Most charities and voluntary organisations are running on outdated tools, not because they cannot afford better ones, but because nobody has told them they can get them for free. Both Microsoft and Google run dedicated programmes for registered nonprofits, and between them they cover pretty much everything a small charity needs: professional email, cloud storage, video calls, and collaboration tools at no cost or at a fraction of the commercial rate.
Microsoft’s offering is called Microsoft for Nonprofits. Eligible organisations can access Microsoft 365 Business Basic free of charge for up to 300 users, which includes professional email through Exchange, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive cloud storage. More advanced plans, including Business Premium with the full suite of desktop Office applications, are available at a heavily discounted rate. To qualify in the UK, an organisation needs to be a registered charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Government bodies and organisations primarily engaged in political activity or direct lobbying do not qualify.
Google runs a similar scheme through Google for Nonprofits. Eligible organisations get Google Workspace for Nonprofits, which is the Business Starter edition at no cost, covering Gmail, Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Docs, Sheets, and the rest of the suite. The same eligibility criteria broadly apply, with verification handled through Percent, the organisation that manages nonprofit technology programmes in the UK. Upgraded plans are available at discounted rates for organisations that need more storage or additional features.
Choosing between the two comes down to the same questions it does for any organisation: what are your volunteers and staff already comfortable using, and what do you actually need? Microsoft 365 suits charities that rely on Word and Excel, that have older volunteers more familiar with Outlook, or that need stronger integration with Windows devices. Google Workspace suits organisations that work mostly in a browser, that are comfortable with Gmail, or that want something lightweight and easy to manage without much technical overhead. Both are a significant step up from a BT Internet address or a shared personal Gmail account, and both are worth taking seriously.
The application process for both programmes takes some time. Microsoft’s can take a week or two to process, and both require documentation to verify your charitable status. It is worth doing properly rather than rushing it, and worth checking the eligibility criteria carefully before you start, as assumptions about what qualifies can trip things up.
Earlier this year I helped Bewdley Almshouses, a registered charity based in Worcestershire, go through exactly this process. They had been running on a BT Internet setup that was no longer fit for purpose, and after assessing what they needed we went the Microsoft route, securing them Microsoft 365 at no cost and setting them up with a new domain, professional email addresses, and the training to manage it all confidently going forward. You can read the full account of that project on the case study page.
If your charity or voluntary organisation is still running on outdated or unprofessional tools, it is worth finding out what you are entitled to before spending money you do not need to spend. If you would like help working out which programme suits your situation, or with the application and setup process, get in touch and I will take a look at what makes sense for you.
