For nonprofits
WhatsApp, run properly, for free
In much of West Africa, WhatsApp is not one channel among several. It is where beneficiaries ask questions, where volunteers organise, and where donors expect an answer. Most nonprofits run it from one person's personal phone.
The personal phone problem
When an organisation's WhatsApp lives on a staff member's own handset, several things follow. Only that person can answer, so replies stop when they are on leave, in the field, or asleep. Nobody else can see the history, so context is lost the moment they hand over. And when they leave the organisation, the number and every conversation on it often leave too.
It also puts a real burden on one person, who ends up answering enquiries at eleven at night because the alternative is leaving someone waiting.
What changes
Your WhatsApp becomes a shared inbox that your whole team can see and answer from, alongside your Instagram and Facebook messages. Anyone can pick up a conversation, with the full history in front of them.
An AI trained on your programmes can answer the questions that repeat. When does the clinic open, what documents does an application need, where is the collection point, how do I volunteer. It responds immediately and it hands over to a person the moment it is not sure, which matters when a wrong answer sends someone to the wrong place.
You can also send updates to people who have opted in, so supporters hear about a result rather than only about an appeal.
What you need
A WhatsApp number for your organisation, and registration documents showing you are a registered nonprofit. We handle the technical connection during setup.
There is no charge, permanently, for organisations we approve.
- A shared WhatsApp inbox your whole team can answer from
- Conversation history that stays with the organisation
- Instant answers to repeat questions, escalated when unsure
- Free permanently for approved registered nonprofits
Questions
The things organisations ask us first
If your question is not here, write to us. We would rather answer it than have you decide against applying because you were unsure.
Is it really free, or is there a catch?
It is free, permanently, and there is no catch. No card, no trial period, no expiry date, and no charge that appears later. Approved organisations get the same platform businesses pay for, with every feature on the highest plan. The Foundation covers the cost because putting these tools in the hands of nonprofits is the entire point of it existing.
Do we have to be a registered organisation?
Yes. We need to see a registration certificate and a number we can check with the authority that issued it. That is the one rule we cannot bend, because it is what separates a nonprofit from anyone who says they are one. If you are doing good work but have not registered yet, apply once you have.
We are outside Ghana. Can we still apply?
Yes. Registered nonprofits anywhere in the world are welcome to apply. We are based in Accra and we understand Ghanaian registration best, but tell us which authority registered you and show us the certificate and we will do the work of understanding it.
Nobody on our team is technical. Is this going to be too much for us?
That is the situation we built the programme for. We do not hand you a login and a manual. We connect your Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp accounts for you, train the AI on your organisation, and walk your team through it until they are comfortable. If your team can use WhatsApp, they can use this.
What does the training cover?
Live sessions with a person, not a video library. We cover planning and publishing posts, answering comments and messages from the shared inbox, putting the AI to work safely, and reading the reports that show what your community responded to. Sessions run remotely for teams anywhere and in person in Accra where distance allows, and we repeat them when your staff change.
What is the HYPE internship?
HYPE stands for Harnessing Youth Potential through Empowerment. We train young people in practical digital skills and place them in real work, inside real teams with real deadlines. The first cohort ran remotely through 2023 and graduated in 2024: over 69 applied, 25 were shortlisted, 14 were trained by 11 volunteer facilitators, and all 14 were placed, in technology companies, government agencies and NGOs. The second cohort opens for applications in September 2026. It runs three months, blended, with AI literacy and low code automation across every track, and ends in a professional portfolio and a capstone project. Students, host companies, and professionals who want to facilitate or mentor can contact us to register interest.
How can I support the Foundation?
Write to our team. We do not run an online payment page; supporters contact us and we work out the right fit together, whether that is funding grants and cohorts, hosting a HYPE intern in your company, volunteering your skills, or partnering with us. The support page explains each route, and the volunteer form is the fastest way to offer your time.
How long does a decision take?
Five working days, and we reply either way. A person reads every application and checks your registration, so it is not instant, but you will not be left wondering. If we decline, we tell you why, and you are welcome to apply again if the reason is something you can resolve.
Does Unit handle donations or take a share of them?
No. Unit does not process donations and the Foundation takes no share of anything you raise. The platform helps you reach people, answer them quickly and stay in touch. What those relationships turn into is entirely yours.
Who owns the content and contacts we put in?
You do. Your posts, your messages and your contacts are yours. If you ever want to leave, tell us and we will give you a copy of your content before the workspace closes.
Can our access be taken away?
Only in narrow circumstances, all written into our programme terms: if the organisation stops being a registered nonprofit, if the application turned out to be materially inaccurate, if the terms are seriously or repeatedly breached, or if the workspace sits unused for a year and we cannot reach you. Except where a breach is serious we give 30 days notice and a chance to put it right. The grant itself has no expiry date.
What does applying actually involve?
About ten minutes. We ask for your registered name, country, registering authority and registration number, a copy of your certificate, a short description of what your organisation does and what you would use the platform for, and a contact person we can reach. Applying does not create an account and gives you no access until we approve you.