The free licensing is named Office 365 Enterprise E1 for Nonprofits - this gives you Email, SharePoint, Lync and Office Web Apps (browser based versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote)

Following in the footsteps of chief rival Google, Microsoft has released its own version of free email and collaboration products designed specifically for nonprofit organizations. Called Office 365 Enterprise E1 for Nonprofits, the new suite is available to companies licensed in more than 41 countries. Microsoft also plans to extend this offering to more than 90 countries by July of next year.

In contrast, Google Apps is only available to organizations licensed in the United States, Wales, and England.

Nonprofits that need more access to Microsoft products may also elect to sign up for paid services, but at a reduced price:

• Office ProPlus (streamed) - $2 per user/month
• Exchange Online Archiving - $1 per user/month
• Office 365 Enterprise E3 - $4.50 per user/month

The true value of the new product suite comes for large organizations that need unlimited seats for included products like Office Web Apps, Exchange Online, Lync Online, and SharePoint Online. The normal plan costs $8 per user, per month. Larger nonprofits that take advantage of the new Office 365 Enterprise packages for Nonprofits can therefore save thousands of dollars in operational costs over the course of only a few months.

Different Package Sizes for Different Nonprofits

Microsoft will ultimately upgrade their new product offerings for nonprofits to help a variety of different size businesses. Choosing the right package is critical to getting the maximum benefit from Office 365:

• Enterprise E1: Useful for nonprofits as a free service, but is available only through the use of online apps, not desktop Microsoft products. In addition to the typical products like SharePoint and Exchange Online, nonprofits can take advantage of discounts on ProPlus and Exchange Online Archiving.
• Enterprise E3: Office 365 Enterprise E3 is a service normally offered to Microsoft clients at a much higher rate - $20 per user, per month.
• Office 365 Small Business: Both 365 Small Business and 365 Small Business Premium will be available to nonprofits by the end of the year. For the time being, nonprofits with less than 25 employees can still sign up for an Enterprise package now to save money.

Vorsite has already successfully switched other nonprofits to free licensing, which saved them thousands of dollars. Contact us with any questions and keep us in mind for your next cloud based projects.