How to Use WhatsApp Business API for NGOs?

The multichannel strategy WhatsApp business API for NGOs should no longer be a new tool for anyone to enhance the customer experience. The approach makes the conversation seamless, combining the areas of the institution and creating a free life for the user.

NGOs are facing communication problems nowadays around the world. Today, applications like WhatsApp have made it easier for them and nonprofit industries to interact with multiple people. This offers them a great place to promote the noble reasons they are involved in. NGOs can easily leverage WhatsApp to make immediate contact with beneficiaries, donors, stakeholders, and volunteers. It enables them to engage with the members and third parties in terms of coordination and scheduling drives or events.

Let’s elaborate on the benefits and cases of using WhatsApp business API for NGOs.

What is WhatsApp Business API for NGOs?

WhatsApp Business API for NGOs is a communication tool that NGOs can use to amplify their social impact. The API enables organizations to integrate with the communication platform and reach out to their audience immediately. 

The API facility helps automate conversations, monitor performance metrics, and offer customized support. With intelligent conversation services, WhatsApp chatbots, and broadcast lists, industries can enhance their outreach techniques and create meaningful relationships with their clients and stakeholders. 

NGOs can utilize the WhatsApp Business API to provide real-time guidance, simplify volunteer management, and generate awareness of social problems. WhatsApp automation allows NGOs to reply to commonly asked questions, share customized alerts for coming events, or inform about community projects. Additionally, the WhatsApp broadcast message feature enables the industry to send bulk messages to a whole group of people simultaneously.

The integration of payment gateways such as Paytm or Razorpay makes receiving donations easier through WhatsApp business API. This financial connection offers a safe way for users to contribute.

One tiny NGO that effectively uses this technique is Feeding India. They regularly organize food delivery in underprivileged areas of India using the WhatsApp Business API. Chatbots in WhatsApp groups are the primary means of contact for volunteers, which facilitates efficient team coordination and expedites meal delivery. Consequently, Feeding India can provide more than 20 million meals annually.

Top 7 Benefits of WhatsApp Business API for NGOs

Before using WhatsApp business API for awareness and fundraising campaigns, you need to know the benefits of using WhatsApp business API for NGOs and nonprofit organizations. This section will contain the benefits of WhatsApp for NGOs, including growing engagement with supporters and donors, simplifying conversations with volunteers and staff, and facilitating fundraising and donation procedures. 

1. Improved donor engagement

WhatsApp Business API for NGOs offers a streamlined and direct communication medium to enable them to interact with donors, stakeholders, and volunteers in real-time. This allows NGOs to share updates on ongoing projects, express gratitude to doors, and send success stories. Also, having the human touch helps to create trust and loyalty, enhancing the likelihood of continued donation and motivating long-term relationships. 

They are splitting functionalities of WhatsApp API ahead of growing donor engagement. Industries can divide the categories depending on their likes, suggestions, history, or suggested conversation frequency. Scaled messages resonate with contributors and raise engagement while boosting a strong relationship with the community around the industry’s cause.

2. Real-time fundraising campaigns

WhatsApp’s immediate messaging strategy for NGOs is to run real-time fundraising campaigns with a humor of urgency that motivates instant donations. This simplifies things through broadcast lists and automated messages that are available with the WhatsApp business API. Industries can target their audience with compelling donation requests, marking the urgency and effects of their cause. This instant nature of conversation can foster fundraising efforts.

3. Streamline volunteer coordination

Volunteers in NGOs are the backbone of their organization, and effective engagement is important to ensure smooth interaction. The WhatsApp Business API allows nonprofit industries to create volunteer groups, request assistance, share event updates, and offer required guidance. Volunteers can even send messages on the platform, boosting the community and camaraderie among the team. 

4. Sharing social effect

Conveying the effect of social work is instrumental in motivating others to join it. Through API’s broadcast list, NGOs can simultaneously share their stories of ongoing projects’ success with their audience. By displaying the tangible outcomes of their hard work, businesses can attract more audiences. This allows companies and resources to expand their reach and enhance their effectiveness.

5. Feedback and data collection

Reviews and suggestions from volunteers, donors, beneficiaries, and the community are important for NGOs to upgrade their services and projects. The Whatsapp business app enables businesses to create automated surveys and review forms, streamlining the collection of insights. This allows nonprofits to make informed decisions and scale their techniques for effective community service.

6. Disaster relief, humanitarian and crisis management

Prompt help and communication are essential during emergencies or natural disasters. In these kinds of scenarios, the WhatsApp Business API comes in handy, enabling organizations to coordinate rescue operations and spread critical information. When it comes to humanitarian help, the API allows NGOs and nonprofits to provide impacted communities with quick support. Due to its extensive use, WhatsApp is a useful tool for mobilizing support during emergencies and raising awareness.

7. Assisting Recipients

Nonprofit organizations and NGOs frequently collaborate directly with beneficiaries to offer assistance and services. Therefore, direct involvement with beneficiaries is crucial for these groups to deliver their services properly. Because of WhatsApp’s intuitive design, organizations may interact with beneficiaries in a comfortable and approachable manner. They can provide instructional materials and offer therapy or emotional support via the platform.

