Christchurch · Dunedin · Nationwide
IT Support for Not-for-Profits and Charities
Exodesk provides not-for-profit IT support for charities and community organisations across New Zealand. Our Christchurch and Dunedin teams agree support around your people, information and budget.
The scope identifies the supported systems, supplier responsibilities, costs and support hours before work starts.
Supporting New Zealand businesses since 1989
The short answer
What does not-for-profit IT support cover?
Not-for-profit IT support covers the devices, accounts, Microsoft 365 setup, security and backup agreed with your organisation, adapted for staff, trustees and volunteers with different needs.
It builds on our managed IT services, with extra attention to role-based access, nonprofit licensing and the donor and beneficiary information your organisation holds. Ongoing support and one-off projects are both available.
Exodesk has supported New Zealand businesses since 1989. Today, our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide, with support hours, urgent contacts and site attendance agreed for each organisation.
People
Support that fits staff and volunteers
Staff, trustees and volunteers may need different access. We agree who needs an organisation account, a mailbox or only selected documents, with permissions matched to the role.
Staff
Paid staff
Individual accounts, devices and the applications each role needs, supported within the agreed hours.
Governance
Trustees and board
Access to board papers and governance documents, with sharing limited to the people who need them.
Volunteers
Volunteers
A full account, guest access or selected documents, depending on the work and the information involved.
Nominate who approves access and who reports departures. We agree account changes, access reviews, device requirements and handover, including guest access and third-party systems. Removing access needs a configured process; our employee IT onboarding guide covers the same lifecycle for staff.
Licensing
Check nonprofit licences before you buy
As part of not-for-profit IT support, we help check current Microsoft nonprofit offers against your organisation and the roles of the people who need access. Eligibility matters, and grants do not cover every volunteer or product.
Microsoft considers legal status, mission and other terms on its nonprofit eligibility page, and the registration must be completed by an employee or strategic volunteer of your organisation. Grants cover eligible paid employees and unpaid executive staff; general volunteers can use discounted offers or suitable guest access.
Microsoft discontinued its Business Premium and Office 365 E1 grants through CSP and Web Direct at renewals on or after 1 July 2025. A Business Basic grant remains available for up to 300 eligible users, alongside discounted plans. We check the current offer, eligible roles and required features before assigning licences. Google runs a separate programme with its own eligibility. We compare licence costs and renewal terms, and keep them in your software licensing records.
Information
Protect the information your organisation holds
Donor records, beneficiary information and board papers need appropriate handling. We agree authentication, sharing, device protection and staff guidance for the systems in your not-for-profit IT support scope.
Personal-device access depends on the work and the controls in place. Browser use alone does not prevent downloads, printing or copying; Microsoft documents restrictions for unmanaged devices that need configuring and suitable licences. Managed equipment may suit sensitive work.
Charitable status does not remove privacy responsibilities. Information privacy principle 5 requires reasonable security safeguards, and our NZ Privacy Act guide explains breach notification. IT controls support your privacy decisions; your organisation still owns them.
Responsibilities
Backup, suppliers and shared logins
Not-for-profit IT support works best when everyone knows which system each supplier supports and what can be recovered.
- Backup. Cloud storage, version history and recycle bins help, but have limits and do not define recovery. We agree protected data, retention and restoration, and our Microsoft 365 backup service can be included.
- Specialist suppliers. Donor CRM, fundraising, accounting and payment applications stay with their responsible supplier unless additional work is agreed. We record support contacts and escalation routes.
- Connections and migrations. Moving data or connecting applications is scoped separately, including through our business software integration service.
- Shared logins. Individual identities improve accountability and make it easier to remove access when someone leaves.
How it works
How support is set up
We plan not-for-profit IT support changes around your service delivery and reporting deadlines.
Review
Record people and roles, locations, systems, suppliers, licences and what is difficult today.
Agree scope and costs
Confirm supported systems, hours, urgent contacts, attendance, responsibilities and charges.
