Matt Damon is about to star in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, one of the year's most anticipated blockbusters, but his most impactful journey this year isn't on the big screen. The Oscar winner has launched a global initiative called Get Blue through Water.org, the nonprofit he co-founded with Gary White in 2009, to tackle the water crisis affecting over 2 billion people worldwide.
Get Blue is a campaign designed to make a difference through simple, everyday actions. By partnering with major companies like Gap, Starbucks, Amazon, and Ecolab, the initiative encourages people to support Water.org's mission through shopping, donating, and community engagement. The goal is ambitious: to reach more than 200 million people with safe water and sanitation by 2030, building on the organization's success in helping over 90 million so far.
Damon told Men's Journal that the scale of the problem is staggering: "It's a massive problem in the sense that 2 billion-plus people don't have access to safe water. That's just one in four human beings." He added that when he got involved 20 years ago, he was shocked by how little attention the issue received.
How Get Blue Works
The campaign translates the global crisis into actionable steps. Even a $5 donation can help one person gain lasting access to safe water or sanitation, while $25 can support an entire family. Water.org's model differs from traditional charity by providing affordable loans for water and sanitation solutions like pipes, pumps, and plumbing. Once repaid, the money is reused to help another family, creating a sustainable cycle of empowerment.
Damon emphasizes that this approach respects the dignity of those in need: "It's not the traditional charity model that has a patina of paternalism to it... It's about saying to them, 'Let's nudge the market toward you and get out of your way and let you solve the problem.'"
This shift has dramatically expanded Water.org's reach. Initially, the organization focused on drilling wells in 15 countries across four continents, but progress was slow. Damon notes that continuing that path alone would have taken "600 years" to achieve today's impact. Get Blue accelerates progress by turning everyday purchases and donations into tangible support.
While Damon's role in The Odyssey is generating buzz—especially given Nolan's track record for epic films, as seen in our ranking of Christopher Nolan's epic films—Get Blue is a mission designed to last far beyond the movie's opening weekend. For Damon, it's about using his platform to address a crisis that affects one in four people globally.
The campaign also highlights how small actions can lead to big changes. Whether through limited-edition products, direct donations, or social media shares, Get Blue invites everyone to be part of the solution. As Damon puts it, the goal is to "nudge the market" and let families solve their own problems, creating a future where safe water is accessible to all.
