tap Project donations from the 2008 campaign funded water and sanitation programs in Nicaragua, Iraq, Cote d’Ivoire and Belize.

Over the past 15 years, more than one billion people gained access to improved drinking water and sanitation facilities. UNICEF’s goal is to reduce by half the number of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation by 2015.

HOW CAN I HELP UNICEF SAVE CHILDREN’S LIVES THROUGH THE TAP PROJECT?

There are a number of ways to get involved with the Tap Project!

• Become a Tap Project Campaign Volunteer.
• Become a Tap Project participating Restaurant.
• Donate today and help UNICEF provide children with access to clean water.
• Share this with your friends to get them involved!
• Get your company on board through the Tap in Your Workplace program.

A UNICEF Success Story From Nicaragua

In Nicaragua, growing environmental degradation and poor hygiene practices exacerbate poverty, diseases and vulnerability to disasters. A third of the population has no access to sustainable sources of drinking water and while it is reported that more than 75 percent of the country’s rural population has access to sanitation facilities, latrine use is low. However, for those living in the northern and southern Atlantic regions of the country, they are far below the national averages, with only 18 percent having access to water and 20 percent having access to sanitation.

Thanks to the support of Tap Project donors like you, UNICEF is working to overcome these challenges in these regions by implementing culturally–sensitive tactics for the promotion of hygiene and environmental sanitation in communities and schools. These programs aim to reach 1,400 people by giving them access to safe sanitation facilities in their households.

In addition, local communications campaigns will stress the importance of a healthy home environment and will seek to increase the knowledge and adoption of proper household hygiene and sanitation. Likewise, the program will provide 400 school children with access to safe water and sanitation facilities in their school. This will coincide with the teaching of healthy hygiene habits by teachers and will be reinforced through promotional materials made available through this program.

A UNICEF Success Story From Iraq

The national water networks in Iraq have suffered greatly as a result of the country's long economic deprivation, and have fallen into disrepair. Even before the start of the Iraq war in 2003, millions of people were struggling with broken pipes and faulty systems. But, years later, Iraq's water problems have multiplied.

Proper hygiene and access to safe drinking water continue to be high priorities for Iraqi families. During difficult times, many families, especially those that have been displaced by the conflict, have had to stretch scarce household resources to find safe drinking water; something that should be readily accessible to all. Young children are hardest hit by shortages of safe drinking water and can be very susceptible to waterborne illnesses and related malnutrition. These illnesses and the resulting malnutrition can undermine the healthy growth of these children and keep them from attending school.

Thanks to the support of Tap Project donors like you, UNICEF is assisting the government and other partners with their ability to respond to the water and hygiene needs of more than 80,000 children and women affected by emergencies in the central and southern regions of Iraq. A key priority is improving access to and storage of safe drinking water with the provision of supplies such as water purification tablets and jerry cans.

In addition, distribution of key provisions, such as sanitary napkins, garbage bags, disinfectants and soap enable them to follow proper hygiene practices, which helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These efforts not only keep people healthy, but, more importantly, they improve their overall quality of life.

A UNICEF Success Story From Guatemala

Of Guatemala’s 13 million people, 22 percent live in extreme poverty in rural areas and many lack access to safe water sources and are unaware of proper sanitation techniques. Young children are very vulnerable to waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, and the simple habit of washing hands with soap could halve the number of child deaths due to diarrhea each year. Teaching children simple, healthy habits and the importance of proper hygiene at an early age can prevent illness or death and improve their quality of life.

Thanks to the support of Tap Project donors like you, UNICEF is working in cooperation with local governments and communities in the highland and coastal areas of the country to improve the water supply and sanitation facilities at 50 primary schools. In addition to these activities, a related education and awareness campaign will ensure that this work continues to have lasting effects on the 50,000 primary school children and 15,000 men and women in these communities. These programs will empower children, teachers and community leaders to be advocates for the promotion and conservation of safe water and proper sanitation habits, as well as pave the way to healthier lives.

A UNICEF Success Story From Cote d'Ivoire

In Brobo Village in the Cote d'Ivoire, Suzanne and Claudia, age 13 and 11 respectively, are eager to show their homework to their teachers. The routine of going to school, however, is a recent development. In the past, the girls woke up at four in the morning to get to the nearest water pump (3 miles away) and return home by 7 a.m. During droughts, fetching water could take a whole day—the only alternative was the nearest pond, often the cause of severe health problems.

"We know that drinking water from a pond and cooking with it often makes people sick," says Suzanne. "But sometimes we just have no choice… If there is nothing else than water coming from ponds, we'd rather get sick than die from thirst."

