Microsoft Azure grant for nonprofits
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing service which allows companies to manage applications and services within the cloud for all of their employees.
At a time of rising IT costs for non-profits, Microsoft Azure offers far greater cost efficiency than running the same applications and services locally.
This guide explains how you can benefit from the grant, how to get your $2,000 Azure grant from Microsoft.
Table of contents
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Is your organisation eligible for the Microsoft Azure Nonprofit Grant?
- How to apply for Microsoft's nonprofit Azure grant
What is the Microsoft Azure nonprofit grant?
Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform enables non-profits to run applications, web services, data processing and more from the cloud.
As part of the Microsoft Nonprofit offers, eligible charities can apply for:
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Annual $2,000 Azure credits: you can use these to pay for most Azure services. You must use them in the relevant financial year.
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Discounted Azure services: even when you have spent your credits, your nonprofit still gets a discount on the normal market rate for Azure services.
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Access other nonprofit discounts: being accepted for Azure credits also gets you nonprofit pricing on Microsoft 365, Power Platform and other Microsoft products.
These benefits are available for use in the calendar year for which they are granted. You must use them in this and reapply for them annually, for as long as you need them.
Is your organisation eligible for the Microsoft Azure nonprofit grant?
To be eligible for Microsoft Azure nonprofit credits and benefits, your organisation must:
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Be an HMRC-exempt charity or church.
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Be registered with the relevant charity regulator for their part of the UK.
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Have a documented non-discrimination policy.
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Be able to prove they operate for the public benefit.
See Microsoft’s website for a full list of eligibility criteria: Nonprofits Grants & Credits Eligibility | Microsoft Nonprofits
What can nonprofits use Azure credits for?
Microsoft Azure is a versatile, configurable cloud computing platform. You can run a wide range of supported operating systems and containerisation systems on an Azure virtual machine (VM).
Because of this, you can use Azure for anything you’d use an on-premises server for. And because it’s a cloud platform, scaling to fit fluctuating demand is fast and economical.
Tasks you can accomplish better with Microsoft Azure include:
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Cost efficiency: Cut hardware costs by using Azure Virtual Desktops on employees’ and volunteers’ own devices (Bring Your Own Device policy).
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Cloud migration: improve scalability by moving on-premises servers, databases and applications to Microsoft Azure. For example:
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Extend (or replace) on-premises firewalls and easily spin up highly secure virtual private networks (VPNs) with Azure enterprise-grade networking capabilities.
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Host CRMs and other line-of-business (LoB) on Azure Virtual Machines using Azure App Service, a fully managed platform for hosting web applications, APIs, and mobile back ends.
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How to apply for Microsoft's nonprofit Azure grant
Applying for a Microsoft Azure grant starts with checking your eligibility and registering for the Microsoft nonprofit portal. The process will get you access to all other Microsoft benefits for nonprofits.
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You will need to provide information about your charity:
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Nominate your organisation's point of contact and use this account to register.
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Your organisation's legal name, address, website, and phone number.
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The registration type (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR, HMRC, or Charity Commission for Northern Ireland).
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Your organisation's charity number.
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Optional documentation issued by a relevant regulatory body.
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Once you've gathered all the information, go to the Microsoft nonprofit portal to get started or talk to one of our experts, and we'll get help with the registration.
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After registering with the Microsoft nonprofit portal, organisations must wait for Microsoft’s validation partners to perform the eligibility check. The validation process takes up to 3 business days.
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Once approved, you can log in to the nonprofit portal using your Microsoft 365 admin account to view the grants and discounts available to you.
Common Microsoft Azure pitfalls nonprofits should avoid
To give yourself the best possible chance of succeeding in your application for Microsoft Azure credits, your non-profit should avoid these common errors:
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Incorrect email association: your grant must be activated using the exact email address that was approved in the Microsoft nonprofit portal.
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Activation deadline: you must activate the grant within 90 days. Failing to do so causes the grant to expire and leaves you without credits for that year.
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Running unused or over-provisioned resources: paying for resources you do not need will waste your grant credits.
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Reversion to Pay-As-You-Go pricing: if a grant renewal is not properly linked, the subscription may revert to full-cost pay-as-you-go billing without prior notice.
How Texaport supports nonprofits
Texaport is one of the UK’s leading managed services providers for nonprofits and a Microsoft Partner. We have a long record of helping nonprofits apply for and utilise Microsoft Azure credits and other Microsoft benefits.
Texaport can help you:
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Access, activate, and manage Azure credits.
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Implement cloud migration, meeting data protection and safeguarding requirements.
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Provide ongoing cost optimisation to make full use of the Azure credits and other nonprofit benefits
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Provide strategic recommendations tailored to your needs, budget and charitable objectives.
FAQ Section
How much Azure funding do charities get?
Eligible nonprofits receive an annual Azure grant of around $2,000 USD in credits, which can be applied to most Azure services.
Is the Azure grant renewed annually?
Yes. The grant is renewed each year, but the organisation must remain eligible and complete the renewal steps to keep the credits active.
What happens when credits run out?
Azure continues running normally, but billing switches to discounted nonprofit rates, and costs are charged to the organisation’s payment method.
Can we migrate existing servers or apps into Azure?
Yes. Nonprofits can lift and shift on-prem servers into Azure VMs or modernise apps using services like App Service or Functions.
What if the person who activated the grant leaves?
The grant is tied to the email address used during activation, so admin changes must be updated in the Microsoft Nonprofit portal to avoid activation or renewal failures.
