World Central Kitchen Sends Emails That Deliver Global Impact

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit organization that provides fresh meals in response to crises. With their model of quick action using local resources and adapting in real time, WCK serves nourishing meals around the world.

“We aim to be the first to the front lines when disaster strikes, whether it be a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis,” says Richard McLaws, Senior Content Manager at WCK. “We engage with communities to serve fresh meals in response to crises. We work with restaurant partners and any other local resources that we might have available to make sure that warm meals reach anyone in need.”

WCK has delivered more than 500 million meals globally, and to sustain such a large operation, they rely on a dedicated network of over 1 million supporters, volunteers, and their Chef Corps, a group of chefs that provide meals in the field.

WCK often provides relief as events unfold, so they need a way to reach their audiences quickly and efficiently. With the help of Mailchimp, they’re able to mobilize resources and get ‌aid to the people who need it most.

The challenge: Keeping multiple audiences engaged and sending timely emails fast

WCK’s teams on the ground move quickly, and their communication must match the pace. Richard says that they often draft content while it’s still coming in from the field. "It's very rare that we get to plan ahead when we want to have an email campaign go out,” he says. “Most of the time we're putting a campaign together in a matter of 2 days if we're lucky. Otherwise, it's a same-day turnaround." 

They operate with a lean team, which presents its own set of challenges. WCK needs to spend less time on manual tasks, while enabling their staff to manage complex communication processes. 

Beyond the need for speed and efficiency, WCK's final challenge is to build lasting relationships with supporters to encourage ongoing support, rather than relying on one-time appeals.

The tools: Mailchimp email builder, segmentation, automation, A/B testing, and analytics

To match the speed of their field teams, WCK uses Mailchimp’s email builder, which includes custom templates and content blocks. With those tools, anyone on the WCK team can create and send on-brand emails for response in as little as 30 minutes. 

Richard can lay out the email, and then add content as it comes in. For example, a videographer may send him a video from the ground, and then that video gets uploaded to YouTube and dropped into the email. 

Richard says that Mailchimp eliminates the need for ongoing external design costs because of the ability to drop fresh content into preexisting templates. They don’t need a dedicated graphic designer for every campaign, which removes creative bottlenecks.

WCK uses built-in signup forms on their website to gather new subscribers, and then marketing automation flows* like welcome automations, to help WCK retain subscribers beyond signup so they can build stronger relationships. 

Segmentation helps tailor their outreach and deliver relevant messaging to their specific audiences. "It's finding unique ways to engage every specific segment, because people want to get different things out of engaging with WCK," Richard says. This targeting ensures that content like real-time field updates or calls for specific aid reaches the most impactful audiences, which results in higher open rates.

WCK also tracks campaign performance using analytics and A/B testing (like send time optimization) to refine their approach. Through A/B testing, they discovered that no matter what’s happening, good content means more engagement. Richard says, “What drives our storytelling is making sure that the content we share reflects what's happening on the ground in the moment.”

The results: High engagement, efficient build time, and clear calls to action

For WCK, every minute and every message counts. Whether their target is a supporter or someone providing direct aid, Mailchimp enables them to communicate efficiently and effectively.

This high engagement rate translates directly into WCK’s ability to quickly secure the resources they need. Richard says they can sometimes build emails in about 30 minutes, so they can adapt their messaging during evolving crisis situations. In fact, during the earliest hours of the LA wildfires, WCK was able to rally enough support from a single email that it enabled the team to prepare 186,000 meals out of the 1.6 million total they served in LA.*

Looking ahead, Richard wants to segment their audience more precisely, and will also explore incorporating their segmentation strategy into channels and tools like SMS and popups.

For WCK, fast mobilization means more relief to people who need it, and a big part of that is efficient communication. “The content that's coming from the ground is important. And that's what I think we've been able to maximize with Mailchimp, being able to honor those stories coming from the field.”