# Configure Microsoft 365 for Nonprofit

## :checkered\_flag: Prerequisites

**Once your nonprofit has been approved for Microsoft 365 nonprofit licensing, you can continue through this process.** You can verify your organization's nonprofit status with Microsoft [using this guide.](/microsoft/microsoft-365-nonprofit-setup/how-to-apply-for-free-nonprofit-microsoft-365-services.md)

## :white\_check\_mark: Get Free Microsoft 365 Nonprofit Licenses

Follow these step-by-step instructions to provision licenses for your organization. This will provide you with access to a variety of Microsoft 365 services and tools.

* Go to the Microsoft 365 admin portal by visiting [**admin.microsoft.com**](https://admin.microsoft.com/) and sign in using your administrator account credentials.
* In the left-hand menu, click on "**Billing**." This will take you to the billing overview page.
* Within the billing overview, click on "**Purchase services**" from the top navigation menu.
* On the Purchase Services page, you'll see a list of available services and licenses for your organization. Search or scroll for the licenses that are designated for nonprofits and are FREE, which include the below licenses. 

{% hint style="warning" %}
As of May 14th, 2025, [Microsoft no longer provides free donations of **Microsoft 365 Business Premium** or **Office 365 E1**](https://partner.microsoft.com/en-ca/asset/collection/microsoft-365-business-premium-and-office-365-e1-grant-discontinuation#/) editions to nonprofits and existing donated licenses of those types will be removed within 1 year. This eliminates nonprofit's ability to receive free endpoint management and endpoint protection (antivirus) services from Microsoft. These licenses can still be purchased at a \~75% discount via [admin.microsoft.com](https://admin.microsoft.com/). 
{% endhint %}

Click on the *Setup Now* link on each licenses you want to add to your nonprofit organization and enter the desired quantity. Proceed through the checkout process to add your free licenses

<table><thead><tr><th width="506">Subscription Name</th><th width="144">Max Free</th><th>Setup Link</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Microsoft 365 Business Basic (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</strong></em> </td><td><strong>300 free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12#/catalog/offer-details/microsoft-365-business-basic-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/EADE81C1-B000-427F-9E55-84F836D1C2C2">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Microsoft Fabric (Free) (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>Unlimited free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12#/catalog/offer-details/microsoft-fabric-free-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/6CC05EA9-A89D-460D-B2B1-9242F0E228B5">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Dynamics 365 Customer Insights User License (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>Unlimited free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12&#x26;pname=dynamics-365-marketing-user-license-nonprofit-staff-pricing-&#x26;ru=PDP#/catalog/offer-details/dynamics-365-customer-insights-user-license-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/AE716330-817F-40AB-9270-E8EFED89D0F4">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Dynamics 365 Customer</em> Voice <em>USL (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>Unlimited free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12#/catalog/offer-details/dynamics-365-customer-voice-usl-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/1DC4AB96-D5B3-4438-AC15-11AF21F81E75">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Dynamics 365 Marketing User License (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>Unlimited free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12&#x26;pname=dynamics-365-marketing-user-license-nonprofit-staff-pricing-&#x26;ru=PDP#/catalog/offer-details/dynamics-365-marketing-user-license-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Power Apps per app plan (1 app or website) (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>10 free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12#/catalog/offer-details/power-apps-per-app-plan-1-app-or-website-nonprofit-staff-pricing-10-seat-donation/C8FBD59D-E26D-4C47-95F3-A2F900A0DE62">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>25 for free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12&#x26;pname=dynamics-365-marketing-user-license-nonprofit-staff-pricing-&#x26;ru=PDP#/catalog/offer-details/microsoft-teams-rooms-basic-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/0AF0E021-5978-4A2E-A335-465913FC6C5F">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic without Audio Conferencing (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>25 for free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=5CBB5831-396E-4212-9B1E-ABA6773E3BC6&#x26;quan=300&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a2b2526a-5eb0-40a1-8bc0-7264069fcd71&#x26;sku=4b32a493-9a67-4649-8eb9-9fc5a5f75c12&#x26;pname=dynamics-365-marketing-user-license-nonprofit-staff-pricing-&#x26;ru=PDP#/catalog/offer-details/microsoft-teams-rooms-basic-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/0AF0E021-5978-4A2E-A335-465913FC6C5F">Setup Now</a></td></tr><tr><td><em>Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing includes dial-out to USA/CAN only (Nonprofit Staff Pricing)</em></td><td><strong>Unlimited free</strong></td><td><a href="https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?pid=1DC4AB96-D5B3-4438-AC15-11AF21F81E75&#x26;quan=500&#x26;bc=1&#x26;trac=a339b957-f57f-452f-80f2-8dedf0e80c25&#x26;sku=e2ae107b-a571-426f-9367-6d4c8f1390ba&#x26;pname=dynamics-365-customer-voice-usl-nonprofit-staff-pricing-&#x26;ru=PDP#/catalog/offer-details/microsoft-teams-audio-conferencing-includes-dial-out-to-usa-can-only-nonprofit-staff-pricing-/A494197F-170F-436E-8F3B-ED9B39592635">Setup Now</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

* Additional, discounted services can be purchased to supplement what's free. To get started with your free Microsoft services, [apply directly to Microsoft here](https://nonprofit.microsoft.com/).
* For more information on Microsoft Teams and [telephony services, see this link](https://learn.goodhearttech.org/tech-recommendations-for-nonprofits/software/communication-apps-telephony-and-chat#microsoft-teams3).
* **TECHSOUP WARNING**: We do **NOT** recommend buying the licenses through TechSoup because, as of December 2022, they [add additional charges to all licenses.](https://blog.techsoup.org/posts/techsoup-admin-fees-are-increasing-on-selected-discount-and-donation-programs-march-2024)

## :zap:**Assign Licenses to Users**

After purchasing licenses, you'll need to assign them to specific users within your nonprofit organization.&#x20;

* Go to the "[**Licenses**](https://admin.microsoft.com/#/licenses)" section in the Microsoft 365 admin portal
* Select a license
* Click "Assign licenses" to choose which users should get that license.

