Empowering Nonprofits with Secure and Scalable IT Solutions
Non-profits and charities have the same security obligations as for-profits with less budget and more volunteers. We use TechSoup pricing, M365 non-profit licensing, and discount-stack everywhere we can. Plus pro-bono blocks for selected partners.
Built for the realities of the work.
The things you actually care about, baked into how we run your IT.
Discount Stacking.
TechSoup, M365 non-profit, Google for Non-profits, and vendor charitable rates. Stacked aggressively.
Donor Management.
Raisin, Keela, Salesforce NPSP, Bloomerang. Set up and integrated with your bookkeeping.
Volunteer Identity.
Volunteers come and go. Identity provisioning and de-provisioning has to be quick and clean.
Pro-bono Blocks.
We do real pro-bono work for selected partners. See our Giving Back page.
The stack we deploy in this sector.
Most sites end up with a similar mix. Yours might differ. We tune it.
Managed IT.
Flat-rate, per-user, per-month. Helpdesk, patching, security, and reporting under one invoice.
Managed IT →Cybersecurity.
EDR, MFA, phishing training, dark web monitoring, and managed detection and response.
Cybersecurity →Cloud & Microsoft 365.
Tenant security baselines, mailbox migration, SharePoint hygiene, and Teams that actually works.
Cloud & Infra →Compliance support.
PIPEDA, CASL, and sector-specific privacy alignment. Cyber insurance questionnaires done right.
Compliance →The licensing most Canadian nonprofits are leaving on the table
Microsoft, Google and a number of security vendors run substantial nonprofit programmes, and a large share of registered Canadian charities either have not enrolled or enrolled and then bought the wrong licences anyway. This is usually the first thing worth fixing, because it funds the rest.
Microsoft 365 nonprofit grants.
Eligible registered charities can receive a number of Business Premium licences at no cost, with discounted pricing above that. Business Premium is the tier that includes device management and the security features insurers ask about, so this is not a stripped-down offer.
Licences for people who left.
The commonest finding in a nonprofit tenancy is paid licences attached to former staff, departed board members and volunteers from two campaigns ago. Reclaiming them is a same-day exercise and it is often several hundred dollars a month.
It depends on registration, not size.
Eligibility generally turns on charitable or nonprofit registration status rather than headcount or budget. Confirm your own eligibility with the vendor directly rather than taking it from any provider's page, including this one.
We will tell you when a grant means you do not need to buy something from us. Getting a nonprofit onto the licensing it is entitled to sometimes reduces what we can bill, and that is the correct outcome.
What makes nonprofit IT genuinely different
Not a softer version of business IT. Three structural differences change the work.
Volunteers and terms of office.
Board members serve terms, volunteers cycle through campaigns, and staff turnover is often high on modest salaries. That makes account lifecycle the central security control: a documented process for granting and revoking access matters more here than almost anywhere.
Budgets that follow grants, not quarters.
Capital spend often has to land inside a funding period and sometimes has to be attributable to a specific grant. We scope work to fit that and put it in writing, rather than proposing a three-year plan against money that arrives annually.
Donor records are personal information.
Donor names, addresses, giving history and sometimes health or family circumstances. PIPEDA obligations apply, and a donor list is a genuinely attractive target. See PIPEDA explained.
More industries we serve
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Get a Free Assessment Back to industriesFrequently asked questions
How can IT support for charities help reduce operational costs?
North Star helps nonprofits move from reactive repairs to proactive managed services. By implementing fixed-fee models, we eliminate unpredictable repair costs. We also assist in securing nonprofit licensing for software like Microsoft 365, ensuring your organisation accesses professional-grade tools at a fraction of the standard price, allowing more funds to go toward your core mission in the community.
What security measures should a nonprofit prioritise?
Protecting donor information is critical for maintaining trust. We recommend a multi-layered defence strategy including multi-factor authentication, encrypted cloud backups, and regular security awareness training for staff. Our cybersecurity experts monitor your network 24/7 to detect threats before they impact your operations, ensuring your charity stays compliant with privacy regulations across British Columbia and Alberta.
Does North Star assist with nonprofit software grants?
Yes, we specialise in helping organisations navigate the complex world of computer software for nonprofits. We guide you through the process of applying for technology grants and non-profit pricing through Microsoft and other vendors. Our consultants ensure you select the right tools for your specific workflow, from donor management systems to secure remote collaboration platforms, maximising the value of every dollar spent.
Why is cloud migration important for nonprofit teams?
Cloud solutions allow your staff and volunteers to work securely from anywhere, whether they are in Prince George or a remote site in the Yukon. By migrating to platforms like Microsoft Azure or M365, your organisation reduces its reliance on expensive on-premise hardware. This transition improves collaboration, simplifies data recovery, and ensures that your team can access vital resources whenever they are needed to serve the community.
Questions we get asked in this sector
Do you help nonprofits get Microsoft 365 grants?
Yes, and it is usually the first thing we do. Eligible registered Canadian charities can receive a number of Microsoft 365 Business Premium licences at no cost with discounted pricing above that, and Business Premium is the tier that includes device management and the security features insurers and funders ask about. Eligibility generally turns on registration status rather than size, though you should confirm your own case with Microsoft directly rather than relying on any provider's summary.
Our budget depends on grant cycles. Can you work with that?
Yes, and it changes how we scope rather than whether we can help. Work gets broken into pieces that fit inside a funding period, quoted as fixed scope so it can be attributed to a grant if needed, and sequenced so the highest-risk items land first in case later funding does not arrive. What we avoid is a three-year roadmap priced against money that is confirmed one year at a time.
How do we handle IT access for volunteers and board members?
With a documented joiner and leaver process, which is the single most valuable control in a nonprofit because turnover is structurally high. That means accounts created from a template with least-privilege access, a named owner responsible for revoking them, and a quarterly review against your actual roster. The commonest finding we see in nonprofit tenancies is active accounts and paid licences belonging to people who left two campaigns ago.