Billions of people all over the world use WhatsApp to stay connected to friends and family. Governments, NGOs, and charities use WhatsApp to support COVID-19 digital response with messaging services that enable fact-checking, hotlines, and vaccine schedules.
WhatsApp is a key tool to provide vulnerable, disempowered, and minority communities with easy and secure access to vital information and support.
The Chat for Impact Summit will inspire and support organizations to develop more ways to provide vital information and resources to people and advance social justice in communities around the world.
The Chat for Impact Summit consists of two key activities:
- Summit: A three-day virtual summit for 30 organizations that includes strategic and hands-on sessions and participation in an impact community of practice
- Accelerator: A four-month accelerator where 10 organizations will receive $50,000 and dedicated mentorship to help develop and launch a live WhatsApp service.
Who should apply?
If you are an organization that is actively driving social progress and is ready to scale your program using WhatsApp, then this is for you. We are looking for organizations with committed and capable teams who have a clear theory of impact, who understand the problem they are solving and the end-users they are solving it for (i.e. a clear impact use-case for WhatsApp).
Areas of significant interest include support for racial justice communities in the sectors of legal rights, economic empowerment and increasing workplace diversity, as well as health, education, equality, financial inclusion and legal rights.
The Selection Process
All Applicants: Everyone will be provided WhatsApp Business API resources and case studies.
30 at the Summit: 30 organizations will be selected to participate in the summit for training to advance their mission.
10 in the Accelerator: From the summit attendees, 10 organizations will be selected by a panel to join the accelerator. They will each receive ongoing mentorship and financial support (of up to $50,000 each). The aim is to enable each organization to build and launch a WhatsApp service that significantly enhances their work and advances social justice and equity.
Apply Now and deadline is April 11, 2021.