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Microsoft Programme Guidelines

Restrictions: 
  • This donation is available to nonprofits with Public Benefit Organisation (PBO)” status as granted by the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Organisations may also be considered for this programme if they do not have ‘Public Benefit Status”, but: Have “Non-Profit Organisation (NPO)” status as granted by the Directorate for Non-profit Organisations in the Department for Social Development
  • Organisations that are not eligible: Not all NPO or PBO status nonprofit organisations are eligible for participation in the Microsoft Donation Programme. Those that are not eligible should visit Microsoft Volume Licensing for Industries for more information about charity licensing; they may still be eligible for discounted software from Microsoft. The following types of organisations are ineligible for Microsoft software donations:
    • Governmental organisations or agencies.
    • Educational institutions, including schools, colleges, universities, and trade schools.
    • Healthcare organisations and networks, including hospitals, specialty networks, ambulatory healthcare services, home healthcare and assisted living healthcare organisations, research organisations, and laboratories.  Exceptions: Community health clinics, medical research groups, behavioral healthcare nonprofits, women's health centers, and blood banks are eligible to request Microsoft software donations.
    • Political and labor organisations; commerce and trade associations without charitable aims or activities; sponsorships of events, tables, exhibitions, or performances; fundraising events such as luncheons, dinners, walks, runs, or sports tournaments.
    • Religious organisations not registered as a nonprofit and without a secular community designation that is separate from the church or religious organisation. A secular designation is defined as an organisation that provides services to people regardless of their religious beliefs and does not propagate a belief in a specific faith. Example: A food bank with nonprofit or charity status that is run by a church but is a separate and unique organisation that provides food and meals to anyone who qualifies for services, regardless of religious beliefs. Religious organisations without secular designations can visit Programmes for Charitable Organisations for information regarding licensing options; they may be eligible to receive discounted Microsoft software through these programmes.
    • Refurbishers that will be installing the donated software on refurbished computers to be distributed or donated to nonprofits. Please visit the Registered Refurbisher Programme.
    • Nonpublic libraries, including private libraries, school libraries, specialty libraries, armed forces libraries, and libraries in government agencies.
  • Eligible organisations receive an allotment of Microsoft software donation requests that is reset every two years. An organisation’s two-year cycle begins with its first donation request after 26 July 2011. After two years, a new cycle begins, and a new allotment becomes available. The organisation does not need to request the full amount of its allotment. There is no limit to the number of separate requests the organisation can make and no minimum quantity requirement.
  • During its two-year cycle, an organisation can request products from up to 10 title groups. For title groups that contain applications that run on an individual computer (like a desktop or laptop PC), there is a 50-license maximum. For title groups that contain client access licenses or other licenses that provide for connection to or management of a server, there is also a 50-license maximum. For server products, there is a five-product maximum, regardless of title group. For further details, see Quantity and Frequency of Microsoft Requests in the Microsoft Donation Programme - Eligibility and Allotments.
  • Organisations that advocate, support, or practice discrimination based on age, ethnicity, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background are not eligible to participate in this programme. Organisations must be willing and able to attest that they do not discriminate on any of these grounds in order to receive donations.
  • Microsoft products may not be transferred between separate legal entities or resold. Additionally, Microsoft products may not be installed on computers that will be given to or sold to other organisations or individuals, even as part of a charitable programme.
  • Donated product will be distributed under this programme to qualifying organisations only, not to individuals.