Eligible Australian not-for-profit organisations can access Microsoft Teams at no cost through the Microsoft for Nonprofits program — providing video meetings, group chat, and file sharing for up to 300 users. This guide covers what is included, how Australian NFPs use Teams, volunteer management, client confidentiality, and upgrading to Business Basic or Premium. Mycelium 365 configures and manages Teams for Australian NFPs as part of its managed IT for not-for-profits service.
Free Microsoft Teams for Australian not-for-profits
Eligible Australian NFPs receive Microsoft Teams Essentials free for up to 300 users — providing video meetings up to 30 hours, group chat, file sharing, and basic collaboration at no cost. Teams Essentials does not include email (Exchange Online), SharePoint, or desktop Office apps — it is Teams collaboration only.
For NFPs already using Google Workspace or another email provider, Teams Essentials provides a free collaboration layer without requiring a full Microsoft 365 migration. For NFPs that also need email and Office, Business Basic ($2.50/user/month donated) includes Teams plus Exchange Online and SharePoint. For the full licensing breakdown, read our Microsoft 365 NFP pricing guide.
Teams Essentials is provisioned through the Microsoft for Nonprofits program and validated via TechSoup Australia. ACNC registration is required — government entities, schools, and hospitals are not eligible for nonprofit pricing.
How Australian NFPs use Microsoft Teams
The most common use cases for NFPs:
- Board and committee meetings — Teams meetings with recording and transcription, replacing in-person meetings for regional board members and reducing travel time and cost.
- Volunteer coordination — Teams channels for volunteer rosters, briefings, and communications without needing individual email accounts for every volunteer.
- Outreach worker communication — Teams on mobile, with chat and video for field workers to communicate with coordinators in real time from remote locations.
- Remote service delivery — Teams for telehealth, counselling, and support sessions, widely adopted post-COVID by disability and mental health NFPs across Australia.
- Internal communications — Teams channels replacing email for team announcements, program updates, and document sharing, reducing inbox clutter for part-time and casual staff.
Teams reduces the number of separate tools an NFP needs to licence and support — chat, video, file sharing, and meeting recording are all in one platform that volunteers and staff can access from a phone, tablet, or laptop.
Microsoft Teams for volunteer management
Managing volunteers in Teams is one of the highest-value use cases for Australian NFPs. Create a dedicated Volunteer channel in Teams with tabs for rosters (Excel), training materials (SharePoint), and communications. Volunteers can be added as external guests at no cost, or given Business Basic licences ($2.50/month donated) for more complete access including email and SharePoint.
Teams Live Events (included in Business Premium) supports all-volunteer briefings and training for up to 1,000 attendees — useful for statewide volunteer networks. Teams Shifts (included in Business Basic and above) provides roster management for shift-based NFP services such as crisis lines, respite care, and community transport.
For NFPs running a mix of paid staff and volunteers, Teams channels let coordinators brief volunteers on shift, share policies and inductions, and collect feedback — all without provisioning a separate volunteer email account or paying for a third-party volunteer management tool.
Microsoft Teams and client confidentiality for NFPs
NFPs using Teams for client-facing services — telehealth, counselling, case management — must configure Teams correctly for privacy. The default Teams settings are not appropriate for sensitive client interactions and should be tightened before any client-facing use:
- End-to-end encryption for sensitive one-to-one meetings where client health or case information is discussed.
- Meeting lobby enabled — attendees wait in a lobby until the host admits them, preventing anonymous join to confidential sessions.
- Anonymous join disabled — external participants must be authenticated, preventing unknown callers from joining client sessions.
- Meeting recordings stored in appropriately permissioned SharePoint, not shared broadly across the organisation.
- Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels applied to any client documents shared in Teams, so a document labelled Confidential cannot be forwarded outside the organisation.
Mycelium 365 configures these controls as part of the Secure Essentials managed package for NFP clients, including Teams admin policies, meeting lobby defaults, and Purview label deployment.
Upgrading from Teams Essentials to Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Premium
Teams Essentials covers collaboration only — video meetings, chat, and file sharing. When an NFP needs more, the upgrade path is straightforward:
- Business Basic ($2.50/user/month donated) adds Exchange Online (email hosting), SharePoint (document management), OneDrive, and the web versions of Office apps. This is the recommended minimum for NFPs that need email hosting alongside Teams.
- Business Premium ($9.84/user/month donated) adds cyber security tools — Defender for Business, Intune, Entra ID Conditional Access, and Purview — plus desktop Office apps. This is the recommended tier for NFPs handling sensitive beneficiary, donor, or client data.
Mycelium 365 manages licensing transitions as part of the managed IT service — no disruption to existing Teams data, channels, or meetings. Existing Teams conversations and files carry over to Business Basic and Premium because Teams is already included in both plans. Read our Microsoft 365 for not-for-profit Australia guide for the full licensing and eligibility breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Teams free for Australian not-for-profits? Yes — eligible Australian NFPs receive Microsoft Teams Essentials free for up to 300 users through the Microsoft for Nonprofits program. Teams Essentials provides video meetings (up to 30 hours), group chat, and file sharing at no cost. It does not include email, SharePoint, or desktop Office apps. ACNC registration is required for eligibility.
What is the difference between Teams Essentials and Microsoft 365 Business Basic for NFPs? Teams Essentials (free) provides Teams collaboration only — video meetings, chat, and file sharing. Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($2.50/user/month donated) adds Exchange Online (email hosting), SharePoint (document management), OneDrive, and the web versions of Office apps. Business Basic is the recommended minimum for NFPs that need email hosting alongside Teams.
Can NFP volunteers use Microsoft Teams? Yes — volunteers can be added to Teams as external guests at no cost, or given Business Basic licences ($2.50/user/month) for fuller access. Teams Shifts (included in Business Basic and above) provides roster management for shift-based NFP services. Teams channels can be used for volunteer briefings, rosters, and training materials.
Can Australian NFPs use Teams for telehealth and counselling services? Yes — many Australian disability, mental health, and community NFPs use Teams for remote service delivery. Teams meetings support end-to-end encryption, meeting lobby controls, and recording. For client-facing services, meetings should be configured with lobby enabled, anonymous join disabled, and recordings stored in appropriately permissioned SharePoint. Mycelium 365 configures these privacy controls for NFP clients.
How does Mycelium 365 help NFPs set up Microsoft Teams? Mycelium 365 configures Microsoft Teams for Australian NFPs as part of the managed IT service — including channel structure, permissions, privacy controls for client-facing services, volunteer management setup, and Teams Shifts for rostering. Teams configuration is included in the Secure Essentials managed package.