At PagerDuty, we believe in using our resources to drive meaningful change. In 2019, we launched PagerDuty.org to accelerate the impact of mission-driven organizations, embedding social impact into our culture and operations. Today, we continue to activate 1,200 employees and invest in building a more equitable and sustainable future.

We are committed to pioneering innovative approaches to philanthropy—supporting over 600 organizations with discounted access to the PagerDuty Operations Cloud and providing funding and holistic support to more than 25 organizations through PagerDuty.org.

One of the most inspiring examples of this impact is our partnership with Beneficial Returns, an impact investment fund driving social and environmental progress through financial innovation. Over the past two years, PagerDuty has partnered with Beneficial Returns, supporting the growth of social enterprises that use market-based solutions to reduce poverty and protect the environment.

Transforming Access to Clean Water: A Visit to Ecofiltro

In February, the PagerDuty Global Impact team and I had the privilege of visiting Ecofiltro in Guatemala, a social enterprise transforming lives through clean water access. The Ecofiltro mission is simple yet powerful: to provide cost-efficient, high-quality drinking water while reducing reliance on bottled water and firewood-dependent boiling methods.

At the heart of their innovation is a natural ceramic filter that purifies water from almost any source—well, faucet, river, lake, or rainwater. This filter has been refined and improved over the years based on all-natural materials from Guatemala. The founder shared that if you pour a brown colored soda in the filter, the result will be pure drinking water after it is filtered. Through years of sustainable optimization, Ecofiltro is approaching one million filters sold, dramatically improving access to clean water.

During our tour of the factory, we saw firsthand how one entrepreneur’s vision is changing lives. Philip Wilson founded Ecofiltro over 20 years ago to tackle the lack of drinking water in rural Guatemalan homes. Rather than relying on donations, he built a social business model where urban sales subsidize affordable filters for rural families.

With support from Beneficial Returns and PagerDuty, Ecofiltro has scaled its impact, improving public health and protecting the environment.

Addressing a National Water Crisis

Guatemala faces a serious water crisis—44% of households lack access to a safely managed water supply. Urban residents often rely on expensive bottled water, while rural communities have no choice but to boil water over wood fires, a practice contributing to deforestation and severe respiratory issues, especially for women and children.

Ecofiltro provides a sustainable alternative. Their innovative ceramic water filters remove harmful contaminants, offering families an affordable, environmentally friendly way to access clean drinking water. But scaling this solution required investment.

With a $225,000 investment from Beneficial Returns, Ecofiltro doubled the size of its factory and acquired new production equipment, improving efficiency and product quality. This expansion has allowed them to significantly increase their capacity, bringing clean water to thousands more Guatemalans. Since its founding, Ecofiltro has already reached over 500,000 families and is on track to achieve its ambitious goal of providing clean water to one million rural families this year.

Driving Scalable, Sustainable Impact with Beneficial Returns

In the U.S., we rarely think about access to clean water—it’s a given. But for millions worldwide, securing safe drinking water is a daily challenge. During our visit to Ecofiltro, we saw how one simple but powerful innovation is not only transforming Guatemala but has the potential to create global impact.

Ecofiltros were everywhere—in homes, hotels, and businesses—a testament to the scale of the solution. Philip Wilson, a passionate Guatemalan entrepreneur, emphasized that sustainable change must be driven from within the country, benefiting all 18 million residents.

In 2023, PagerDuty committed $150,000 to Beneficial Returns’ impact investment fund, including a $100,000 recoverable grant—a pioneering financial tool that functions like a zero-interest loan. Once repaid, the funds can be reinvested in future impact initiatives. The remaining $50,000 was granted as unrestricted funding to help Beneficial Returns continue its vital work. In 2024, we made another direct grant of $50,000 to further support the organization’s operations and growth. We look forward to continuing our partnership and encouraging our peers to leverage creative capital models to make an outsized impact.

During our visit, we witnessed the innovative way Ecofiltro leverages Guatemala’s natural resources—clay and sawdust—to produce filters that provide clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands. By leveraging innovative financing, Beneficial Returns empowers social enterprises like Ecofiltro to scale and drive measurable impact. Instead of letting philanthropic capital sit idle, we ensure it continues supporting climate resilience, poverty reduction, and economic empowerment.

A Model for Corporate Philanthropy

The success of Ecofiltro proves that business can be a force for good. Starting as a nonprofit, the organization transformed into a certified B Corp, enabling it to increase revenue, expand operations, and reach more people in need. The impact of this shift has been profound—nearly one million children in Guatemala have access to an Ecofiltro at their school.

At PagerDuty, we see this as a model for the future of corporate philanthropy. Instead of simply making one-time donations, we invest in solutions that create long-term, self-sustaining change.

Looking Ahead

Visiting Ecofiltro reinforced why we believe in the power of social enterprises and impact investing. By supporting innovative organizations like Beneficial Returns, PagerDuty is furthering our mission to create an equitable world and sustainable future.

The work is far from over, but with the right partnerships, investments, and mindset, we can build solutions that drive lasting, scalable impact.

To learn more about how PagerDuty is leveraging our philanthropic capital to create change, visit our website.