Microsoft 365 Nonprofit

Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits provides eligible churches with the same productivity tools that businesses pay $12-22/user monthly, either free or at substantial discounts. For churches whose staff already know Microsoft Office, this eliminates the learning curve that comes with switching to alternative suites. The free Business Basic tier includes web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, plus Teams for communication, OneDrive storage, and SharePoint for document management. This covers most church office needs without any cost. The donated Business Premium tier adds desktop Office applications and additional security features. Outlook email with your church domain (pastor@yourchurch.org) provides professional communication that Gmail alternatives also offer. The advantage for Microsoft is integration - calendar appointments, contacts, and tasks all connect seamlessly for users comfortable in the Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft Teams has become particularly valuable for church staff communication and meetings. Chat channels organize conversations by topic. Video meetings handle staff gatherings and can scale to larger congregational events. Screen sharing and collaborative document editing happen within Teams meetings. OneDrive and SharePoint handle file storage and sharing differently than Google Drive. OneDrive provides personal cloud storage for each user. SharePoint creates shared document libraries for teams and the organization. For churches transitioning from network file servers, SharePoint often feels more familiar. The Office desktop applications matter if staff prefers full Word, Excel, and PowerPoint over web versions. Complex spreadsheets, mail merges, and detailed presentations work better in desktop apps. The free Basic tier lacks desktop apps; Premium tier includes them. Power Automate enables workflow automation - when someone submits a form, automatically create a task and notify appropriate staff. Bookings lets congregation members schedule appointments with pastors. These features add value beyond basic productivity. Eligibility requires verification through TechSoup or Microsoft's nonprofit validation. Once verified, access both free and discounted offerings through the Microsoft nonprofit portal.

Verify your nonprofit status first. Microsoft requires validation through their nonprofit program or TechSoup. Have your 501(c)(3) determination letter and EIN ready. Verification typically takes 3-10 business days. Once verified, access the Microsoft Nonprofit Portal to select your subscription. The free Microsoft 365 Business Basic provides web-based Office apps, email, Teams, and 1TB OneDrive storage per user. Donated Business Premium adds desktop apps and advanced features. Set up your tenant (Microsoft's term for your organization's instance). Add and verify your domain to enable email at yourchurch.org addresses. Configure basic security settings including password policies and multi-factor authentication. Create user accounts for staff members. Each account receives an email address, OneDrive storage, and access to productivity tools. Set up distribution lists and shared mailboxes for general church email addresses like info@ or office@. Migrate existing email if transitioning from another provider. Microsoft provides migration tools for moving mail from Gmail, other Microsoft accounts, or IMAP servers. Plan migration timing to minimize disruption. Deploy Teams for internal communication. Create teams for different departments or functions. Establish channels for specific topics. Decide whether Teams replaces email for internal communication or supplements it. Train staff on the tools they'll use most. Microsoft offers free training through learn.microsoft.com. Many staff already know Office basics but benefit from learning Teams, SharePoint, and collaborative features.