Microsoft Broadens Global Software Donation Program to Reach More Nonprofits and Communities

REDMOND, Wash., July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. today announced updates to its software donation program that make it easier for nonprofit organizations to get access to affordable technology. The program, which has already provided more than $3.9 billion worth of software to nonprofits around the world since 1998, is being expanded to enable more nonprofit organizations to request software donations when they need them at any point in the year.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

The updates to the Microsoft Software Donation program, which is currently available in more than 100 countries around the world, include the following:

• The number of different Microsoft software products that can be requested has been expanded from six to 10 to allow nonprofits to get the software they need, such as Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010.
• Three new categories of nonprofit organizations are now eligible for software donations, including medical research organizations, private foundations, and amateur sports and recreational organizations.
• The donations program includes a new Get Genuine offering so nonprofits can ensure their existing computers are running genuine versions of Microsoft operating systems to help keep their software up-to-date and security-enhanced.
• Nonprofits can now request a software donation from Microsoft through the TechSoup Global Network whenever they need it instead of the previous limit of only one request per year.
• Nonprofit organizations ordering their donations through the TechSoup Global Network can now easily get key donations details in one place with the Microsoft Donations Center, a new website where organizations can review their donation history and identify products their organizations can request.

“Making technology more accessible enables nonprofits to increase their productivity, reach more people and deliver new, improved services that directly help local communities,” said Akhtar Badshah, senior director of global community affairs at Microsoft. “Although we already help a sizable number of nonprofits, we want to help more, and the changes we’re announcing today are designed to make the program more relevant and accessible to a larger number of nonprofits, which will in turn have a positive impact in local communities around the world.”

Microsoft works closely with the nonprofit organization TechSoup Global and its global network to operate the software donation program in 35 countries: Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. TechSoup Global charges a small administrative fee, which funds the program to help nonprofits not only get the software they need, but also the support and expertise they need to make the best use of the technology. More information is available at http://www.techsoupglobal.org.

“Every day we see how technology is helping nonprofits to operate more effectively and ultimately do their best work,” said Rebecca Masisak, co-CEO of TechSoup Global. “The updates to the Microsoft Software Donation Program provide nonprofits increased flexibility in requesting software, which we believe will greatly benefit many nonprofits in the TechSoup Global community that rely on a range of Microsoft products to run their organizations effectively.”

More Information

Nonprofits can find out more information on the software donations program and how to submit requests from Microsoft by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/nonprofit.

The latest news and information on Microsoft Corporate Citizenship programs is available at the following links:

• Web: http://www.microsoft.com/citizenship
• Blog: http://www.microsoftupblog.com
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/microsoftcitizenship
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msftcitizenship

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.