Microsoft Philanthropies donates $1 billion resources to non-profits, universities globally

Microsoft Philanthropies has donated $1 billion dollars in cloud computing resources to non-profit organisations and universities globally to enable them digitally scale their impact and better serve the public. In a press statement issued in Lagos, the organisation said its donations have helped 90,000 non-profits as well as researchers at 700 universities around the world […]

Microsoft Philanthropies has donated $1 billion dollars in cloud computing resources to non-profit organisations and universities globally to enable them digitally scale their impact and better serve the public.

In a press statement issued in Lagos, the organisation said its donations have helped 90,000 non-profits as well as researchers at 700 universities around the world to advance social good in the last two year.

"Too many non-profits have been left behind in the digital revolution that’s reshaping business and society, but many have a strong desire to adopt the latest technology. That’s why we’re working to help more non-profits around the world fully leverage the power of the cloud," said Akin Banuso, the General Manager of Microsoft Nigeria.

According to him, the organisation, which was newly created within Microsoft Philanthropies, driving this commitment is the Technology for Social Impact (TSI).

He said TSI’s commitment is to enable “non-profits move to the cloud and digitally transform to raise funds, improve productivity, accelerate innovation and ultimately have a greater impact on their beneficiaries".

Banuso added that the organisation will also build comprehensive new offerings for non-profits, beginning with Microsoft 365 for non-profits, which includes Office 365, Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security, as well as discounts on Surface laptops.

"With millions of non-profits serving communities around the world, these tools can help them bring the power of Microsoft’s most advanced technologies to bear on some of the world’s toughest problems," he explained further.

 “This is only the beginning. In the coming months, we will build upon these offers and on our long-standing commitment to non-profits. We will also engage with start-ups and incubators to enable them to build solutions that meet non-profits’ unique needs", he added.

He however said TSI will triple the number of non-profit organisations served as it targets over 300,000 over the next three years.

The beneficiaries in Nigeria include the Junior Chamber International (JCI), Nigeria chapter, which has deployed Microsoft Office 365 and Power BI to improve internal operations within the organisation.