ZMZM increased average donation value by 95% and raised 35 million SAR in Ramadan by switching to Unifonic's WhatsApp Business messaging solution.
zmzm.sa
Industry: Healthcare nonprofit
Location: Makkah Region
Goal: Increase donor engagement
Key features: WhatsApp API integration
Making healthcare accessible in Makkah
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20 |
1M+ |
Up to100% |
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Years of healthcare support |
Beneficiaries |
Cost covered in some cases |
For many families, one hospital bill can mean years of debt.
As a specialized healthcare nonprofit, ZMZM ensures patients can get quality medical treatment without worrying about costs.
Unlike most charities that provide partial support, ZMZM offers complete coverage for certain cases, preventing long-term debt from medical expenses. Over a million beneficiaries have been supported across the Makkah region, including Jeddah, Taif, and surrounding areas.
To sustain its influence, ZMZM relies on three core pillars:
With Vision 2030 emphasizing integrated health solutions, ZMZM has been growing its operations by mobilizing volunteers daily. To keep up with demand and reach fundraising goals, the nonprofit needed new ways to communicate with millions of donors.
This is where Unifonic stepped in.
| Messaging fatigue threatens peak Ramadan donations |
Even during the season of giving, standard outreach methods were proving to be ineffective. Response rates had fallen, and the friction of traditional donation workflows made one-off donations slower. For an association that regularly pays full hospital bills, even a small drop in engagement risks leaving urgent cases unprotected.
Despite having millions in their donor database, only a few people were engaging, which was a cause of concern for ZMZM.
“We knew straight away that we were underperforming during the most significant fundraising time of the year.” — [Head of Marketing, ZMZM]
ZMZM had the database and the reputation. What was missing was the ability to reach benefactors in the format they preferred. With messaging that felt personal, immediate, and simple to act on, Unifonic easily bridged the gap between donor and donation opportunities. |
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Right place, right time: Reaching donors on WhatsApp |
Unifonic implemented WhatsApp Business messaging as the primary outbound channel for Ramadan campaigns.
The solution focused on two practical goals:
Unlike traditional SMS, which often gets lost or ignored, WhatsApp delivers immediate visibility and engagement, improving the donation process.
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Key parts of the rollout:
By moving to a platform donors were familiar with, ZMZM tapped into WhatsApp’s popularity in the region. Messages appeared in the same place donors already spend time, with read receipts, media sharing, and the ability to reply immediately.
The response rates and message read rates showed significant improvement compared to all previous campaigns, while WhatsApp's features enabled single-tap donations to ease the experience.
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How Unifonic madeWhatsApp work for ZMZM |
To make the WhatsApp campaign engaging, ZMZM worked with a suite of Unifonic tools and features:
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A record-breaking surge in donations…
The changes were immediately visible. Across the Ramadan and Eid campaign window, ZMZM achieved:
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95% |
35M SAR |
42% |
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Increase in average donation |
Raised during Ramadan and Eid |
Higher CTRs |
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…and greater support for patients
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These figures were real outcomes for ZMZM’s beneficiaries. Urgent surgical cases that previously risked delay could be funded, and the association gained the resources to extend care to more individuals in the Makkah region.
Beyond numbers, the campaign changed how donors perceived the nonprofit. Conversations became more engaging as donors received confirmation receipts, follow-up gratitude notes, and timely updates about how funds were used.
This success represented a greater milestone for ZMZM's leadership team, as they finally had the financial foundation and donor confidence needed to amplify other projects.
Now, the organization could focus on expanding without worrying about critical medical cases going unsupported during the year's most generous season. "I quickly noticed our donor communications got better, and the conversations just felt more natural, somehow. I kept wondering why our outreach was suddenly working so much better, and then I realized it was because of the API integrations you had set up for us." — Mohammed Alharbi Public Relations Department, ZMZM
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With the tools Unifonic has set up, ZMZM gains deeper insights into donor behavior, communicates more meaningfully, and makes the donation experience better.
Looking ahead, the healthcare nonprofit has plans to implement these changes across all fundraising periods. Combining technology with a human-centric approach, ZMZM is set to strengthen relationships with donors and encourage critical medical care for everyone who needs it in the Makkah region.
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Try WhatsApp API with Unifonic |
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