Nonprofits can use Microsoft’s Cloud for Global Good to deliver more effective services, Learn How to.

Jul 20, 2017

Microsoft is bringing the power of technology to help nonprofits achieve their missions. I’ll share on its history and how to go about benefitting from this offer.

nonprofits

Microsoft is on a mission to empower every organization and person on the planet to achieve more. This has led Microsoft in its endeavor to launch a series of initiatives. These include the Insiders4Good initiative, the Cloud for Global Good, Affordable Access and many more. The Insiders4Good has seen 25 entrepreneurial ideas turned to businesses in Nigeria and 20 in East Africa. The Affordable Access grant initiative has seen 11 African enterprises receive grant funds to grow their businesses in underserved communities.

Microsoft is hoping to donate 1 billion dollars in cloud computing resources to nonprofits and researchers over 3 years. Microsoft believes about 70,000 organizations around the world can benefit from this initiative. They’ll receive Microsoft Cloud Services; Azure, Office 365, Power BI, CRM Online, the Enterprise Mobility Suite and Windows 10.

“Microsoft is empowering mission-driven organizations around the planet with a donation of cloud computing services. Now more than 70,000 organizations will have access to technology that will help them solve our greatest societal challenges and ultimately improve the human condition and drive new growth equally” – Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO

How do nonprofits benefit from the Microsoft Cloud for Global Good offering? 

In every region of the world, Microsoft has partner organizations that administer this offer. So, you’ll need to check with the Microsoft office in your region on this. I’ll focus on the Africa region in this post, but if you read on you’ll get to know what you’ll need to qualify.
TechSoup is a partner organization in Africa. This means if you have a local TechSoup office in your country, they’ll be your go-to guys. If not, they also have other partners in your country. For example, in West Africa, West Africa Civil Society Institute, WACSI.(*Partner details below) 

You must first apply to the partner organization in charge of your country. Select the offers suitable to your organization and which service type you’ll benefit from.

Here are some helpful details for nonprofits 

  • Requirements for Nonprofits to qualify for the offer.
  1. Legally registered as a nonprofit organization;
  2. In most cases, you’ll be required to provide a valid registration certificate.
    (*for some you’ll need to provide a revenue authority identification number. For others, you must have operated for at least 2 years)
  • The registration Process.

You can contact the partner organization in your region or register online. To register, go to www.techsoup.global, select your country, click on Join now to request donations, and fill out the registration form. If you initiate your donation request from  Microsoft you will be redirected to the partner platform to be validated as a Nonprofit before you can process to check out the selected product. 

  • Coverage area/region of implementing Partner Organizations Africa.  

Current Africa Regional Partners: 

SANGONet 
West Africa Civil Society Institute, WACSI, WACSITech (For more information organizations can contact us at wacsitech@wacsi.org)
Kenya Community Development Foundation, KCDF 
Professional Development Foundation, PDF

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 If you visit www.techsoup.global and select your country, you will be redirected to the partner website. 

  • What are the benefits? What do you get when you apply? Is there a duration of the package, does it become a paid service after a period or when it exceeds a limit?

All software and cloud solutions offered by Microsoft is donated. But there is a small administrative fee you’ll be made to pay.The program is a Technology donation program for non-profits. This program aims to help nonprofit organization access technology products and services at discounted price (up to 95% less than the market value). This is an administration fee that nonprofit organizations contribute to get access to the products and service.
Once an organization is registered for the program, it can benefit from the products of its choice available on the catalog at any moment. 

Specifically, for Office 365, nonprofit organizations have discounted rates of subscription, different from the standard user fee/month. 

Kindly note that Microsoft doesn’t validate nonprofits, so you’ll need to register with the partners.

Have you benefited from this offering? Share your thoughts with us.