Set up
Configure accounts, access, devices, security and backup in agreed stages.
Support and review
Ongoing support within the agreed scope, with access and licences reviewed as people change.
Handover records the systems, contacts and responsibilities, so the arrangement does not depend on one person remembering it.
Cost
What affects not-for-profit IT support cost?
Cost depends on the number of people and devices, the systems supported, security and backup needs, support hours and any project work. Nonprofit discounts can reduce eligible software costs; they do not cover the whole service.
- Project work. Setup, migration, configuration and training.
- Ongoing support. Supported people, devices, systems and hours.
- Software. Granted, discounted and full-price licences, shown separately.
- Backup and equipment. Recovery services and any devices, where they apply.
- Terms. GST, exclusions and the term, set out in the quote.
Savings depend on your current costs and the proposed scope, so we compare the total arrangement rather than the licence price alone.
Questions
Not-for-profit IT support questions
What does not-for-profit IT support include?
It covers the devices, accounts and services agreed with your organisation. The scope can include user support, Microsoft 365 configuration, access management, security and backup. It identifies support hours, exclusions and the suppliers responsible for specialist applications.
Can charities get free or discounted software?
Eligible organisations may qualify for vendor grants or discounts, and approval depends on the programme, organisation and users. Microsoft and Google have different requirements. Check the current offer, features and renewal conditions before treating a licence as free or discounted.
Can volunteers use Microsoft nonprofit grant licences?
Not simply because they volunteer. Microsoft grants cover eligible paid employees and unpaid executive staff, while discounted licences or suitable guest access may meet other volunteer needs. Check the role and required functions before assigning access.
Can Exodesk apply for Microsoft nonprofit status for us?
No. An employee or strategic volunteer of your organisation must complete the Microsoft registration. Exodesk can help with the information, licence choices and technical setup, but cannot register on your behalf or guarantee approval.
Do nonprofit discounts make IT support cheaper?
They may reduce eligible software costs. Setup, support, security, backup and equipment still need to be budgeted. Compare the total arrangement with your current costs and required coverage rather than assume the discount pays for the support service.
How should we manage staff and volunteer access?
Use individual identities and access matched to each role. Nominate who approves access and reports departures, and agree a process for account removal, guest access, third-party systems and handover. Automatic removal needs configured processes; it is not a default result of using cloud tools.
Can volunteers use their own devices?
Possibly, depending on the role, information and controls. Browser use alone does not stop files being downloaded or copied, so agree permitted access and device requirements. Managed equipment may suit sensitive work, and the available controls depend on the platform and licences.
Does cloud storage include the backup we need?
Not automatically, because platform recovery tools have limits. Agree which data is protected, how long it is kept, how it is restored and who checks recovery. Exodesk offers Microsoft 365 backup, and donor systems and other cloud applications need their own arrangements checked.
Does the NZ Privacy Act apply to charities?
Yes. Charitable status does not remove privacy responsibilities, and personal information needs safeguards reasonable in the circumstances. Donor and beneficiary records may need restricted access and careful sharing, and IT controls support those duties without establishing compliance on their own.
Where does Exodesk provide not-for-profit IT support?
Our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support organisations nationwide. Support hours, site attendance, urgent contact routes and supported systems are agreed for the locations and work in scope, so ask about your requirements before assuming after-hours or immediate attendance.
Next step
Discuss your organisation’s IT
Tell us how many staff and volunteers need access, where your teams work, which systems you use and what is difficult today. Please keep donor and beneficiary records out of the enquiry form.
Get in touch
Talk to us about your organisation
Tell us the type of organisation, your locations, how many staff and volunteers need access and the main problem to solve, and we will be in touch to arrange a time that suits.
Prefer to talk?
Christchurch
Level 1, 85 Riccarton Road
Christchurch 8011
03 343 3124
Dunedin
Level 3, Bartons Building
2 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016
03 479 2941