On May 14, 2025, Microsoft announced an important change to its cloud donation program for nonprofits. Effective July 1, 2025, Microsoft will stop donating licenses for Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Office 365 E1. This could have immediate implications for the way your organization operates.

What is changing?

Organizations currently using donated Microsoft 365 Business Premium or Office 365 E1 licenses will no longer be able to renew them starting July 1, 2025. Microsoft will automatically retire these licenses at their next renewal. If you have an annual subscription that renews before July 1, 2025, you will retain access to that license for up to 14 more months. For monthly subscriptions, access will end no later than July 2025, XNUMX.

Important: This change only applies to the online purchase with credit card (web-direct) en not yet for Enterprise contractsThe amendment is also not automatically implemented – you must therefore take timely action yourself and switch to another licensing model.

What does this mean for your organization?

If you do not take action, your donated licenses will be terminated and you will lose access to all associated data 90 days later. This could have serious consequences for the continuity of your operations and the security of your data.

We therefore advise you to check your current licenses as soon as possible and choose a suitable alternative. Possible options are:

  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic – still available for free for organizations up to 300 users;
  • Paid licenses – with discounts of up to 75%;
  • Enterprise Agreement – the Office 365 E1 license is still available free of charge via this route, provided you meet the conditions;
  • Alternative solutions – such as Office 2024 (on-premises), Google Workspace or open-source software.

Do you currently have a monthly subscription? Then it may be wise to convert this to an annual subscription before July 1st. This will give you time for a careful transition.

BeSharp Experts guides you step by step

BeSharp Experts supports non-profit organizations in making the right licensing choices. Whether you want to switch to a paid license or another solution within the Microsoft ecosystem, we ensure that you have a clear insight into all possibilities. This allows you to make well-considered decisions that fit your organization.

Don't let this change surprise your organization. By planning now, you can prevent downtime and data loss.

Schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our experts today and discover which solution best suits your organization's needs.