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Empowering your nonprofit organization with Microsoft Entra ID

If you caught our last post on why unique logins matter, you know Backup Failed Foundation (BFF) has your back when it comes to locking down your staff’s identities. But how much does Microsoft Entra ID actually cost your nonprofit? Here’s the real, no-fluff breakdown:

10 Free Microsoft 365 Business Premium Licenses As a registered 501(c)(3), you get ten donated seats of Microsoft 365 Business Premium at no charge. That bundle isn’t just Office apps it includes Entra ID Plan 1, Intune device management, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and more. In other words, you get a zero-cost identity platform plus all the collaboration tools your team needs.

Adding More Seats? Business Premium at $5.50/user/month (nonprofit rate) gives you everything above plus each user’s own mailbox, Teams chat, OneDrive, etc. ideal if that team member needs email or collaboration tools.

Entra ID Plan 1 standalone at $3/user/month if you only need identities (no Office apps). Mix & match up to 300 Business Premium seats. For nonprofits with 300+ users, consider Microsoft 365 Enterprise (E3/E5) plans reach out and we’ll walk you through which tier fits your budget and security needs.
Quick Update as of May 14, 2025 Microsoft has started sending letters out stating they will be getting rid of the 10 free licenses. The discounted rates will remain available, the cost of entry will be slightly higher than expected but the availability of having a secure environment may be within reach for nonprofits as Microsoft 365 Business Premium will still be available at $5.50/user/month.

Device Requirements: Windows Pro or Enterprise

To actually “join” your staff’s PCs to Entra ID, they need Windows 10/11 Pro (or Enterprise). If any machines are running Windows Home in your office, plan a one-time upgrade (around $100 per device retail, but charity or volume discounts often apply). Upgrading unlocks BitLocker, group policy enforcement, and that seamless corporate sign-in experience.

How to Get Started Validate Your Nonprofit Status via Microsoft’s nonprofit portal. Claim Your Donation of 10 Business Premium seats. Assign Licenses to your team and configure your Entra ID tenant. Join Devices (or set up Hybrid/Azure AD Join) so staff can log in with their new corporate credentials. Lock It Down with conditional access, MFA registration, and device compliance policies.

Why Backup Failed Foundation? Sure, you can shop around and we’ll encourage you to compare. But if you’re a small nonprofit that’s been priced out of enterprise tooling, we’re the team that steps in when others say “sorry, that’s too small.” From paperwork and tenant configuration to conditional access design and Autopilot deployments, we’ll handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on your mission.

Bottom line: You can stand up a full blown identity platform—with SSO, MFA, password self-service, device management and more for zero dollars on your first ten seats. After that, it’s just a few bucks per user each month, plus a one-time Pro upgrade if you need it. Ready to lock down your logins?