We have a new blog post with updated information on the upcoming Microsoft changes. Click here to read it.

Microsoft has announced changes to the Microsoft not-for-profit program as of 4 April 2022.

These changes will impact the current Microsoft Software Donation Program through Connecting Up and are worth your close review.
 

What is changing?

On-premises products will no longer be available as a donation beginning April 4, 2022. On-premises software are stand-alone, perpetual licences that users install on specific computers and can be used even without an internet connection (i.e. Office Standard). These products will still be available through Connecting Up, but only at charitable discount prices. These typically range from a 60-75% discount from commercial pricing. This results in a price increase of about 3-5 times more than current donation program pricing.
 

Why are these changes occurring?

Microsoft has been moving to a cloud-first model as a company for many years. Microsoft believes that to truly help not-for-profits take advantage of the promise of technology, they need to update their own grant and discount program to better align the comprehensive capabilities and security that the Microsoft Cloud can provide with the needs of not-for-profits around the globe. You can read more in their words here.
 

What should you do?

Take advantage of Microsoft Donations before it's too late. Your organisation will be able to access the current Microsoft donation program up until 4 April 2022. We highly recommend that you access the current Microsoft Donation Program if you rely on on-premise licences to power your organisation.

Consider the cloud. Organisations will continue to be able to request Microsoft cloud products through Connecting Up. These offers provide the same functionality as the on-premises tools, often with more robust, secure, and resilient features.
 

What Microsoft products can I access after 4 April 2022 as a donation?

The chart below matches products that are being taken out of the Microsoft Donation Program on Connecting Up to alternative donated Microsoft licencing options that should be possible replacements for what you would have used on-premises products for. Note: All products can still be purchased as an on-premises product at charity discount pricing.
 

On-premises Donations retiring 4/4/2022	Alternative Donated Solution	Alternate Discounted Solution
Office 2019 On-Premise	Microsoft 365 Business Basic OR Premium (inc Office applications)	Office Standard OR Professional Plus (Discounted)
Windows Upgrade (Get Genuine expired 31 December 2021)	Windows Pro	Windows Operating System Upgrade (Discounted)
Microsoft Access  (expired 31 December 2021)	Microsoft 365 Business Premium	Microsoft Access Discounted
D365 Customer Service (on-prem)  (expired 31 December 2021)	Power Apps - Free up to 10 users	D365 Customer Service (on-prem)  User OR Device Cals
D365 Sales (on-prem) (expired 31 December 2021)	Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise free for up to 5 users	Dynamics 365 for Sales On-Premises User OR Device CAL (Discounted)
D365 Team Members (on-prem) (expired 31 December 2021)	Power Apps - Free up to 10 users	D365 for Team Members (on-prem) User OR Device Cals
Visual Studio Test Professional (expired 31 December 2021)	Only Discounted Offers Available.	Visual Studio Test Professional with MSDN
Windows Server Essentials (expired 31 December 2021)	Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Administration	Windows Server Essential

What should you do next?

• Take advantage of the current Microsoft Donation Program before it is too late here.
   
• Considering a move to the cloud? Learn more about Microsoft Cloud and how Connecting Up can help here.
   
• Have questions? Need answers? Get in contact with our team here.
   

Prepare now. Don't wait until April 2022 to consider what these changes will mean for your organisation.