Their gift is going toward a LifePump for Piyeti, Malawi, where it will help 93 families get clean water.

Want to join them? Give here.

Kids, what could YOU do to help? Host a bake sale, rake leaves, sell artwork, do extra chores, or dream up your own fundraiser!

The post You’re Never Too Young to Change the World! appeared first on Design Outreach.

The post Thank You, Mayor Jadwin! appeared first on Design Outreach.

The October 7 event, hosted by DO, was held in the Impact Engineering Lab at Ohio State University’s new Engineering Research and Education Laboratories (EREL). It brought together students from several humanitarian-focused engineering groups, including Engineers Without Borders, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and Humanitarian Engineering Scholars.

DO’s relationship with Ohio State’s College of Engineering reflects a shared interest in connecting engineering expertise with meaningful, real-world impact. Supporting the new EREL facility—and being represented on its donor wall—was an opportunity for DO to introduce more engineering students to our work and help them envision how their skills could be used to improve lives.

Nathan Stoltzfus, DO senior field engineer and a two-time Ohio State engineering graduate, played a key role in coordinating and leading the evening. Nathan earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural engineering at Ohio State. Today, he helps test and implement technologies designed to serve communities living in poverty.

“I really enjoyed coming back to campus to share with students a slice of the work at DO,” Nathan said. “It was great to catch the excitement, enthusiasm and interest of the students and to see them dive into LifePump, even helping to assemble a working pump.”

“Engineering is all about solving problems,” he said. “There is no problem bigger nor more important than the challenge of providing a way for everyone in the world to access clean water and basic medical care.”

Ben Stauffer, a DO project engineer and Ohio State alumnus, said he believes it’s important for engineering students to recognize how their technical skills can make a difference.

“Engineering students need to have the vision to see how their learned skills can make an impact, or they are in danger of adopting apathy towards excellence,” Ben said. “There are so many needs in the world that can be met with engineering, and by simply bringing awareness of the work already happening, we can spur each other on to passionately help those in need.”

The post Inspiring the Next Generation of Humanitarian Engineers appeared first on Design Outreach.

Evan, a Gahanna native and DO supporter, spoke to a full house about his journey through professional baseball, the unexpected challenges he faced, and the faith that carried him through it all. His story was a beautiful reminder that even when our plans change, God can use our lives for a greater purpose.

Evan, thank you for sharing your heart and reminding us of the difference we can make when we use what we’ve been given to serve others. We’re so grateful for your friendship and for having you and Kari as part of the Design Outreach family!

The post Thanks, Evan! appeared first on Design Outreach.

Last month, DO’s Engineering Solutions Director set out to raise money and awareness for the people of Malawi. He rode his bike 339 miles over six days from Cincinnati to Cleveland along the Ohio to Erie Trail. And thanks to your generous support, he surpassed his fundraising goal. These funds will be used to rehabilitate four broken hand pumps through the MaxLife Program, bringing safe, reliable water to approximately 1,000 people.

Thank you to everyone who donated, shared his story and cheered him on along the way! We’re so proud of you, Michael!

The post He Did It (Thanks to All of You)! appeared first on Design Outreach.

It was an incredible evening celebrating the distinguished 2026 honorees including Greg, who received this tremendous recognition for his leadership, service and commitment to using engineering to help others. We are so grateful for the vision and heart he brings to Design Outreach. Congratulations, Greg!

The post An incredible night! appeared first on Design Outreach.

Design Outreach is hiring highly relational, motivated communicators to join our Development team in Tennessee, Texas, and the Midwest. The role focuses on building relationships with current and prospective donors, sharing the impact of Design Outreach, and helping people find meaningful ways to support the mission. Previous fundraising experience not required. 

See our job postings here.

The post We’re Hiring! appeared first on Design Outreach.

This prestigious award recognizes alumni who have achieved national or international distinction in their field, brought extraordinary credit to The Ohio State University, and made significant contributions to the betterment of humankind.

As Design Outreach’s CEO and Co-founder, Greg’s vision, leadership and commitment to using engineering to address the world’s most pressing water challenges have impacted more than 1 million people around the world. We couldn’t be more proud to see his work recognized in this way.

Congratulations, Greg! 

Read the Ohio State article about Greg and this tremendous honor here.

The post Congratulations, Greg! appeared first on Design Outreach.

The Alumni Medalist Award recognizes alumni who have achieved national or international distinction in their field or profession, brought extraordinary credit to Ohio State, and made significant contributions to the betterment of humankind.

