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By ProServeIT on May 21, 2018

A Comprehensive Guide to Cloud Solutions for Nonprofit Organizations

 

Many nonprofit organizations tend to put technology at the bottom of their priority list (due to budgetary or time constraints), but there is a major case for why nonprofit organizations should bring technology to the forefront of their minds.

To help make adopting the latest technology easy and affordable for nonprofit organizations, both small and large, Microsoft recently launched a new program for nonprofit organizations called Tech for Social Impact (TSI). This new program offers: 1) predictable pricing with standardized discounts; and 2) several Cloud and hardware offers for nonprofits to choose from.


#Microsoft has introduced #TechForSocialImpact, which offers predictable pricing with standardized discounts and #Cloud & hardware offers for #Nonprofits.


Investing in IT Gets Easier with Predictable Pricing

A lot of nonprofit organization customers have said that buying licenses for Microsoft Cloud products can be difficult, due to unpredictable pricing. We understand that predicting technology expenses is especially important for nonprofit organizations – after all, budgeting is vital to your success, so standardized pricing and discounts would be helpful. With the new TSI program, there will be a standard discount model that will be applied across Cloud and on-premises products, which will give you the transparency required for your IT planning.

See a price list for various licenses available to nonprofit organizations.

Customized Programs for Your Organizations

There are a number of nonprofits out there that have a strong desire to adopt the latest technology, but they have trouble envisioning, designing, and/or deploying that technology to optimize their missions. The TSI program is dedicated to serving nonprofits worldwide by providing Cloud support to those who need it.

If your organization qualifies as an eligible nonprofit, the best way you can get started is to work with a Cloud Service Provider (CSP), like ProServeIT, who can help you not only determine which license makes the most sense for your organization, but also supports your team through the implementation of the technology, and ensure they can best utilize what you implement.


Eligible #Nonprofits should work with a trusted #CloudServiceProvider who can help them determine which licenses make the most sense for their organization. #NonprofitTechnology


It’s important to know that, in order to become a Microsoft-certified CSP, an IT company needs to meet very specific criteria, including investing in its own infrastructure, and demonstrating that their support and billing capabilities are up to Microsoft’s standards. Why is this important for your nonprofit? Because you need someone who not only can deliver the quality of service that Microsoft demands of itself and its partners, but also knows what’s going on and can be your go-to support network.

To efficiently help nonprofit organizations, ProServeIT has 3 different packaged offerings specifically designed for nonprofit organizations. Depending on the size of the organization we help, our packaged offerings are tailored to meet their specific needs. In addition to these 3 offerings, we work with your organization to create customized solutions to help you overcome any technology challenges and make a greater impact in the causes that are near and dear to your heart.

Click here to see how ProServeIT has helped nonprofit organizations so far, or contact us to hear more of our nonprofit organization customers’ success stories.

Why Should Nonprofits Care About Technology?

Just as IT innovation (like mobile computing, social media, e-commerce, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence and machine learning) is disrupting the way the public interacts with the private sector, the nonprofit industry is also expected to adapt to these technological advances and provide donors, employees and/or beneficiaries with similar technology experiences.


Just as #ITInnovation is disrupting the public sector, the #Nonprofit industry is also expected to adapt to these technological advances & provide donors, employees and beneficiaries with similar #Technology experiences.


This shift in thinking has meant a shift in the way nonprofits need to think about technology, and has pushed technology into becoming a top priority for nonprofit organizations, like yours. The good news is that you can use the advances in technology that the private sector has developed to stay ahead of the curve and experience the same level of growth as your private sector counterparts.

For example, updating to a Cloud-based IT environment will not only help you reduce your capital expenditures and get rid of obsolete hardware, but it will also allow you to tap into more resources, provide better collaboration and support capabilities for remote workers and/or satellite “on-the-ground” offices, and make it easier to scale as needed.

What is Technology for Social Impact (TSI)?

Because you’ll be hearing more about TSI, here are some additional details about the program. In January of 2016, Microsoft made a pledge to donate $1 billion in Microsoft Azure Cloud services to 70,000 nonprofits around the world – a pledge which they surpassed by 20,000 nonprofits in a year and a half. Buoyed by their success, Microsoft decided to form a Technology for Social Impact group, which they dedicated to serving nonprofits worldwide by providing Cloud support to those who need it.

There are many nonprofits out there that have a strong desire to adopt the latest technology, but they have had trouble envisioning, designing, and/or deploying that technology to optimize their missions. This new program will make it much easier and more cost-efficient for nonprofits to adopt the latest technology in their organization.

With the launch of the Technology for Social Impact group, Microsoft has also rolled out (and will continue to roll out) various Microsoft 365, Office 365, Azure, and other offers that will benefit nonprofits around the world. To see if your organization qualifies as a nonprofit, you can learn more about Microsoft’s eligibility requirements here.

Get Your Nonprofit Started with the Right Technology

When adopting new technology and a set of new tools, organizations can face potential downtime or data loss risks. This is why it is crucial to work with a certified CSP, who are experts in migrating organizations to the Cloud, so that you can mitigate those risks and ensure that your migration is smooth. Talk to us today and see how we can help your nonprofit upgrade your technology in the most effective and cost-efficient manner.

By: Eric Sugar, President, ProServeIT Corporation

Published by ProServeIT May 21, 2018
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