Earlier this year, we asked our community to help us turn something we do every day – drink coffee – into an opportunity to support better access to clean water.
The response was significant. Throughout March, purchases of participating coffees, contributions from our flagship cafés and direct donations raised $17,480 for Water for Good. Coffee sales accounted for the majority of that total, showing what can happen when thousands of everyday purchases are connected to a shared purpose.
But March was never intended to be a one-off campaign.Our partnership with Water for Good is part of a longer commitment alongside our sister company, Project Origin, to support clean water infrastructure in coffee-growing communities.
Together, ONA Coffee, our flagship stores and Project Origin have so far helped fund or support 14 water points, with the longer-term ambition of helping fund 250 water points over seven years.
This October, we’re continuing that work – and giving our community more ways to be part of it.
What is Water for Good?
Water for Good works to improve access to safe, reliable water alongside sanitation and hygiene in communities where these services are needed most. Its mission is centred not simply on installing infrastructure, but creating systems that can continue serving communities over the long term.
That distinction matters, as a water point is only useful if it continues to function. Water for Good therefore works alongside the communities it serves, combining water infrastructure with local ownership, maintenance and household education around sanitation and hygiene.
At an Ethiopian water point that has been supported by Project Origin and ONA Coffee, a local water committee has been trained to help maintain the system, while hygiene education is delivered directly to households.
It is part of what Water for Good calls its ‘Vision of a Healthy Village’: an approach where reliable water, sanitation and changes in hygiene practices work together to create lasting improvements beyond the construction of a water point itself.
For us, that work also has a direct connection to coffee. Many of the communities Water for Good supports in Ethiopia are coffee-growing communities – places whose farmers and landscapes contribute to the coffees we roast, brew and enjoy every day.
Seeing the impact in Lepisa
One of the clearest examples of what this partnership can achieve is in Lepisa village, in Ethiopia’s Nensebo region.
In March 2025, a piped spring water system supported by Project Origin and ONA Coffee was completed there. The system now provides safe water to approximately 185 people across 32 households.
Before its construction, families relied on the unprotected Shashara River, almost an hour’s walk from the village. The water was often associated with illnesses including cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid. Today, two taps provide clean water much closer to home.
For coffee farmer and mother of seven, Zenebech, that has transformed a journey of around 50 minutes into a walk of approximately three minutes.
The difference is about much more than convenience. Her children are attending school more regularly, the family has more time for studying and household responsibilities, and Zenebech can dedicate more time to harvesting coffee. As she explained to Water for Good, having a healthier family and saving time has been “very helpful for maximizing our coffee production.”
Fellow Lepisa coffee farmer, Bogale describes similar changes. With clean water only minutes from home, his family has been able to improve household sanitation while his children have more time for school and he has more time for the coffee farm that supports his family.
These are the outcomes behind the numbers – and why we want to keep going.
The next stage
From 1–31 October, we will launch the next stage of our Water for Good campaign, with the goal of achieving even more fundraising for these communities in need.
Like March, participating products will make a fixed contribution to Water for Good, meaning supporting the campaign can be as simple as choosing your next bag of coffee.
There will also be several other opportunities to participate throughout the month, including a special Reserve Box release, Omakase and cupping events, selected in-café activations, Water for Good drink bottles and a special board game, with $20 from every game sold donated to the campaign.
For the Water for Good bottles, 100% of proceeds are donated, with the remaining bottle sales expected to contribute more than $2,000 if sold through.
We’ll also have a live fundraising counter online throughout October, so our community can see the campaign growing and follow the collective impact of every coffee, product and contribution.
Keep the water flowing
This campaign has shown us that meaningful change doesn’t always require one enormous action. It can be a bag of coffee, a drink at your local ONA Coffee cafe, or an event ticket.
Individually, those actions are small. Together, they helped raise $17,480 in March – and they can help us go even further.
For the communities receiving new water infrastructure, the impact can mean hours returned to each week, fewer days lost to illness, more time at school and more opportunity to focus on farming, family and the future.
Because of you, this happened. Now, let’s keep it moving.