Transform Your Virtual Meetings: Unlock the Power of Avatars in Microsoft Teams
Why Use Avatars in Microsoft Teams? Nonprofit organizations often operate with diverse teams spread across various locations. Virtual meetings can sometimes feel impersonal, and not everyone may feel comfortable using their video cameras for a variety of reasons. Avatars offer a middle ground, allowing participants to present a digital version of themselves that reflects their individuality while maintaining privacy. Here’s how avatars can make a difference: Encourage Participation: Team members who are camera-shy or working in less-than-ideal settings can actively engage in meetings without the pressure of being on camera. Boost Team Morale: Customizable avatars add a fun and creative dimension to meetings, encouraging interaction and reducing virtual fatigue. Promote Inclusivity: With diverse customization and accessibility features, avatars ensure that everyone feels represented. Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Avatars in Microsoft Teams Follow these steps to create and customize your avatar in Microsoft Teams: 1. Get the Avatars App To start creating your avatar, first ensure you have the Avatars app installed in Microsoft Teams. If it’s not already available: Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to the "Apps" section from the sidebar. Search for "Avatars" and click "Add" to install the app. 2. Open the Avatar Creation Interface Once the app is installed, access it directly within Teams: Locate the Avatars app from the sidebar and open it. This will take you to the avatar creation interface, where you can begin customizing your avatar. 3. Customize Your Avatar Now comes the fun part—customizing your avatar to reflect your personality or align with your professional image. The Avatars app offers a wide range of options, including: Facial Features: Adjust skin tone, facial shape, eyes, eyebrows, and more to create a look that represents you. Hairstyles and Colors: Choose from various hairstyles, lengths, and colors to match your real-life or imagined look. Clothing and Accessories: Pick outfits and accessories that align with your organization’s values or your personal style. Backgrounds and Props: Add backgrounds and props that resonate with your work, such as a library for education-focused nonprofits or a garden for environmental organizations. 4. Save and Preview Your Avatar Once you’ve customized your avatar, save your changes and preview it to ensure it meets your expectations. You can make adjustments at any time to refine its appearance. 5. Use Your Avatar in Meetings To activate your avatar during a meeting: Join a Microsoft Teams meeting as you normally would. Before turning on your camera, select the "Avatar" option instead. Your avatar will appear on screen, complete with animations and gestures. Real-Life Examples: The Impact of Avatars on Collaboration Nonprofit organizations have embraced avatars in creative and impactful ways. Here are a few examples: Team Bonding Sessions: A youth-focused nonprofit used avatars during virtual icebreaker sessions. Team members customized avatars to showcase their hobbies and interests, sparking conversations and building stronger connections. Inclusive Meetings: An accessibility advocacy group incorporated avatars to accommodate team members who preferred not to use their cameras. This ensured everyone felt comfortable participating in discussions. Volunteer Training: A disaster relief organization created avatars for their volunteers, using props and backgrounds that aligned with the organization’s mission. This added an engaging and personal touch to virtual training sessions. Exploring Customization and Accessibility Features Accessibility and representation are crucial for nonprofit teams. Microsoft Teams avatars offer features that cater to a wide range of needs: Inclusive Design: Avatars allow for the representation of different body types, ages, and cultural identities, ensuring everyone feels seen and valued. Ease of Use: The intuitive interface makes it easy for team members of all tech skill levels to create and use avatars. Assistive Technology: The avatar feature is compatible with screen readers and other assistive devices, enabling an inclusive experience for team members with disabilities. Next Steps: Resources for Further Exploration To help your nonprofit get the most out of avatars in Microsoft Teams, here are some resources to explore: Microsoft Support: Visit Microsoft’s official support page for detailed documentation and tutorials on avatars in Teams. Webinars and Training: Check out webinars hosted by Microsoft or nonprofit technology organizations to learn best practices. Community Forums: Engage with other nonprofits in online forums to exchange tips and insights on using avatars effectively. Conclusion Avatars in Microsoft Teams are more than just a fun feature—they’re a powerful tool for fostering inclusivity, creativity, and connection. For nonprofit organizations, they offer a way to engage team members, volunteers, and stakeholders in a manner that’s both personal and professional. By following the steps outlined in this blog and leveraging the customization and accessibility features, your organization can unlock new potential in virtual collaboration. So why wait? Start creating your avatars today and take your virtual meetings to the next level.How to Create Custom Booking Windows with Microsoft Bookings
