The cost of living crisis of the last years has exacerbated the challenges faced by charities. If you’re a nonprofit organisation looking to cut costs and make the most of available discounts to move your mission forward, getting Microsoft nonprofit status is a great option. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the steps involved in getting your nonprofit status approved, along with Microsoft nonprofit eligibility and all the fantastic benefits that come with Microsoft charity licensing.
Keep on reading to find out:
- What is Microsoft’s nonprofit status and Microsoft charity licensing
- How they can benefit your charity
- How to apply for NPO and charity status
- The requirements to obtain Microsoft nonprofit status
- How to use a nonprofit Microsoft license
- Tips for a successful application
What is Microsoft Nonprofit Status and Microsoft Charity Licensing?
Charities and not-for-profits are organisations that must have exclusively ‘charitable purposes’ that help the public. Nonprofit status is an organisational designation given by certain governments or other authorised entities to registered organisations whose purpose lies in providing charitable services to those in need. Organisations with nonprofit status have the opportunity to gain access to resources such as discounted rates from vendors, government grants, and more that can help these organisations further their causes even more.
Nonprofits can get multiple benefits from Microsoft Grants for charities: from enhanced technology that can advance their mission, to improved donor management and huge cost savings that these grants offer.
Struggling with rising technology costs? Check out our webinar to discover practical tips on how to reduce your IT expenses leveraging discounted tools and grants.
How to apply for NPO and charity status with Microsoft?
The first step is finding out whether your organisation meets the Microsoft nonprofit status criteria. To do that, simply head over to Microsoft’s charity status overview, where you can run an eligibility pre-check to determine if your organisation is eligible. They offer step-by-step instructions to make this process as easy as possible.
If your charity is eligible, hit ‘apply’ and follow the instructions.
What are the requirements for nonprofit status with Microsoft?
Microsoft nonprofit eligibility criteria focus on three main elements:
- Organisation
- Mission
- Non-discrimination
Let’s dive a bit deeper into each of the Microsoft charity eligibility criteria on the list.
Organisation
Microsoft charity eligibility outlines that a qualifying organisation must be a:
- A legally recognised nonprofit or non-governmental organisation in their country (equivalent to 501(c)(3) status in the United States).
- A public library offering free general library services to all residents within its service area.
- A public museum, whether publicly or privately operated, that is open to the public, dedicated to preserving and displaying tangible objects and focused on cultural preservation, education, or aesthetic appreciation.
Mission
It is not enough to just meet the 3-point criteria above. To meet Microsoft charity licensing eligibility criteria, such organisations must also operate on a not-for-profit basis and have a mission focused on serving the local community. This encompasses a wide range of activities, including:
- providing relief to the poor and underprivileged
- advancing education
- improving social welfare
- preserving cultural heritage
- protecting or restoring the environment
- promoting human rights, just to list a few.
Non-discrimination
The last point under the Microsoft nonprofit eligibility criteria is non-discrimination. Microsoft is committed to honouring and promoting individual and cultural differences and fostering an inclusive environment free from any form of discrimination. Find out more about inclusivity in the workplace in our blog Enhancing Digital Inclusivity with Microsoft Teams Accessibility Features.
Microsoft’s commitment to inclusivity means that they cannot support organisations that discriminate based on characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religious beliefs.Therefore, organisations with discriminatory missions or without any policies in place to prevent discrimination, are not eligible to participate in the Microsoft nonprofit program. The full list of criteria can be found under Microsoft’s eligibility criteria.
Who and How You Can Use The Microsoft License As a Nonprofit?
How?
Microsoft Grants are available to eligible nonprofit organisations; This includes receiving grants for cloud services like Microsoft 365, Azure and Dynamics 365, Surface hardware, on-premises software, and access to resources and digital skilling. And that’s not all. Microsoft also offers some free software licenses to eligible charities.
Under the Microsoft charity licensing, Microsoft also offers discounted licenses to eligible nonprofits which are applicable to all services that grants apply to, mentioned above. Find out more about Microsoft Grants & Discounted Licenses.
Who?
The image below details who is able to use the Microsoft nonprofit license within a nonprofit organisation. It includes grant offers, discounts and volunteer benefits. The type of Microsoft license available to nonprofit employees depends on their role and status within the organisation.
Source: Microsoft
3 Tips For Completing the Application Successfully
1 – Check Microsoft Guidelines
Check Microsoft’s guidelines carefully to ensure your organisation meets all the eligibility criteriato receive nonprofit status; prepare necessary legal documentation and use an official email address for your application.
2 – Make sure you’re registered with a charities house
You need to be registered with a charity house before applying for a Microsoft charity status. This can be achieved through Charity Digital. Charity Digital is known for helping charities #BeMoreDigital through inspiring content, access to the UK’s only discounted and donated technology platform and connection to the best digital talent in the sector.
3 – Review all Licensing
Make sure to review all available Microsoft charity licensing, including ensuring whether Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise packages are right for your organisation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if your organisation is looking to make use of the available support and discounts out there, then applying for nonprofit status through Microsoft is definitely worth considering. With it comes access to plenty of resources that can help propel any mission forward into a success!
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