License & Subscription Issues

How to Replace the Discontinued Free Microsoft 365 Business Premium Nonprofit Grant

Maira Mehtab Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to transition their organization to a new license plan due to the discontinuation of the free Microsoft 365 Business Premium nonprofit grant.

How to Replace the Discontinued Free Microsoft 365 Business Premium Nonprofit Grant

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Replacing expiring or discontinued Microsoft 365 nonprofit grants before the organizational renewal date to avoid service disruption.
Observed behavior: The organization must acquire alternative licenses (such as Business Basic or discounted Business Premium) and assign them to users before current licenses expire.

Before you start

Ensure you have Billing Administrator or Global Administrator privileges in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Evaluate your team's needs to determine if web-only Office apps are sufficient or if desktop applications are required.

Solution 1Recommended

Purchase and Assign Replacement Nonprofit Licenses

Use the Microsoft 365 admin center to select a new nonprofit plan, acquire the licenses, and transition your users before the expiration date.

Microsoft offers alternative nonprofit plans, such as Microsoft 365 Business Basic (which may be available at no cost but lacks desktop apps) or discounted Business Premium/Standard licenses. You must manually transition your users to prevent service interruption.

Select a replacement plan

Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center (admin.microsoft.com). Navigate to 'Billing' and click on 'Purchase services' to browse available nonprofit plans like Business Basic or discounted Business Premium.

Acquire the licenses

Select your chosen nonprofit plan, choose the number of licenses your organization requires, and complete the checkout process to add them to your tenant.

Assign licenses to users

Go to 'Users' > 'Active users' in the admin center. Select the users, click 'Manage product licenses', uncheck the expiring Business Premium grant, and check the newly purchased replacement license.

Verify and cancel old subscription

Confirm all active users have the new license assigned. Once verified, you can allow the old Business Premium grant to expire or manually cancel it under 'Billing' > 'Your products'.

Purchase and Assign Replacement Nonprofit Licenses

Desktop App Limitations: If you transition to the free Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan, users will lose access to the desktop versions of Word, Excel, and Outlook. They will only be able to use the web and mobile versions.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Get Free Desktop Office Apps for Your Nonprofit with WPS Office

If your nonprofit chooses the free Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan, your users will lose access to desktop versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. WPS Office provides a highly compatible, free desktop alternative so your team can continue working offline without paying for expensive premium licenses.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free desktop application for your operating system.
2. Install the software: Run the downloaded installer file and follow the simple on-screen instructions to deploy the software on your computer.
3. Open your documents directly: Launch WPS Office and instantly open your existing .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files to continue working with full desktop features.

Seamlessly open, edit, and save Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats without compatibility issues.Provides full-featured desktop applications for Windows, Mac, and Linux completely free.Lightweight and highly cost-effective for nonprofit organizations managing tight budgets.Familiar user interface requires zero retraining for teams transitioning from Microsoft Office.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I do not replace the nonprofit grant before the renewal date?

If you do not assign replacement licenses before the grant expires, your users will experience service disruption and lose access to their Microsoft 365 services, including email, cloud storage, and Office applications.

Does Microsoft 365 Business Basic include desktop applications?

No. The Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan only includes the web and mobile versions of Office applications. If your organization requires desktop apps, you must purchase Business Standard or Business Premium.

Can I get help migrating my nonprofit's licenses?

Yes. Nonprofits can authorize certified Microsoft partners to assist with evaluating needs, acquiring the appropriate discounted licenses, and migrating user assignments in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

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