Microsoft 365, Teams, email, security
Microsoft 365 for charities: free Business Basic and nonprofit pricing
Microsoft's official nonprofit pricing page lists Microsoft 365 Business Basic as a grant free for up to 300 users, Business Standard at USD 3.00 per user monthly, and Business Premium at USD 5.50 per user monthly when paid yearly.
Who it is best for
Charities standardising email, Teams, Office apps, OneDrive, staff collaboration, volunteer coordination, device protection, and endpoint security under one managed Microsoft tenant.
Eligibility notes
Eligible nonprofits must register and confirm eligibility for Microsoft nonprofit offers; Microsoft says volunteers, members, and programme participants are not eligible for nonprofit licenses and subscriptions.
Source-checked notes
- Microsoft's official nonprofit pricing page lists Business Basic as a grant free for up to 300 users, with web and mobile Office apps, custom email, Teams, and 1 TB of cloud storage per user.
- The same page lists Business Standard at USD 3.00 and Business Premium at USD 5.50 per user per month with an annual commitment; local currency, tax, and availability still need confirmation.
- Microsoft's nonprofit updates say legacy Office 365 E1 grants do not renew and organisations should move eligible users to Microsoft 365 Business Basic or another current nonprofit offer before expiry.
- Business Basic is a web-and-mobile plan. Charities needing desktop Office applications can compare Business Standard, while organisations needing device and endpoint protection can compare Business Premium.
- Nonprofit licensing is not a blanket entitlement for every volunteer, member, beneficiary, or programme participant. Map user roles and confirm the current staff or field-worker route before ordering.
Related guides and tools
Decision guide
Charity software discounts and free tools
Compare Microsoft 365 with other source-checked software routes for UK charities.
Interactive tool
Nonprofit software savings calculator
Estimate whether a wider software-cost review is worth staff time before changing plans.
Interactive tool
Nonprofit software eligibility checker
Prepare registration evidence, ownership, user scope, and implementation checks before applying.
Common questions
FAQ
Is Office 365 free for charities in the UK?
Microsoft now sells its main charity productivity offers under the Microsoft 365 name. The current Business Basic nonprofit grant is free for up to 300 eligible users, but it is not a promise that every Microsoft 365 or former Office 365 plan is free. UK charities must complete nonprofit validation and confirm the offer in their tenant.
FAQ
What happened to the Office 365 E1 charity grant?
Microsoft's nonprofit updates say legacy Office 365 E1 grants do not renew. Organisations using that grant should check the renewal date and move eligible users to Microsoft 365 Business Basic or another current nonprofit plan before expiry so email, files, and collaboration access are not disrupted.
FAQ
How much are Microsoft 365 charity plans?
Microsoft's official nonprofit pricing page currently lists Business Basic as free for up to 300 users, Business Standard at USD 3.00 per user monthly, and Business Premium at USD 5.50 per user monthly, with the paid prices based on an annual commitment. Confirm UK currency, taxes, and tenant availability before purchase.
FAQ
Does free Microsoft 365 include desktop Office apps?
The Business Basic grant includes web and mobile versions of the main Office apps rather than the installed desktop applications. Business Standard adds desktop apps, while Business Premium adds stronger identity, cyberthreat, device, and data-protection controls. Select the plan by workflow and security need, not only price.
FAQ
Who can use Microsoft 365 nonprofit licences?
Microsoft nonprofit licences are primarily for eligible staff and are not automatically available to every volunteer, member, beneficiary, donor, or programme participant. Microsoft publishes separate field-worker and enterprise routes, so charities should classify each user and verify the current licence rules before assigning seats.