Many people knew Paul Milburn as an Oklahoma land developer, but in addition to his tremendous success as a businessman, Mr. Milburn dedicated his life to “making a difference.” He was certainly able to make an incredible difference in the lives of so many people living without access to safe water in sub-Saharan African countries. Paul Milburn’s generosity as a philanthropist touched hundreds of thousands of people around the world during his lifetime and, thanks to his savvy investments and forward thinking, many more people since his passing in 2016.
Mr. Milburn understood the power of long term investment, both in business and his giving. This knowledge and his desire to help those struggling around the globe led him to create the Paul M. Milburn Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation as a way to continue his giving to Water4 long beyond his passing.
Mr. Milburn was particularly interested in supporting the development of water projects and businesses in Ghana, where, thanks to his vision, Water4 has recently completed our first ever district-wide safe water solution. This accomplishment is significant and paves the way for Water4 to achieve our vision for 2030, to have district-wide coverage in every country of operation. Mr. Milburn’s investment in Ghana to date has served nearly 20,000 people through hand pumps and NUMA piped water systems.
Ann Milburn, Paul’s wife of 27 years, described him as committed, passionate, innovative, and caring. The list of civic groups and non-profit organizations that benefited from these incredible characteristics is not short, and Water4 is honored to be a part of the living legacy of Paul Milburn. As we strive towards our 2030 vision to bring safe water access to more than 7 million people and see one million mobilized, we are blessed to have Mr. Milburn and generous change-makers alongside us.
