Use Microsoft’s Azure Grant to Build an AI-Ready Nonprofit System

Microsoft provides approved nonprofits with an annual $2,000 Azure Sponsorship grant that can be used toward any Azure services. The goal is to help nonprofits migrate to the cloud, unify data and build solutions—such as donor databases, volunteer management software, program tracking tools, AI-assisted dashboards and secure automation—that accelerate mission impact. This grant replaces the previous $3,500 sponsorship and must be activated and renewed each year.

Why build a custom system?

Many nonprofits rely on expensive, complex software like Raiser’s Edge for donor management. Yet these platforms often suffer from unpredictable costs and slow feature development. Integrations with Microsoft 365 or other tools can require costly add-ons. For small and mid‑sized organizations, a custom system tailored to your exact workflows can provide the features you need without unnecessary overhead.

By building your system on Azure and Power Platform, you also benefit from enterprise‑grade security, scalability and integration capabilities. And because your Azure sponsorship covers the infrastructure costs, your grant effectively underwrites the hosting of your custom application for the first year.

What you can build

• Donor database: Track donations, pledges, recurring gifts, campaigns, appeals, tributes and communications with donors.
• Volunteer portal: Manage volunteers’ skills, availability, background checks, training, shift scheduling and hours tracking.
• Youth & program tracking: Enroll participants, capture attendance and services, attach case notes and report outcomes for grants.
• Unified CRM: Consolidate donors, volunteers and program participants into one secure database with role‑based access and audit trails.
• Dashboards & reporting: Generate real‑time reports and dashboards for leadership, funders and your board.
• AI-ready data architecture: Prepare your data for AI tools that can assist with summaries, donor insights, reporting, segmentation and communications.

How to use your Azure grant

Once your organization has been approved for Microsoft’s nonprofit program and validated for the Azure Sponsorship, log in to the Nonprofit Hub and activate the $2,000 offer. You must activate within 90 days of receiving the offer. The credit applies only to first‑party Azure services (not marketplace or support plans) and lasts for one year. The grant does not roll over; you need to re‑activate it annually.

After activation, create a new Azure subscription or select an existing billing profile. Work with your IT partner to design and deploy your custom system on Azure App Service, Azure SQL, or other services as needed. Monitor your credit usage through the Azure portal and set alerts to avoid exceeding the grant limit.

How TTS can help

Tellap Technology Solutions handles the entire process—from grant activation to system design, development, data migration and staff training. We build on the Power Platform and Azure to keep your solution flexible, secure, AI-ready and future-proof. By aligning the scope with your grant and budget, we ensure you get maximum value from your sponsorship while avoiding unexpected costs.

If you’re ready to replace Raiser’s Edge or build a purpose‑built donor and program database, learn more about our custom systems or contact us for a free consultation.