As nonprofits embrace hybrid work, multi-cloud environments, and digital transformation to better serve their missions, the need for secure, intelligent access has never been greater. Traditional identity solutions often fall short in protecting diverse user groups like staff, volunteers, donors, and partners.
Microsoft Entra offers a unified family of identity and network access products designed to verify every identity, validate every access request, and secure every connection—helping nonprofits stay resilient, compliant, and mission-focused.
What Is Microsoft Entra?
Microsoft Entra offers a unified family of identity and network access products designed to verify every identity, validate every access request, and secure every connection—helping nonprofits stay resilient, compliant, and mission-focused.
The suite includes:
- Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory): A cloud-based identity and access management service that supports Single Sign-On (SSO), Multifactor Authentication (MFA), and Conditional Access policies to protect users, apps, and resources.
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance: Automates identity lifecycle management, ensuring users have the right access at the right time—and nothing more. It supports access reviews, role-based access control, and policy enforcement.
- Microsoft Entra External ID: Manages secure access for external users like customers, partners, and vendors. It enables personalized, secure experiences without compromising internal systems.
- Microsoft Entra Private Access: Provides secure, VPN-less access to private apps and resources across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. It’s ideal for remote work scenarios and legacy app support.
- Microsoft Entra Internet Access: Offers secure web access with identity-aware controls, helping protect users from malicious sites and enforcing compliance policies.
Why Microsoft Entra Matters for Nonprofits
- Unified Identity Protection: Secures access for any identity—human or workload—to any resource, from anywhere.
- Zero Trust Enablement: Verifies every access request based on identity, device health, location, and risk level.
- Multi-cloud and Hybrid Ready: Works across Microsoft 365, Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, and on-premises environments.
- Compliance and Governance: Supports nonprofit regulatory needs with automated access reviews, audit trails, and policy enforcement.
Getting Started with Microsoft Entra
- Assess your security posture through Microsoft Secure Score – Helps nonprofits monitor and improve identity, device, and app security posture.
- Building Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra – Create policies to protect users and data based on risk, location, and device health.
- Create a lifecycle workflow – Automate onboarding, role changes, and offboarding for staff, volunteers, and contractors.
- Microsoft Entra External ID documentation – Manage secure access for donors, partners, and community members.
Real-World Impact
A global nonprofit recently used Microsoft Entra to streamline access for volunteers, staff, and external partners. By automating identity governance and enabling secure access to cloud apps, they reduced administrative overhead and improved security posture—without sacrificing user experience.
Conclusion
Microsoft Entra empowers nonprofits to modernize identity and access management with a unified, secure, and intelligent approach. Whether you're enabling remote work, collaborating with external partners, or safeguarding sensitive donor data, Entra provides the tools to build trust, enforce least privilege, and stay compliant. By adopting Entra, nonprofits can focus more on their mission and less on managing risk—ensuring that every connection is secure, every identity is verified, and every access is governed.