Before Using WhatsApp Business API for NGO, There are a Few Things to Consider

Before implementing WhatsApp business API for NGOs, consider two things first:

1. Number that will be used: It is essential to provide a careful perspective on it as this is the contact that you will be sharing publicly. It will be displayed on your website, page, magazine brochure, etc.

2. People who will manage the channel: Before you go, it is vital to confirm the people who will manage the message your NGO receives. This is basic because WhatsApp is an immediate messaging platform where users think they will receive quick responses. Your team should be capable of managing the messages that will come. Ensure the responsibility of those who are already working on the messages and announcements. Besides providing quick replies, they need to check that the right messages are going on WhatsApp. Now, let’s see how WhatsApp API for NGOs is useful and helps them carry out their work.

Whatsapp Business API Use Cases For NGOs

Check the use cases of WhatsApp’s business API for NGOs and how they can leverage the API for their organization’s tasks.

1. Quick replies

This is an essential feature that will save your organization a lot of time and effort. It enables you to save and reuse messages to reply to common and repeatedly asked questions.

2. Shared team inbox

This feature allows them to handle their conversations on their chats on a single user-friendly dashboard. Your team can interact to manage incoming messages and communications. Support various users and devices and even help your team to handle requests, questions, or problems effectively.

3. Share product catalog at scale

This is a fairly new feature that NGOs can take advantage of. It enables you to share your catalog list, which captures the details of the work you process. You may share it with trusted donors who want to learn more about the reason they are supporting you. 

4. Bulk message

WhatsApp’s bulk broadcast feature allows sending a single message to multiple recipients. It also enables the sending of customized messages to keep the audience updated on upcoming events and activities. If you send such messages to a large number of people who have agreed to receive your message, send them in one go. This will help you save time and increase resources to improve productivity.

5. Immediate communication with people

NGOs receive many types of questions every day. An NGO’s daily tasks include managing consumer relationships, answering inquiries, resolving complaints, and furthering the cause. A delayed response to a customer’s communication has the potential to negatively impact your reputation for customer service, which in turn may cause participation and donations to decline.

By enabling direct, two-way communication, WhatsApp helps individuals get over these problems. Through it, they can ask questions, get their doubts answered, find out about events and forthcoming initiatives, and find out how they can contribute to the cause.

How to Setup WhatsApp Business API for NGOs?

Completing the application procedure is the first step towards gaining access to WhatsApp Business API. This entails giving the required information and following predetermined rules. 

This is a six-step guide explaining how to request access to the WhatsApp Business API:

Make sure your company satisfies WhatsApp’s eligibility requirements.

• Create an account on Facebook Business Manager for your business.
• To use the API, either create a new WhatsApp Business Account or convert an existing one.
• Fill out the application completely using the Facebook link.
• Choose a reputable Facebook Marketing Partner with a track record of connecting with WhatsApp Business API, like Getgabs.
• After approval, use Facebook Platform APIs to integrate your service provider’s solution to handle both incoming and outgoing messages.

It’s important to understand that using this service can have recurring expenses after it is approved. The review and approval of an application can take up to four weeks. Strict adherence to WhatsApp Business API’s Code of Conduct is one of the application’s unique selling points. Any violation may result in the abrupt suspension of services and accounts. 

According to a study, nearly 175 million people use WhatsApp for business daily. Using WhatsApp is similar to moving up from a slingshot to a sniper rifle in terms of communication tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is WhatsApp Business API for NGOs?

A.  Whatsapp business API for NGOs simplifies communication, increases efficiency with large groups of people, and enhances social impact.

Q2. Can we apply for free WhatsApp Business API?

A. The WhatsApp business app is completely free. Still, messages exchanged between businesses and customers are charged per session, which is known as the conversation-based pricing model. Messages are transmitted between two parties within a 24-hour window and have a cost list.

Q3. What kind of content can NGOs share with their audience?

A. NGOs can share various content with their people, including, but not limited to, organization news, event invitations, stories of success, donation campaigns, and impact.

Q4. How can WhatsApp API be implemented for NGOs?

A. NGOs can set up a WhatsApp Business API by contacting WhatsApp business solution providers like Getgabs. Then, they have to integrate the API into their existing systems or build personalized messages depending on particular customer needs.

Q5. Is it safe to use WhatsApp API for NGO outreach?

A. Yes, it is safe to implement WhatsApp business API for NGO outreach. However, organizations must confirm that they are obeying WhatsApp’s guidelines and rules and protecting customers’ privacy.

Conclusion

However, WhatsApp’s business API for NGOs can help increase their social impact if they utilize it effectively. The API features allow them to customize messages, send automated replies, and maintain customer interactions. They can even send ongoing project updates, collect feedback from beneficiaries, and inform the audience about events. 

This demands quick decisions, more transparency, and a better understanding of people’s needs. AIAPI is the one solution for all nonprofit organizations, saving them time and resources and allowing them to target a larger audience. 

In real-time, the organization WWF already uses WhatsApp Business API, offering 24/7 customer support via chatbots. This proves the potential of reaching customers directly by leveraging the WhatsApp business app. By taking an agile and strategic approach, NGOs can create strong relationships with people while growing their social effect.