ChildAid to Eastern Europe
Microsoft 365 for non-profits
We can transform the way you work
Based in Bromley, ChildAid transforms the lives of vulnerable, disadvantaged and disabled children in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. They work with local partners who transform lives of disabled children, orphans and those in vulnerable families.
Back in 2021, we were looking for a local charity with whom we could work with. Naturally, charities we approached through calls and mailshots were sceptical about our intentions. However, after meeting ChildAid’s Director, Martin Wilcox through a business network group we were given the opportunity to explain how we thought they could use Microsoft 365 and we have been helping them since.
The challenge
Keeping costs down for an organisation is paramount for it to be successful and that’s even more important for a charitable organisation as every penny spent is money that doesn’t go to good causes.
Predominantly, ChildAid’s files and data were stored on a Windows server in the organisations Bromley office with no access when team members were off site.
Email accounts were already setup for each member of the team on Google Workspace but there were configuration issues and often emails sent to donors would end up in the recipient’s junk/spam folders.
The solution
When we first spoke to ChildAid, we explained that not only were there technical benefits to moving to Microsoft 365, but that thanks to the Microsoft for non-profit scheme, registered organisations may be able to take advantage of free or heavily discounted products.
ChildAid were eligible for the Microsoft 365 Business Premium product with no charge, so we helped organise these licences and built them a brand-new Microsoft 365 environment. We set this up with some great security features such as Multifactor Authentication (MFA) and the ability for users to reset their own passwords, so they rely less on third-party IT support.
We also introduced the team and trustees to Microsoft Teams so that they can message each other when not in the office and cut down on the number of emails sent internally. This is now also used by the board of trustees to stay in touch and attend regular meetings.
Finally, we created a simple intranet on SharePoint Online with sites for each ongoing project so that they have a cloud storage location for files, photos and stories for the good work that they do.
The result
The ChildAid team now take advantage of the ability to work from anywhere and are not tied to an office location. Since we’ve enabled them to use Microsoft 365, they have moved to smaller office premises with less desk space.
There is confidence thanks to the security tools in place that the compromise of usernames and passwords is now less likely.
Finally, thanks to the intranet and project sites, there is more structure to the way data is stored and ChildAid can take advantage of the most current features of Microsoft 365 and supporting applications without any licencing costs.
“You should absolutely use Red Manta if you need to improve the efficiency of how your business or charity operates, especially with the likelihood that remote working will become even more of the new norm.“
– Martin Wilcox, Director, ChildAid to Eastern Europe
Can we help you?
Do you see similar issues for your non-profit or charity in this case study? Do you want to:
- Save money
- Work from anywhere
- Work smarter
- Improve collaboration
- Protect your business
