Microsoft has decided to discontinue the free Microsoft 365 Business Premium licenses previously granted to non-profit organizations. They’ll now have to pay a discounted price or move away from the Microsoft 365 desktop apps.
Effective immediately, nonprofits will no longer receive ten complimentary Business Premium licenses, which included desktop versions of Office applications and management tools like Intune.
Instead, Microsoft is offering up to 300 licenses of the lesser Microsoft 365 Business Basic and discounts of up to 75% on other Microsoft 365 offerings
While Microsoft frames this transition as an effort to ensure nonprofits benefit from “industry-leading solutions,” the reality is that Business Basic is a much inferior plan without Windows or Mac desktop versions of Office apps. Nonprofits wishing to keep the desktop apps and other features must now pay for Business Premium, albeit at a discounted rate.
Microsoft’s weasel wording of this change is typical. Whenever Microsoft uses the terms “streamline” and “simplify” you can be sure it’s going to charge more to customers.
“Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Office 365 E1 grant offers are being retired to streamline our grant offerings and simplify our grant portfolio.”
Source: Microsoft
The abruptness of this change has drawn criticism. One nonprofit representative expressed frustration over the short notice, highlighting the financial strain this imposes on organizations that often operate on tight budgets . Social media reactions have been similarly unsympathetic, with users labeling the move as a “money grab” among the more polite remarks.
Try Business Standard instead
For nonprofits seeking alternatives, perhaps Microsoft 365 Business Standard, which offers desktop applications at a lower cost than Business Premium. However, it’s worth noting that certain features, such as Intune, remain exclusive to the Premium tier.
This development underscores how Microsoft is taking advantage of its commanding market share to extract every dollar it can from it’s global customer base.
