It is hard to believe how far we’ve come since we first started donating Microsoft software. TechSoup used to distribute software donations to worthy nonprofit organizations from the basement of a San Francisco Victorian. More than10 years later, TechSoup Global has moved on from that basement, but Microsoft software donations are still mainstays of the TechSoup program. And it’s a good thing! Since they started the program in 1998, Microsoft has donated more than $3.9 billion worth of software to nonprofit organizations in more than 100 countries worldwide, now reaching over 40,000 nonprofits each year. That’s a lot of basement-fulls of software!

We at TechSoup want to thank Microsoft for its longstanding commitment to supporting nonprofits around the world through software donations and more, and are thrilled to join them in announcing some important updates to their software donations program that will make it even easier for nonprofits and public libraries to get the Microsoft products they need, when they need them. 

Beginning today, July 27, 2011, organizations now have more flexibility regarding when they can request Microsoft software donations and in the product donations available. And, to make navigating the program easier, we’re introducing the Microsoft Donation Center, where eligible organizations can easily track their Microsoft requests, see the value of donations received to date, and more.

How the Microsoft Program Updates Benefit Your Organization

  • Request what you need, when you need it:Organizations can now request Microsoft products as needed, not just once per year. Also, there is no longer a five-seat minimum requirement, so an organization can request just one license if that is all it needs.
  • Get more complete solutions: Now you can request from up to 10 different Microsoft title groups in each two-year cycle, so you can build more complete solutions that help you meet your mission. And, with the addition of Microsoft’s Get Genuine Windows product, organizations can ensure their existing computers are running genuine versions of Microsoft operating systems (learn more about Get Genuine).
  • Easily see Microsoft donations details at a glance: To help organizations manage their Microsoft donations, TechSoup has created the Microsoft Donation Center (accessible from the Donation Request/History page under My Account), where nonprofits can get all the pertinent details in one place. Organizations can easily track what’s been donated so far, what remains of their software allotment, when their cycle resets, and more nonprofit resources available from Microsoft.
  • Existing Microsoft cycles have been reset: If your organization is already participating in the Microsoft Software Donation Program through TechSoup, your cycle has been reset! Your two-year donation cycle will start again when you place your first Microsoft request after July 27, 2011, and will reset every two years on the anniversary of that request. Requests placed before July 27, 2011, will not count against your new Microsoft software donation allotment.

Not sure if your organization is eligible for the Microsoft Software Donation Program? Take our Check Program Eligibility Quiz – see if you’re eligible for Microsoft and our 44 other donation programs.

To learn more about the updates to the Microsoft Software Donation Program and how they affect your organization, visit our Overview of the Microsoft Software Donation Program. Then, watch out free webinars on the Microsoft Donation Program:  Microsoft Donation Program: How Does It Work?and Microsoft Donation Program: Get Your Questions Answered.

Together with Microsoft, we’re excited to help you understand the updates and how they can benefit your organization, and – ultimately – your community.