The well-curated, highly informative and interactive workshop kicked off with a comprehensive overview of Microsoft 365, a cloud-based services owned by Microsoft. This service covers subscription plans encompassing products such Outlook.com, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams. From the facilitator’s presentation, Microsoft 365 security, offers an array of security measures ranging from Identity, Device, Application and last but not least, Document security. For Identity security for instance, the security measure allows for multi-factor authentication, self-service password reset, as well as conditional access.

On its part, Device security allows for full-centralized management of mobile and laptops with Intune, allows for remote wipe of data of lost and stolen organization’s devices, supports BitLocker encryption, and enforces strong PIN requirements along with Wi-Fi, VPN profiles.

Application security on the other hand restricts unauthorized actions such as copy/paste, e-mail forwards, and protects against malware and zero-day attacks, while Document security protects and classifies documents for secure sharing, allows revoking access to documents and tracking sensitive documents.

Workshop participants were also introduced to Microsoft’s Industry Cloud Vision, a section that focused on approaches to attract, retain, and grow non-profit donor bases.

This was particularly fascinating as it showcased how leveraging data analytics and cloud solutions could revolutionize donor engagement. The session facilitator demonstrated how these tools could personalize donor interactions and enhance fundraising efforts within organizations.

The highlight of the workshop was the Microsoft Nonprofit Offers such as Microsoft 365 Business Premium, an integrated solution purpose-built for small and mid-sized organizations to help securely run and grow their nonprofit. As part of efforts to help nonprofits improve cybersecurity, reduce costs and empower staff and volunteers to work from anywhere (remotely), Microsoft offers this solution free for up to 10 users.

However, for users ranging between 11 and 300, the solution is discounted to US$5.50 per user per month, and it includes desktop clients of Office, Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint.

Similarly, Power BI desktop, a tool to connect to data sources, build visualizations, publish to the Power BI service, and embed on websites, was highlighted. While this tool is free, its sister – Power BI Pro, is discounted to US$3 per user per month, and offers all desktop features, plus 360° real-time views, data collaboration, content distribution, and amongst others.

Another interesting tool highlighted was Copilot for Microsoft 365, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Microsoft. The presenter pointed out that this chatbot combines large language models (LLMs) with the data in a Microsoft Graph and Microsoft 365 app, to enhance productivity, amplify human creativity, and customize the approach in which one could work and or handle tasks.

At the close of the sessions, the host saw to it that the workshop participants were gifted branded Microsoft merchandise to cap a delightful ending to an enlightening day.

In a nutshell, I found the Microsoft Tech for Social Impact 2024 Workshop to be a valuable learning and a networking experience. I am excited about implementing practical strategies from the event at DA4TI, as well as collaborate with other nonprofits whose representatives I interacted with.