Microsoft Canada is helping Canadian non-profits as part of $1 billion global pledge

$100 million in technology, devices and support provided to Canadian nonprofits to date

Early last year, we at Microsoft challenged ourselves as a global company to help non-profits around world do and achieve more – in the form of donating a $1 billion worth of cloud computing resources, to help 70,000 nonprofit organizations make the world a better place.

At the outset, we put a three-year timeframe on that goal. We’re very proud to report that we managed to achieve our goal a full year early. As part of that commitment, Microsoft Canada donated $100 million in technology, hardware and other supports to nonprofits in Canada. Having seen the amazing things that these organizations have been able to do with these donations, and hearing firsthand the impact they bring to the communities they serve, we’re not going to stop here.

Nonprofits across Canada have been leveraging Microsoft’s Nonprofit Programs to truly make a difference in their communities.

When the Dixie Bloor Neighborhood Centre needed help welcoming Syrian refugees as they arrived in Canada to start a new life, they turned to Microsoft’s Nonprofit Programs With more than 200 staff and volunteers scattered across 18 Dixie Bloor Neighborhood Centre locations in Mississauga, they couldn’t seamlessly connect and communicate with each other – and, as a result, they could not fully provide the help that is so urgently needed. But with discounts on Office 365 (including Skype for Business), Microsoft Dynamics CRM and development tools like Microsoft Flow and Powerapps, Dixie Bloor has undergone a complete digital transformation which has revolutionized the way it serves the communities who depend on their help.

To help other Canadian nonprofits harness the power of Microsoft technology in order to bring real, positive change to people’s lives, we’re proud to be offering a number of discounted solutions through the Microsoft Tech For Social Impact group. Our goal is to triple the number of nonprofits we serve over the next three years to 300,000 globally, to help them in their move to the cloud and to provide the comprehensive solutions and support they need.

Here’s how the rubber hits the road: we will continue to discount and donate cloud services to non-profits, which now includes Microsoft Office 365 for Nonprofits, a complete, intelligent solution, including Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security, that will empower nonprofits to be more creative and collaborate more easily. We will also offer discounts on Surface Books and Surface Pro. These offers bring to nonprofits the best suite of software and services used by large-scale enterprises. This is the technology that will empower nonprofits to do more with their precious resources – to provide them with the capabilities to scale their impact, engage more donors, and achieve more for those they serve.

Too many nonprofits have been left behind in the digital revolution that’s reshaping business and society. According to a 2017 Digital NGO Member Survey by NetHope, most nongovernmental organizations say they have a strong desire to adopt the latest technology, but that they struggle to envision, design and deploy technology to optimize their missions. Nearly half of nonprofits say their infrastructure is barely keeping up. At Microsoft, we want to help nonprofits digitally transform to better raise funds, improve productivity, accelerate innovation and ultimately have a greater impact on the world’s most pressing issues.

We also know that nonprofits have a strong desire to adopt the latest hardware, but struggle to afford it. That’s why we’re offering discounts on Surface Book and Surface Pro, because we recognize that nonprofits need help to fully digitally transform their operations to better serve their communities.

This is only the beginning. In the coming months, we will build upon these new offers, and on our longstanding commitment to nonprofits. We will engage with startups and incubators to create a pipeline of innovation for nonprofits, and help enable these technology professionals to build solutions that meet nonprofits’ unique needs. We will help build the kind of ecosystem that today works well for businesses — a community of providers that will distribute cloud services and deliver support and migration services for nonprofits. Together, we will help nonprofits raise more money, increase efficiencies and deliver the services on which their communities depend.

Visit www.microsoft.ca/domoretogether  to learn more about how Canadian nonprofits are using Microsoft technology.

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