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Discounts and grants for nonprofits

Microsoft provides grants and discounted services to eligible nonprofits.

Accessing nonprofit offers

Microsoft is dedicated to making the benefits of world-class cloud technology accessible and affordable for nonprofits. We provide nonprofit grants and discounts for our industry-leading solutions. Play the video to learn more about what to expect from the nonprofit eligibility process.

Begin the eligibility process

You must meet and adhere to all the following criteria to be eligible:

1. Organization eligibility
Organizations must be a nonprofit or non-governmental organization with recognized legal status in their respective country (equal to 501(c)(3) status under the United States Internal Revenue Code). See the nonprofit organization eligibility requirements

2. Mission eligibility
In addition to the criteria above, eligible organizations must also operate on a not-for-profit basis and have a mission to benefit the local community that could include but is not limited to - providing relief to the poor; advancing education; improving social welfare; preserving culture; preserving or restoring the environment; promoting human rights; establishment of civil society. Any organization that does not meet the criteria outlined above for eligible nonprofit missions is ineligible for Microsoft nonprofit programs. Visit Microsoft Licensing for more information about licensing options for ineligible organizations. Examples of ineligible organizations include, but are not limited to: Nonprofit organizations that have not obtained recognized legal status in their respective country; Governmental organizations or agencies, including governmental museums, international governmental organizations, and United Nations Entities; Schools, colleges and universities including formal educational institutions, nonprofit schools, and academic museums; Healthcare organizations including, but not limited to, hospitals, healthcare networks, health plans, and ambulatory/outpatient healthcare organizations; Public Utilities, including public transportation, telecommunications, and utilities; Financial institutions, including banks, insurance providers, and pension and retirement funds; Professional, commerce and trade associations; Professional and semi-professional sports organizations, including governing bodies, Olympics, and national or international tournaments; Political, labor, and fraternal organizations; Refurbishers that will be installing the software on refurbished computers to be distributed or donated to nonprofits or schools. Please email oemmar@microsoft.com for more information about the Registered Refurbisher Program; Individuals. See mission eligibility exceptions

2. Mission eligibility

In addition to the criteria above, eligible organizations must also operate on a not-for-profit basis and have a mission to benefit the local community that could include but is not limited to - providing relief to the poor; advancing education; improving social welfare; preserving culture; preserving or restoring the environment; promoting human rights; establishment of civil society.

Any organization that does not meet the criteria outlined above for eligible nonprofit missions is ineligible for Microsoft nonprofit programs. Visit Microsoft Licensing for more information about licensing options for ineligible organizations. Examples of ineligible organizations include, but are not limited to:

Nonprofit organizations that have not obtained recognized legal status in their respective country;
Governmental organizations or agencies, including governmental museums, international governmental organizations, and United Nations Entities;
Schools, colleges and universities including formal educational institutions, nonprofit schools, and academic museums;
Healthcare organizations including, but not limited to, hospitals, healthcare networks, health plans, and ambulatory/outpatient healthcare organizations;
Public Utilities, including public transportation, telecommunications, and utilities;
Financial institutions, including banks, insurance providers, and pension and retirement funds;
Professional, commerce and trade associations;
Professional and semi-professional sports organizations, including governing bodies, Olympics, and national or international tournaments;
Political, labor, and fraternal organizations;
Refurbishers that will be installing the software on refurbished computers to be distributed or donated to nonprofits or schools. Please email oemmar@microsoft.com for more information about the Registered Refurbisher Program;
Individuals.

See mission eligibility exceptions

3. Registration & license restrictions
Microsoft reserves the right to grant or deny an organization’s application or participation at any time, for any reason, and to supplement or amend these eligibility guidelines at any time without notice. Selections are made at the sole discretion of Microsoft and are not subject to external review. Additionally, Microsoft reserves the right to reduce or remove an organization’s access to nonprofit offers if the organization is determined to abuse the program. Examples of program abuse include, but are not limited to, intentional user mis-licensing, sharing licenses with ineligible organizations, or failing to remove unused grant licenses from an organization’s subscription. Additional requirements: The person completing the Nonprofit Registration must be an employee or strategic volunteer of the Nonprofit. If you are a third-party IT provider or other entity working for a Nonprofit, you may not complete registration on its behalf. Organizations cannot share, transfer, rent, or resell nonprofit licenses or subscriptions with/to other organizations or individuals even if they are part of the same group. If the group has both nonprofit and for-profit organizations in its legal structure, nonprofit offers are only permitted for the eligible nonprofit organizations. Additionally, groups with centrally managed information technology (IT) systems are only eligible for one grant account. Please contact Microsoft to learn more about enterprise licensing options.