UNICEF has supported installation of two new water pumps in Brobo—including one at the school compound that allows 1,200 pupils to drink potable water.

"The clear water we get at school tastes so much better than the muddy water we used to get at the pond," Claudia mentions. "And now, since we don't have to walk as far as before to fetch water, I finally get to go to school every day," she says.

More than eight million people in the Cote d'Ivoire lack appropriate sanitation facilities, and over four million people still use unsafe drinking water sources. UNICEF repaired around 2,330 village pumps in 2006 and 2007. In addition, more than 1,833 water–management village committees were reactivated in 2007. UNICEF also improved the water supply in two hospitals and five health centers while an additional 27 health centers are currently undergoing rehabilitation.

A UNICEF Success Story From Belize

Access to clean, drinkable water and toilet facilities is a significant development challenge in Belize, and the consequences reach far beyond health issues.

Take for instance Jose, age 7, who lives with his brothers and sisters in the southern village of Midway, Toledo. At present, Jose goes to school—but his school has no running water and uses an existing, unsanitary pit as the latrine. For water, students walk daily to the river and fill a bucket that is then placed at the front of each classroom for drinking. Water to wash hands is not available.

A health check of Jose reveals that, like all his fellow students and siblings, he suffers from chronic malnutrition and stunted growth. He is also severely infested with parasites or worms, which drain his energy and inhibit his potential to learn, increasing the chance he will drop out of school early, destined to repeat the same vicious cycle of poverty.

UNICEF set out to address the problem and discovered that less than nine percent of the schools were in compliance with the agreed ratio of toilets and hand washing facilities to students. In the region affected by the highest rate of poverty, 80 percent of the schools either had no functioning toilets or an insufficient number of toilets to adequately serve the student population.

Today, thanks to donor support for our WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) program, the efforts of UNICEF are ensuring that children, in schools like these, have not only received hygiene education and water fountains with improved water quality and safety, but also are enjoying new flushing toilets and hand washing basins. And, with the support of UNICEF, the Belize Ministry of Education is in the process of developing national standards and a strategic plan for addressing the situation of WASH in schools.

UNICEF Success Stories

Follow the links below to read stories about how UNICEF has helped children in need of access to clean water and sanitation, and how your support can make a difference through the Tap Project.

Belize | Cote d'Ivoire | Guatemala | Iraq | Nicaragua

Every dollar raised through the Tap Project supports UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene programs. UNICEF works in more than 90 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, and to promote safe hygiene practices.

Thousands of restaurants, dining patrons, students, and volunteers, along with corporate, community, celebrity and local government supporters have joined the effort to raise more than $855,000 and to provide millions of children with safe and clean water. In 2008, Tap Project donations funded water and sanitation programs in Nicaragua, Iraq, Cote d'Ivoire and Belize.

World Water Day

In 1992 the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22nd of each year as World Water Day. Countries are invited to devote the day to the conservation and development of water resources. As a result, conferences, round tables, seminars and exhibitions are held worldwide to promote public awareness of this global issue.

In 2007, a grassroots initiative called the Tap Project was created, which helps UNICEF provide clean water to children around the world. What started as a pilot effort in New York City has now become an internationally recognized fundraising program that operates in all 50 states. And, in years to follow, the Tap Project will be an international resource of donations for UNICEF and World Water Day.

In 2009, the UN World Water Day theme is "Shared Water–Shared Opportunities." Special focus will be placed on transboundary waters. This year on World Water Day, we call attention to the waters that cross borders and link us together. Whether we live upstream or downstream, we are all in the same boat.

World Water Crisis

The Situation

• Every day, 4,200 children die of water-related diseases.
• Nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water.
• For each dollar spent on water and sanitation projects, the projected return on investment is from $3 to $34.
• Just one single dollar raised through the Tap Project can provide a child with safe drinking water for 40 days.

Learn more about the water and sanitation situation facing children around the world.

How UNICEF Helps

• UNICEF works to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities, while promoting safe hygiene practices in more than 90 countries around the world.
• More than 1.2 billion people gained access to improved drinking water between 1990 and 2004 through UNICEF's efforts, and about 1.2 billion gained access to improved sanitation facilities.
• UNICEF's goal is to cut the number of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation in half by 2015.
• Donations raised during the 2008 Tap Project campaign funded a variety of lifesaving projects—including $323,094 for water access improvements in densely populated villages in Cote d’Ivoire; $139,500 for sanitation improvement in Nicaragua ; $139,500 for emergency and response and water, environment and sanitation capacity-building in Iraq; and $69,750 for school sanitation and clean water projects in the Toledo region of Belize. The balance of funds went towards smaller water and sanitation projects around the globe.

Contact Us

Click here to contact TapProject.org