Even before Kopari came to be, we knew we wanted to create a company and culture that was bigger than itself. Making killer, coconut oil-based products was (and always will be) a huge part of our vision—but we also knew we wanted to give back. Out of all we’ve accomplished in the past year and a half that we’ve been around, one of the things we’re most proud of is our commitment to helping end the world’s water crisis. With World Water Day taking place on March 22, we figured there’s no better time to talk about how we’re helping and why this cause is so important to us.

     Here at Kopari we know how lucky we are to have access to clean water, but the unfortunate truth is that over 663 million people live without a readily available, safe water supply. That’s why with every purchase made, we donate $1 to the charitable organization Waves For Water. The small organization was started with one mission in mind: get clean water to every single person who needs it.

     Founded by Jon Rose, Waves For Water launched with what they call a Courier Program—“a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) distribution network of travelers who carry water filters with them in their luggage, eliminating the distribution challenges faced by philanthropic aid programs.” Since their 2009 launch, the organization has affected over 7 million people in more than 27 countries. Waves For Water has coined their approach “Guerrilla Humanitarianism.” It’s all about taking matters into your own hands and bringing the solution directly to the problem, under the radar and around the red tape.

     In honor of World Water Day, we’d like to challenge our customers, readers and followers to make waves in whatever way they see fit. Waves For Water offers several different options for getting involved. Travelers can become couriers, distributing filters around the globe. Additionally, Waves For Water’s website makes it easy to start a fundraising campaign, as well as to donate directly to a program of your choosing. And don’t forget that with every Kopari purchase, $1 goes directly to Waves For Water (currently, that $1 goes to a program in the Philippines—we chose the location as it’s the source of all of our coconuts). Though World Water Day takes place just once a year, we’re making it a priority to give back every single day.