3. Registration & license restrictions

Microsoft reserves the right to grant or deny an organization’s application or participation at any time, for any reason, and to supplement or amend these eligibility guidelines at any time without notice. Selections are made at the sole discretion of Microsoft and are not subject to external review. Additionally, Microsoft reserves the right to reduce or remove an organization’s access to nonprofit offers if the organization is determined to abuse the program. Examples of program abuse include, but are not limited to, intentional user mis-licensing, sharing licenses with ineligible organizations, or failing to remove unused grant licenses from an organization’s subscription.

Additional requirements:

The person completing the Nonprofit Registration must be an employee or strategic volunteer of the Nonprofit. If you are a third-party IT provider or other entity working for a Nonprofit, you may not complete registration on its behalf.
Organizations cannot share, transfer, rent, or resell nonprofit licenses or subscriptions with/to other organizations or individuals even if they are part of the same group. If the group has both nonprofit and for-profit organizations in its legal structure, nonprofit offers are only permitted for the eligible nonprofit organizations. Additionally, groups with centrally managed information technology (IT) systems are only eligible for one grant account. Please contact Microsoft to learn more about enterprise licensing options.

4. User licensing
Nonprofit discounts and grants are permitted for: Paid nonprofit employees; Unpaid executive staff that act as senior leadership for the nonprofit. Eligible unpaid executive roles include Board of Directors, President, Officers, Executive Director, and Executive Program Directors only. Discounted nonprofit offers are permitted for all nonprofit staff and volunteers. Nonprofit beneficiaries, donors, and members (such as members of a church, club, or sports team) are NOT eligible for nonprofit offers.

4. User licensing

Nonprofit discounts and grants are permitted for:

Paid nonprofit employees;
Unpaid executive staff that act as senior leadership for the nonprofit. Eligible unpaid executive roles include Board of Directors, President, Officers, Executive Director, and Executive Program Directors only.

Discounted nonprofit offers are permitted for all nonprofit staff and volunteers.

Nonprofit beneficiaries, donors, and members (such as members of a church, club, or sports team) are NOT eligible for nonprofit offers.


Type	Nonprofit Grant Offers¹	Nonprofit Discount Offers²	Volunteer Use Benefit³	Not eligible for any nonprofit associated use rights
Paid Staff⁴
Unpaid Executive Staff⁵
Volunteers
Contracted Staff (temporary, 3^rd party)
Beneficiaries, Members⁶, Donors

5. Non-discrimination
Microsoft values and respects individual and cultural differences and is committed to providing an inclusive environment that is welcoming and free from discrimination. Therefore, organizations are not eligible to participate in the Microsoft nonprofit program if they have a policy or mission of discrimination in hiring, compensation, promotion, termination, retirement, training, programs, activities, and/or services based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, political affiliation, union membership, or veteran status. Get started with discounts and grants from Microsoft

5. Non-discrimination

Microsoft values and respects individual and cultural differences and is committed to providing an inclusive environment that is welcoming and free from discrimination.

Therefore, organizations are not eligible to participate in the Microsoft nonprofit program if they have a policy or mission of discrimination in hiring, compensation, promotion, termination, retirement, training, programs, activities, and/or services based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, political affiliation, union membership, or veteran status.

Get started with discounts and grants from Microsoft

¹Granted offers are permitted only for use by Paid Staff and Unpaid Executive Staff. User amount limits do apply and vary by availability of country of usage. Additionally, organizations are expected to regularly remove unused granted licenses from their subscription. Adherence to policy guidance is encouraged and tenant may be subject to audit by Microsoft.

²Eligible nonprofits may access discounted pricing on commercial cloud offers, and some on-premise offers. Discounts vary by product, and/or quantity.

³The Volunteer Use Benefit may be used when an M365 E3 or M365 E5 is purchased. Limits apply and product usage is commensurate with standard product use rights.

⁴Paid Staff includes employees on ‘mandatory unpaid time off’ but who remain employees of the nonprofit, often referred to as furloughed staff, but does not include staff whose employment has been terminated/subject to layoff.

⁵Unpaid Executive Staff is defined as unpaid staff that act as senior leadership for the nonprofit. Eligible unpaid executive roles include board of directors, president, officers, executive director, and executive program directors only. All other unpaid staff and general volunteers are defined as Volunteers.

⁶Includes members of a church, club, or sports team.

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