By Alessandra Rizzotti for GOOD.

It’s fall in Los Angeles, which means it’s still very warm. And with California in the midst of an epic drought, most public pools drained their water long ago. But George McGraw, an extroverted, charismatic hydrology enthusiast, chose to celebrate the void by throwing an empty pool party two weeks ago. The party also served as a fundraiser for DigDeep—the nonprofit organization he founded—intended to raise awareness about water poverty all over the world. People went home with showerheads that conserve water, bricks for their toilets, and simple ideas about how to change their behaviors, like turning the water off while soaping up. Through these types of efforts, McGraw hopes to change how people not only understand water, but also how they use it.

If you want to be a part of what DigDeep is doing, don’t just donate. Be a stakeholder.

Thus was born DigDeep, centered around one very simple notion: Water is, and should be honored by all as, a basic human right—whether humans are in need of access to water in Sudan or Southern California. DigDeep is one of the only nonprofits with a focus on both U.S. and global water poverty, though their main focus most recently has been on the Navajo Nation in America.