The centerpiece of our global citizenship efforts is Xylem Watermark, our signature citizenship and social investment program. Designed and developed to provide and protect safe water resources in communities around the world, it's an outstanding example of a corporate program making a social difference.
Through Watermark, and in association with several key non-profit partners, we bring safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to schools and communities in developing countries. The program also provides relief – in the form of funding and equipment donations – in the aftermath of disasters where clean and safe water is an issue. And we fund disaster risk reduction projects that secure water resources in vulnerable communities. Through strategic partnerships, employee engagement and innovative water solutions, Xylem Watermark helped 500,000 people globally in its first three years, and we will reach a million more people by the end of 2013.
Employees can participate in several ways. They can make financial contributions, which are matched by Xylem. They can serve as ambassadors to promote the program in their locations. They can also participate in volunteer trips held each year to analyze local water systems, collect data, monitor water supplies, and, most importantly, interact with our beneficiaries and our partners on the ground in the localities where we are operating.
At the local level, Xylem employees also support their communities in countless other ways. We are a vital presence in hundreds of towns and cities around the world, and the Xylem people who live and work there know best how to help their hometowns and neighbors. Xylem people want to make a difference, and social contributions are a critical way we do that, all around the world.