What's New With Microsoft? A Quick Guide

 Did you know that Microsoft has changed its rules around making donation requests, and that TechSoup is continuing to add tools and resources to help organizations understand the program and manage their Microsoft donations?

First Things First: Program Rules, Eligibility, and Guidelines

On July 27, 2011, Microsoft made some updates to their donation program allowing eligible organizations to request even more Microsoft products, and with more flexibility as to when and how often they can place donation requests.

Here are the basics:

• You may request licenses from up to 10 of over 70 available Microsoft title groups.
• You may request up to 50 licenses per non-server title group.
• You may request up to 5 server products (either 5 different server products or 5 of a single title).
• You may make as many requests as you need within a 2-year cycle.
• The 2-year donation cycle will start when you place your first Microsoft request after July 27, 2011, and will reset every two years on the anniversary of that request.
• Requests placed before July 27, 2011, will not count against your new Microsoft software donation allotment.

The Microsoft Donation Center

To make navigating the program even easier, TechSoup also introduced the Microsoft Donation Center, where eligible organizations can easily track their Microsoft requests, see the value of donations received to date, and more. 

Check it out now! You can access your Microsoft Donation Center by logging in to your individual TechSoup member account, clicking on My Account, and then the Donation Request History/Status link. Eligible organizations will see a Microsoft Donation Center link.

Learn More!

Not sure if your organization is eligible for the Microsoft Software Donation Program? Simply login to your account and take our Check Program Eligibility Quiz to see if you’re eligible for Microsoft and our 40+ other donation programs. 

If your organization is not eligible, or you need to request additional Microsoft products for your organization, you can get in touch with a Microsoft Charity Reseller for discounted prices.

Check out our overview of the Microsoft Donation Program and for information on the Program rules, eligibility and guidelines visit Microsoft Donation Program — Eligibility and Allotments.

Microsoft: Now with Video Tutorials!

We've also created a few short video tutorials to help you quickly and easily gain answers to your questions regarding the Microsoft Donation Program and using the Donation Center.

• Microsoft Donation Program: Understanding Eligibility
• Microsoft Donation Program: Understanding Requests and Allotment Cycles
• Microsoft Donation Program: Understanding Title Groups
• Microsoft Donation Program: Frequently Asked Questions
• The Microsoft Donation Center

Additional Microsoft Resources

• Your Guide to Microsoft Donations Through TechSoup
  Visit this article for a guide on the new Microsoft Donation Program.
• Microsoft Donation Program: How Does It Work?
  Watch our free, recorded webinar, and learn how the updates to the Microsoft Donation Program affect your organization.
• Community Forums
  Need assistance with your Microsoft products? Get your questions answered about both software and hardware by our community of experts and fellow nonprofits and libraries.
• Making the Most of Your Microsoft Software Donation 
  Thursday, January 26, 11 am Pacific time - Register Now
  Find out more about the broad range of software Microsoft donates to nonprofits and libraries through TechSoup.

Still have questions? Don't hesitate to Contact Us!