For more than a decade, Greg has used his engineering expertise to help others and serve God, leading Design Outreach in developing practical technologies that improve lives and strengthen communities around the world. He has also shared that commitment with the next generation of humanitarian engineers. For the past decade, he has taught a course at The Ohio State University on appropriate technologies for developing countries, inspiring students to use engineering to improve lives around the world.

In his nomination letter on behalf of the Design Outreach Board of Directors, former Board Chair Dean Jessup highlighted Greg’s influence at Ohio State, noting that “Dr. Bixler has brought to the university awareness of the critical needs of millions within developing countries.”

Greg’s path to humanitarian engineering began with a church mission trip to Central Asia. Seeing people living in extreme poverty—and finding creative ways to build and survive with very little—prompted a question that would change the course of his life: If they can do this with so little, what can engineers do for the billions of people living in poverty?

That question ultimately led Greg to leave his corporate engineering career and co-found Design Outreach in 2013. 

Joe Huber, founder and CEO of Huber Equity Group, is among those who have worked closely with Greg and seen his extraordinary dedication firsthand. In his nomination letter, Huber wrote that Greg “has dedicated his life to improving the living conditions of the world’s poorest communities.” He also wrote that Greg “exemplifies the very highest ideals of Ohio State: intellectual excellence, innovation, character, and a life committed to serving others.”

Joe also captured what makes Greg’s work distinctive: “His work is not theoretical. It is practical, scalable, and saving millions of lives across the globe.”

He went on to say, “Greg Bixler represents the very best of what an Ohio State alumnus can be: brilliant, courageous, selfless, and globally impactful. His work will echo for decades, perhaps centuries, in communities that would otherwise be forgotten.”

Congratulations, Greg! We are incredibly proud of you and grateful for the vision, leadership, and commitment you bring to Design Outreach and to the communities we serve.

The post A Tremendous Honor for Greg Bixler appeared first on Design Outreach.

In July, Design Outreach traveled to Mwayasunka Village and United Church of Zambia to check on the performance of an India Mark 2 (IM2) hand pump that was upgraded as part of the IM2 MaxLife pilot program.

This pump serves approximately 1,300 people in a community that is home to more than eight churches. According to Reverend Christine Siantwala Banda, this upgrade was about much more than water.

“When there is no water, no one comes to church because they know sanitation is compromised,” she told us. “Having water in this area is really a blessing to the people around us and helps people to worship their God freely.”

She said it gives her joy knowing that people will be “safe to worship with a free mind, knowing they have access to water greatly available.” 

“I’m really happy to have partners in this area that are really taking life seriously, knowing that water is life,” she said.

The partners Reverend Christine is referring to are Design Outreach and Living Water International, which joined forces to upgrade IM2 hand pumps in Zambia. Pastor Dennis Mizhi, who has lived in this community since 2001, told us why this upgrade was so important. 

“I came to this place when there was no water,” he said. “We used to fetch the water under struggle.” 

Pastor Dennis told us the community was given this land by a farmer as a place to spread the Gospel and worship the Lord, but they needed water. The government eventually drilled a well and installed a pump, but the metal pipes rusted quickly. The pump was also breaking down after just a few months, and it would take two to four months to repair it each time. Fortunately, these struggles are behind them. 

“When they replaced the metal pipes [with MaxLife components], we could now start drawing water for human consumption,” he said. “From the time it was installed, the pump has never broken down, which is giving us hope and faith.”

Pastor Dennis said his congregation is growing, thanks to safe water. 

“The [upgraded] pump has given us more life,” he said. “People can come and have access to water. We are very much thankful to our Heavenly Father for bringing on board Design Outreach and Living Water International.”

Quoting Psalm 68:10 from the New International Version Bible, he said, “Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.” He told us he believes the goodness of God was seen through Design Outreach providing water to the community of Mwayasunka Village and United Church of Zambia. 

According to Design Outreach CEO and Co-founder Dr. Greg Bixler, the MaxLife upgrade is a tremendous improvement. 

“Previously, the pump had galvanized parts, which would rust very quickly and create brown water that people didn’t want to drink,” Greg said. “Then other parts would break, which led to a lot of downtime, since people had to raise money for repairs, and that takes time.” 

Since this pump was installed in February, there has not been a single breakdown. Greg said the community is extremely excited to have safe, reliable water, and that impact reaches far beyond the pump.

“We’ve been told by pastors and church leaders that there is a higher attendance in church,” Greg said. “This is a huge success story of how MaxLife upgrades are making clean water possible and helping to spread the Gospel.”

Learn more about the MaxLife Program here. 

The post Upgraded Pumps Are Building Bridges to the Gospel  appeared first on Design Outreach.