You can also assign licenses directly to users from the [Users screen](https://admin.microsoft.com/#/users) of the Microsoft Admin portal.&#x20;

## :earth\_americas: Add your Domain

Your domain operates a lot of the key features within Microsoft 365.  Adding your domain is the very first step to properly configuring Microsoft 365.&#x20;

Follow this guide to add your domain in Microsoft 365: <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/setup/add-domain?view=o365-worldwide>

## :e-mail: Email Protection

**Microsoft Defender for Office 365** - [Good Heart Tech](https://goodhearttech.org) strongly recommends adding this to enhance email security. This adds Anti-Phishing, Safe Attachments, and Safe Links functionality and is included in several M365 packages.  To enable these features in a few easy clicks:&#x20;

* Log in to the security portal and navigate to *Email & Collaboration < Policies & Rules < Threat Policies* < **Preset security policies**: <https://security.microsoft.com/presetSecurityPolicies>
* Turn on the **Standard protection** by completing the short setup wizard.&#x20;

## :link: DNS Email Security

See this guide for more information on how to protect you Microsoft 365 environment using DNS email send validation technologies like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC:&#x20;

{% content-ref url="/pages/d8jCkDgwlHAnHOIBPh4X" %}
[Email Sender Validation Using DNS (SPF, DKIM, & DMARC)](/tech-guides/domain-and-dns/email-sender-validation-using-dns-spf-dkim-and-dmarc.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## :art: Organization Theme

Adding logos and personalizing your tenant is not just for a great user experience. It also increases security by letting users know they are signing into the right place.&#x20;

#### Customize the top bar/theme for 365 via the admin center

* Navigate to this link: [https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?#/Settings/OrganizationProfile/:/Settings/L1/CustomThemes](https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/Settings/OrganizationProfile/:/Settings/L1/CustomThemes)
* Upload the logo that'll appear in the top left of the navigation menu in Microsoft.  Choose an appropriate color scheme. The settings will tell you if the colors are not contrasting enough.&#x20;

#### Add Logo To Azure AD

Add graphics and support message to the sign-in screen [via Azure from this screen](https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_AAD_IAM/ActiveDirectoryMenuBlade/LoginTenantBranding):&#x20;

* For the sign-in background, create an image that is 1920x1080 pixels and place the logo in the middle. Upload that for the background.&#x20;
* For the company logo, save a small version of the logo and upload it.&#x20;

## :speech\_balloon: Set up Microsoft Teams

Add default meeting policy in teams admin center to allow sharing and joining from everyone

* <https://admin.teams.microsoft.com/policies/meetings>
* Edit any other settings you wish to change.&#x20;
* Then apply the policy to “All users”

## :open\_file\_folder: Setup SharePoint

* Edit the default SharePoint site to show the document library
  * <https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/alladmincenters>
* Set the default SharePoint Home site under SharePoint Admin < Settings < Home Site.&#x20;

## :key: Security Settings

The MOST critical security setting: **Enable Multi-factor authentication (MFA)**

[Security Defaults](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/fundamentals/security-defaults) are enabled by default for all new Microsoft tenants. Find out more here:

{% content-ref url="/pages/qpu3p9Mnf1jB6NNJnUgU" %}
[Nonprofit Admin Guide to Enforcing MFA in Microsoft 365](/microsoft/microsoft-365-nonprofit-setup/nonprofit-admin-guide-to-enforcing-mfa-in-microsoft-365.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Other Security Settings

* Update Security Settings in these sections at your discretion:  <https://security.microsoft.com/securitysettings>
* Disable user app registrations: <https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_AAD_IAM/ActiveDirectoryMenuBlade/UserSettings>
* Restrict SharePoint sharing access with 'everyone' without sign-in: <https://portal.office.com/Adminportal/Home#/Settings/Services/:/Settings/L1/Sites>

## :green\_book: Misc. Recommended Settings:

* Disable Microsoft End-User communication - [https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?#/Settings/Services/:/Settings/L1/EndUserCommunications](https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/Settings/Services/:/Settings/L1/EndUserCommunications)
* Disable Skype deployment in office settings (Settings < Org < Office install options) - <https://portal.office.com/Adminportal/Home#/Settings/Services/:/Settings/L1/SoftwareDownload>
* Adjust News settings - Select industry, topic (Nonprofit corporation), and disable daily news updates:
  * [https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home?#/Settings/Services/:/Settings/L1/BingNews](https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/Settings/Services/:/Settings/L1/BingNews)
  * Select Microsoft 365 as a feed, and disable daily digest.&#x20;


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