Microsoft 365 Setup and Nonprofit Support – Volunteer Assisting UK Nonprofit Organisation

Lagna Ray 0 Reputation points
2026-10-01T22:00:51.9233333+00:00

Dear Microsoft Support Team,

I am a volunteer supporting a UK-based nonprofit organisation with its IT and Microsoft 365 setup.

The organisation would like to establish a Microsoft 365 environment and, if eligible, take advantage of the Microsoft for Nonprofits grants or discounted licensing.

I would like to work with Microsoft Support to ensure that the organisation is registered correctly and that the Microsoft 365 tenant is established in the nonprofit organisation's own name and under its ownership.

I am providing technical assistance as a volunteer and am not the owner of the organisation.

Could you please advise us on the following:

  1. What are the eligibility requirements for this UK-based nonprofit organisation?
  2. What documentation does the organisation need to provide for nonprofit validation?
  3. Should the organisation create a new Microsoft 365 tenant, or does it need to register an existing tenant?
  4. What Microsoft 365 nonprofit grants or discounted plans are currently available to the organisation?
  5. Which licences can be provided through a nonprofit grant and which would require payment?
  6. Are there specific Microsoft 365 offers available for volunteers supporting the organisation?
  7. Can I, as a volunteer, assist with the Microsoft 365 technical configuration?
  8. What is the recommended way for the organisation to provide me with appropriate administrative access while retaining ownership and control of the tenant?
  9. Can Microsoft Support work with me as the technical volunteer while the authorised representative of the nonprofit remains the account owner?
  10. Are there any costs associated with Microsoft Support, tenant creation, nonprofit registration, or Microsoft 365 setup?
  11. What DNS/domain information will be required to configure the organization’s email?
  12. What security configuration does Microsoft recommend for the initial setup, particularly MFA and administrator accounts?

 

 

Organization information

 

Legal organization name: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]

UK charity/nonprofit registration number: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] Organization website: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed].com/ Organization domain: [adamsmithglobal.org] Number of users/staff: 3 Number of volunteers requiring access: 7 Existing Microsoft 365 tenant: NO Existing Microsoft subscription: NONE Authorized organization contact: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] Organization contact email: [[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]@adamsmithglobalfoundation.com], [[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]@adamsmithglobalfoundation.com] 

My details

Name: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] Role: Volunteer / Technical Volunteer Relationship to organisation: Volunteer providing IT support Email: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]@otlook.com Telephone: [Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed]

We would like to ensure that the Microsoft 365 tenant, nonprofit benefits, domain and subscriptions remain under the ownership and control of the nonprofit organisation, while I assist with the technical implementation.

Please advise us on the correct registration and support process and let us know whether an authorised representative of the organisation needs to initiate or approve the request.

Kind regards,

[Moderator note: Personally Identifiable Information removed] Volunteer / Technical Support

Microsoft 365 and Office | Subscription, account, billing | For business | Windows
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  1. Kai-L 19,920 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-01T22:56:29.48+00:00

    Dear Lagna,

    Thank you for laying everything out so clearly. It makes this much easier to answer. Unfortunately, as a forum moderator, I am not able to register the organization or check its eligibility on Microsoft's side. My role here is limited to providing general guidance you can apply from your side. That said, the process itself is fairly straightforward, and getting a few things right at the start will make it much smoother. I've grouped your questions into the main areas below.

    Who should register: An authorized representative of the charity should complete the registration rather than you. Whoever fills in the form becomes the primary contact and creates the first admin account for the new tenant, so this keeps ownership with the charity from the start. Because there is no existing tenant, the registration will create one. Microsoft allows only one validated grant tenant per organization, so please avoid creating test tenants

    Eligibility and details: A registered charity with recognized legal status that operates on a not for profit basis and has a mission benefiting the community is generally eligible. The form asks for the legal name, website, mailing address, phone number (not VoIP or call forwarding) and charity number, and these should match the organization's public records. I noticed the domain you listed is adamsmithglobal.org, but the website and contact emails use adamsmithglobalfoundation.com. Please confirm which one matches the OSCR record before applying, as mismatched details are a common cause of validation delays. Validation typically takes up to 3 business days

    Offers: Once approved, the available grants and discounts appear in the Nonprofit Hub, together with the terms for who can use each license, including volunteers. If you see a "Nonprofit Portal (Nonprofit Staff Pricing) Trial" after approval, note that it is not a grant and does not include usable services. You will still need to activate a nonprofit offer separately

    Your access: Once the tenant is set up, the authorized representative can create a named account for you and assign only the admin roles you need, such as Exchange or User Administrator. Global Administrator should stay with at least two accounts the charity controls

    Domain and security: When the domain is added, Microsoft 365 shows the exact DNS records needed. Create the mailboxes before changing the MX record so incoming email is not interrupted. New tenants have security defaults turned on, which require MFA for all users.

    For references:

    I hope this gives you a clear starting point. If any questions come up once the registration is underway, feel free to post back.

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