When Watsi began, we believed in something simple but ambitious: healthcare for all would be possible, if we built it together.
We're thrilled to share that our global community has reached a remarkable milestone: $20 million directed toward life-changing healthcare.
This isn’t just a number. It represents the lives of tens of thousands of real people who received care when they otherwise wouldn't. And a global community that believes access to healthcare shouldn’t depend on where you’re born or what you earn.
It means a woman receiving a safe C-section instead of risking her life in childbirth. A child is finally getting surgery after years of waiting. A patient returning to work, school, and daily life after treatable conditions went without care for far too long.
Watsi’s first patients lived in rural Nepal. Now we've reached families across 34 countries.
Why this milestone matters
While $20M is a massive figure, the true impact is in our "how". With an average donation of $54, we are proving that healthcare doesn't have to wait for massive structural shifts or perfect government systems that'll take decades to build; access to care can be built by all of us, right now.
As one of our long-time donors recently shared with us:
"Most of the changes required are structural... these things are complex and take a lot of time. But the majority of costs still come out of pocket, especially for marginalized families. Watsi’s model of channeling private donor resources to specific health interventions is fascinating, needed, and critical."
We fully believe in the need for long-term, systemic reform, and hope our learning is helping power this. But we also know that people can’t wait to get the care they need. Our model bridges that gap right now — channeling resources directly, efficiently, and transparently to critical health interventions, while larger shifts continue to unfold — ensuring a mother in Uganda can access a safe C-section today, or a child in Thailand can receive the safe surgery they need to thrive tomorrow.
It’s not either/or. It’s both.
Doing things differently, from day one
Reaching $20 million didn’t happen by following a traditional nonprofit playbook.
From the beginning, Watsi made a series of unconventional choices:
- Radical transparency from day one — showing exactly where every donation goes.
- Becoming the first nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator, leveraging startup discipline to innovate, experiment, and make something people want.
- Building a lean, scalable efficiency designed to last, not just grow fast. We use technology to connect our work directly to frontline medical partners and donors with patients, bypassing the traditional overhead that slows down aid.
- Sustainable Impact: By supporting 33,000+ people, we aren't just treating illnesses; we're keeping families together, helping people return to work, and ensuring children can go back to school. After all, good health is a foundation of a full life.
- Reimagining philanthropy to be people-powered. Launching products like our Universal Fund, donation gift cards, and new, simple ways for people to give consistently and joyfully.
All of this is grounded in a belief that trust is infrastructure. If donors can see impact clearly, they’ll stay. And when our community stays, systems are being built—not just one-off interventions.
Built by a global community
This milestone belongs to thousands of people across the world who chose to show up — every year, every month, (even a few of you every day 💛), or whenever they could.
Together, this community has shown that healthcare for all isn’t just a moral idea, but something we can build together.
Help us write the next chapter with our Universal Fund
As we celebrate $20M, we are reminded that too many people are still waiting for access to safe, timely treatment. We don’t want to just hit milestones; we want to close the gap entirely.
The most powerful way to do that is through our Universal Fund.
The Universal Fund is a community of monthly givers who provide the steady, reliable momentum we need to reach the next patient, and the next $20M even faster. It allows us to respond immediately when a medical partner identifies a patient in need, ensuring that "healthcare for all" isn't just a slogan, but a daily reality.
Help us build the future of healthcare. Join our community of monthly donors in the Universal Fund to ensure no one has to wait for the care they deserve.
The Watsi Team
Everyone deserves healthcare.