WhatsApp for nonprofits: how to turn conversations into connections

As Maya Angelou famously said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

WhatsApp feels personal. It’s the same place people chat to their friends, send voice notes, share photos of pets and kids and arrange coffee catch-ups. When a charity appears in that space, the dynamic slightly changes, and you can contact supporters in a way that's convenient.

That difference matters. 

• 98% of WhatsApp messages are opened, compared to around 25% of emails. 
• It’s conversational and familiar. 

For charities, that’s an opportunity. WhatsApp can become the space where generosity and conversation overlap. A place to build community, not just campaigns. People don’t generally open WhatsApp messages because they have to, they open them because they want to - and that’s where behavioural magic lies. 

Community in action

Though a few charities have been using WhatsApp since as far back as 2016, it’s still slowly becoming a more common part of the charity communications mix. 

In a popular online group for charity fundraisers, one charity described how they used WhatsApp to communicate with, and create a community, for challenge event participants. Mostly, it was a group chat for marathon runners. 

The conversation was largely peer-led, with participants sharing training updates and offering encouragement, but the charity dropped in with helpful prompts and event updates from time-to-time. 

The results? A more engaged, motivated and emotionally invested group of supporters. 

That’s communications at its best, and WhatsApp at its best too - not an obvious marketing channel, but a social and community space. It blurs the line between stewardship and support, between “your fundraiser” and “your friend who’s fundraising.” 

Other charities are experimenting too: 

• Sending event reminders and volunteer updates.
• Sharing impact videos or behind-the-scenes content.
• Offering quick responses to supporter queries.
• Coordinating teams in the field or emergency appeals. 

Lurking behind every good fundraising idea sits (and rightly so) GDPR and consent. How do you make sure supporters are happy to be contacted, and that you’re staying on the right side of the law? 

The first important thing to understand is this: 

You need a lawful basis to contact each supporter via WhatsApp - just as you would for email or SMS. That means they’ve opted in, or you can demonstrate another appropriate legal basis under GDPR (such as legitimate interest, where applicable). 

The second? 

If your charity is using WhatsApp to contact supporters, it’s best practice to do so through WhatsApp Business, not a personal account. 

Why WhatsApp business for nonprofit use matters 

Using WhatsApp Business for nonprofit isn’t just about looking professional, it’s a safety net for data responsibility. A business account gives you: 

• A verified, branded profile (so supporters can trust it’s you)
• Message templates and tools designed for organisational use
• Access to the Business Policy and Data Processing Terms, ensuring your use aligns with WhatsApp’s terms of service.
• Better separation between personal and professional communication. 

Using a personal number for supporter comms, even with the best intentions, may increase your risk under GDPR, particularly if supporter data is stored on personal devices or messages are deleted without record. 

Even with WhatsApp Business, you’ll still need to: 

• Obtain clear, opt-in consent from supporters before messaging them and record that consent.
• Remember to never share sensitive, personal information through chat. 
• Keep a clear record of what’s sent and when, ideally logging activity into your CRM. Some Donorfy customers have been successfully using Zapier to do this automatically. Here's what an activity looks like:

In other words: WhatsApp Business gives you the right tools for compliant communication, but it’s still your responsibility to use them in line with GDPR. 

Learn the difference between WhatsApp and WhatsApp for Business

Of course, not every idea that feels innovative is automatically good for everyone. There are always common pitfalls to avoid, for example:

• Using WhatsApp for bulk fundraising asks could feel intrusive.
• Not everyone will opt-in/feel comfortable being contacted.
• Supporters might expect fast, informal replies, so charities need to manage expectations and response times.
• GDPR compliance must be watertight. 

In short: WhatsApp should compliment your supporter journey, not replace your other channels. It’s another great way to contact people, if you do it right.

Five tips to get you started

If you’re ready to explore WhatsApp as part of your charity’s supporter journey, start small and keep it simple. Here are five tips to guide you.

• Define the purpose. Why are you using WhatsApp? Engagement, stewardship, event management or support?
• Set up a WhatsApp Business account to support compliance.
• Capture and record consent clearly in your charity CRM.
• Test one journey before going all in, such as challenge event updates or volunteer coordination.
• Ask others in the sector what they're using it for and how - 

To sum up, charities nailing their supporter journey are meeting supporters where they already are, with messages that feel relevant and human, and delivered with transparency and care.

Using WhatsApp Business for nonprofit, integrated tools like Donorfy, and thoughtful consent processes, charities can connect with supporters in a convenient and familiar way for everyone. Done well, it’s the modern-day version of walking the donor home after an event - making sure they got there safely, and thanking them along the way.