Microsoft Viva is an essential tool that provides nonprofit HR departments a much needed solution that not only streamlines administrative tasks but also supports employees in meaningful ways.
Managing employees effectively can be one of the most challenging yet critical tasks for organisations. Ensuring that employees are engaged, supported, and empowered is essential to fostering a positive work culture that drives success. But limited budgets, small HR teams, and the constant juggling of priorities make managing employee engagement a complex undertaking.
Microsoft Viva is a platform designed to enhance communication, productivity, learning, and well-being across organisations. Built into Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, Viva brings together various tools to create a unified hub for employee engagement tailored to the needs of modern workplaces.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
- What’s included with Microsoft Viva
- Why Nonprofits Should Use Microsoft Viva
- How Nonprofits Can Get Started with Microsoft Viva
Whether you’re looking to improve internal communication, increase employee morale, or ensure your team feels valued and supported, this blog will show you how Microsoft Viva can be a game-changer for nonprofit organisations.
What is Microsoft Viva?
Microsoft Viva is an integrated employee experience platform designed to improve connection, productivity, and well-being within organisations. Built directly into Microsoft 365 for nonprofits and Microsoft Teams, Viva uses your existing infrastructure to create a central hub for employee engagement. Its primary purpose is to empower people by providing them with the tools, resources, and insights they need to thrive and succeed while also improving the overall employee experience.
Thanks to its integration with Microsoft Teams, Viva makes it easy for nonprofits to support and connect their staff and volunteers, even in remote or hybrid work environments. This highlights how Microsoft Viva and Microsoft Teams promote digital inclusivity.
This integration, in fact, not only helps charities to optimise their workflows but also aligns with the goal of fostering digital inclusivity, ensuring that employees, regardless of their location or abilities, feel connected and supported. Microsoft Viva helps nonprofit organisations bring people together, prioritise communication, and facilitate the sharing of insights, key elements for keeping your team engaged and motivated.
Why Nonprofits Should Use Microsoft Viva
For nonprofits, effectively managing and coordinating staff is vital to achieving their mission. With limited resources and small teams, ensuring employee well-being and keeping operations running smoothly can be a challenging task. By using the same software for communication, onboarding, training, and insights, charities can save time, reduce costs and foster a more engaged workforce.
Let’s explore the benefits of Microsoft Viva for nonprofits in more detail:
- More Effective Onboarding
- Increased Staff Collaboration and Productivity
- Centralised Communication
- Improved Employee Experience and Well-being
- Data-Driven Decisions
- Enhanced Training and Development for Charity Staff
- Better Knowledge Management
More Effective Onboarding
Onboarding is a critical part of employee and volunteer management. A smooth onboarding process ensures that new hires feel welcomed, prepared and informed. With Microsoft Viva, the onboarding experience is streamlined and personalised. Microsoft Viva Connections and Viva Learning provide new employees with easy access to all the resources, policies, and training they need to integrate into the organisation quickly.
For nonprofits, this is especially valuable when onboarding volunteers or staff working remotely who may not have access to in-person support.
If you already have software for internal development and education, there’s no need to worry. Viva Learning can integrate with various third-party content providers and learning management systems.
By ensuring new team members are well-prepared from day one, Viva helps reduce turnover and sets the foundation for long-term engagement and productivity.
Increase Your Staff Collaboration and Productivity
Another great benefit of using MS Viva is that the Viva Insights feature offers data-driven, privacy-protected recommendations that help staff work more efficiently while fostering a collaborative environment. Employees can share and access knowledge seamlessly, breaking down silos and making it easier to work together on common goals.
This not only enhances productivity but also improves decision-making by ensuring staff have access to the information they need. To explore more ways nonprofits can enhance teamwork, check out our blog on collaboration tools for nonprofits.
Centralised Communication
As a centralised hub, Microsoft Viva is perfect for organisational communication, providing a single platform for sharing news, updates, and resources.
Viva Connections integrates directly with Microsoft Teams, which enables nonprofits to distribute announcements or relevant news and updates effortlessly. On the other end, Viva Engage is the go-to place for sharing knowledge and asking questions.
This ensures that employees and volunteers can easily find information in one place.
Improved Employee Experience and Well-being
Employee well-being is essential to improving employee engagement and building a motivated and effective workforce. Microsoft Viva fosters a more connected and engaged workforce by providing tools like Viva Insights, which offers actionable recommendations to improve work-life balance and reduce stress.
By enabling nonprofits to prioritise employee well-being, Viva helps improve job satisfaction and retention, ensuring charities can retain skilled staff and volunteers.
Data-Driven Decisions
Microsoft Viva Insights provides nonprofits with valuable workplace analytics and data about employee well-being and work patterns. These insights help HR teams identify challenges such as workload imbalance or lack of engagement and take proactive steps to address them.
