TechSoup Canada Answers Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise E1 for Nonprofits Subscription Donation Questions

I gave TechSoup Canada a call last week to clarify a few key points around the terms of the Microsoft’s Office 365 Enterprise E1 for Nonprofits subscription donation program.

Turn Around Times?

I gave TechSoup Canada a call last Thursday to check in on the status of the Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise E1 for Non-profits subscription donation program. They’ve received a “fair number of applications, higher than expected” to date, which has increased the TechSoup standard one week turnaround time on requests to a two week turnaround. TSC guarantees a response to all requests within 30 days to ensure NFOs that aren’t eligible can cancel their free 30 day demo before they would have to pay the subscription fee.

Time Limits and Donation Caps?

I also wanted to discover if there were any concerns regarding the number of free licenses available as well as the length of the program. TSC assured me that like their own software donation program, Microsoft’s Office 365 for Non-profits subscription donation program has no known cap or time limit. “Market share is a high priority for Microsoft. Microsoft understands that if non-profits can’t afford [Microsoft] products, they will go to other vendors.”

Give Up Existing Donated Microsoft Software?

Finally I wanted to know if non-profits would risk having to forfeit existing software licences purchased through other TechSoup programs to be eligible for the Office 365 subscription donation. TSC explained that the two programs are completely separate and work independent of each other. TSC is acting on behalf of Microsoft, therefore an existing relationship with TSC is not detrimental – in fact it’s a benefit as it reduces the length of the donation request process. Organizations can keep existing software licenses – which can benefit organizations where staff are cautious of moving to the web apps only Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise E1 for Non-profits subscription.

If you have questions, you can contact TechSoup Canada (1-855-281-5499).