With privacy protections built into the platform, charities can leverage this data to create a healthier, more productive work environment without compromising individual privacy.
Improved Training and Development for Charity Staff
Continuous improvement, learning and development are critical for retaining staff and improving organizational capacity. Microsoft Viva Learning simplifies the delivery of training materials and development opportunities by integrating learning directly into Microsoft Teams. Staff and volunteers can easily access relevant courses, certifications, and learning paths tailored to their roles.
According to recent Microsoft research, 76% of employees say they’d stay longer at a company if they had access to learning and development support. For nonprofits, this means Viva Learning along with Microsoft Office 365 Training Centre for Nonprofits, can help improve employee retention while upskilling teams and individuals to tackle new challenges.
Better Knowledge Management
Nonprofits often rely on institutional knowledge built over years of experience, but this can be lost without proper systems in place. Microsoft Viva Topics ensures that valuable expertise is captured, organised, and shared across the organisation.
Using AI-powered tools, Viva Topics connects staff to the information they need, whether it’s a resource, document, or subject-matter expert. For nonprofits, this helps ensure that new hires, volunteers, and even experienced staff can access and build upon the collective knowledge of the organisation, reducing inefficiencies and improving outcomes.
How Nonprofits Can Get Started with Microsoft Viva
Implementing Microsoft Viva can be a transformative step for nonprofit organisations. This section will guide you through the steps to adopt Microsoft Viva, covering eligibility for nonprofit discounts, integration with existing Microsoft tools, and best practices for implementation.
Eligibility for Nonprofit Discounts
One of the key advantages for charities is that Microsoft offers significant discounts and grants to eligible nonprofit organisations. This makes adopting tools like Microsoft Viva much more affordable.
To qualify, nonprofits must meet specific eligibility requirements and apply for Microsoft nonprofit status. Once approved, charities can access discounted rates on Viva and other Microsoft solutions.
Integration with Microsoft 365
For organisations already using Microsoft 365 tools like Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive for charities, integrating Microsoft Viva is simple. Viva is built into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, you can easily configure it using your existing infrastructure.
To ensure your team is getting the most out of Microsoft 365, check out our Charity Guide to Efficiency Best Practices for Microsoft 365.
Best Practices for Implementation
Starting with a phased implementation approach ensures your nonprofit gets the most value from the platform. Instead of rolling out all features at once, focus on the areas that address your organisation’s most urgent needs. For example:
- Start with Viva Insights: If burnout or workload imbalances are concerns, begin by using Viva Insights to gain data-driven insights into employee well-being.
- Use Viva Learning for Upskilling: If training and development are a priority for your charity, focus on Viva Learning to create personalised learning paths for your team.
By prioritising the features that align with your immediate goals, you can ensure a smoother implementation process.
Steps to Set Up Microsoft Viva
Microsoft provides a clear framework for getting started with Viva:
Discover What App to Use and When
Each Viva app serves a specific purpose. For example, Viva Connections focuses on centralised communication, while Viva Topics organises institutional knowledge.
Get Familiar with Features and Requirements
Learn about the technical requirements for each Viva app and identify the roles and responsibilities needed to manage the implementation process.
Prepare Your Organisation
Begin by auditing your current tools, resources, and processes to determine how Viva can integrate and enhance them. Consider how Viva Learning could replace or complement existing training programs, or how Viva Insights app might inform HR policies.
Start Deployment
Follow Microsoft’s specific guidelines for deploying each Viva app. This includes technical setup, user training, and a plan for rolling out new tools. Focus on driving adoption by introducing Viva features incrementally and gathering feedback from staff.
By taking a structured approach to deployment, nonprofits can ensure their team fully embraces this powerful platform, setting the stage for long-term success.
Closing Thoughts
Adopting the Microsoft Viva suite is a game-changer for nonprofits looking to boost employee retention and engagement, productivity, and overall organisational efficiency. By streamlining essential processes like onboarding, training, communication, and knowledge management, MS Viva enables charities to make the most of their resources while empowering their staff and volunteers.
As charities continue to embrace digital transformation, platforms like Microsoft Viva are becoming essential to staying ahead. By integrating seamlessly with Microsoft 365 for nonprofits, Viva offers a unified, cost-effective solution to improve employee performance management and create a more connected and motivated workforce.
Microsoft Viva helps nonprofits optimise their efforts, freeing them to focus on what matters most. If your organisation hasn’t yet explored Viva, now is the perfect time to incorporate it into your charity’s digital transformation strategy and elevate your mission.
Get in Touch
Would your charity like to learn more about Microsoft Viva? Get in touch with the team at Qlic here.