What You’ll Need To use Microsoft Bookings, you need to have one of the following licenses: Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Education (A3/A5). Your specified availability (e.g., June 10–12 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM) Step 1: Go to Bookings with Me Navigate to Bookings or open Outlook in your browser and select the calendar icon. In the left-hand side panel, click “Go to my booking page”. Step 2: Choose or create your calendar Select the calendar of your choice to create your event in or create a new calendar. To learn how to create a new Bookings calendar, view this blog here. Step 3: Edit your services for specified availability Once your calendar has been selected or created, lets edit the availability of your service. The default settings will be your normal business hours set to the calendar. However, for this specific service, (e.g. Student interviews) you only want the calendar to be open for a specified period of time. To prevent bookings outside of that time, set the availability window for the service of your choice. Select “Services” Select "Edit service" Select "Availability options" Under general availability, select "Not bookable". This will prevent people from booking outside of the days you are getting ready to set. Select "Set different availability for a date range" Choose the exact start and end dates (e.g., June 10–12) Change the availability to "Custom hours (recurring weekly)". Please note that this will not recur weekly outside of the specified dates you have set. Define the daily time blocks (e.g., 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM). Select the trashcan next to each row if this date is not intended to be booked on. Select "Save changes" Use the booking link in service details to double check your calendar. You should see that the specified dates are bookable with your specified time block and any other dates outside of that are not bookable. Tip: You can customize time slots per day if needed—useful for events that span multiple days but have different hours. Use Cases for Time-Limited Booking Pages This approach is great for more than just interviews. Some common scenarios include: Short-term volunteer onboarding Consultation hours for an upcoming campaign Mentor check-ins during a specific week Office hours during conference season Final Thoughts By using Microsoft Bookings and defining a custom availability window, you stay in control of your time—offering flexibility to others without opening up your calendar indefinitely. Whether you're managing an event or just protecting your focus, this is a smart, simple solution built right into Microsoft 365.
Implementing Hybrid Work Solutions for Nonprofits with Microsoft Teams
The shift towards hybrid work models has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Nonprofits can leverage Microsoft Teams to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between remote and in-office staff, ensuring that their operations continue smoothly regardless of location. Virtual Meetings Microsoft Teams offers robust virtual meeting capabilities, allowing nonprofits to host video conferences, webinars, and training sessions. Features like screen sharing, meeting recording, and breakout rooms enhance the virtual meeting experience and ensure effective communication. Virtual meetings are essential for nonprofits to maintain engagement with their stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries. By using Microsoft Teams, organizations can host regular check-ins, strategic planning sessions, and training workshops without the need for physical presence. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for nonprofits with geographically dispersed teams or those operating in regions with travel restrictions. Additionally, Microsoft Teams supports large-scale events such as webinars and town hall meetings. Nonprofits can use these features to conduct fundraising events, awareness campaigns, and community outreach programs. The ability to record meetings and share them later ensures that all stakeholders can stay informed, even if they cannot attend the live session. Collaboration Tools Teams provides a range of collaboration tools, including chat, file sharing, and co-authoring of documents. These tools enable nonprofit staff to work together in real-time, share ideas, and collaborate on projects, regardless of their physical location. Effective collaboration is crucial for nonprofits to achieve their mission. Microsoft Teams offers a centralized platform where staff can communicate, share files, and work on documents together. The chat feature allows for instant messaging, reducing the need for lengthy email threads and enabling quick decision-making. File sharing and co-authoring capabilities ensure that all team members have access to the latest versions of documents and can contribute to them simultaneously. This is particularly useful for grant writing, project planning, and report generation. By streamlining these processes, nonprofits can improve their efficiency and focus more on their core activities. Moreover, Teams' integration with Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint allows nonprofits to store and manage their files securely. Staff can access important documents from anywhere, ensuring that they have the information they need to perform their tasks effectively. Integrations with Microsoft Services Microsoft Teams integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and Outlook. This integration allows nonprofits to access and share files, manage calendars, and streamline their workflows within a single platform. The integration with SharePoint enables nonprofits to create intranet sites where staff can access organizational resources, policies, and announcements. This centralized hub fosters better communication and ensures that everyone is on the same page. OneDrive integration allows for easy file storage and sharing. Nonprofits can use OneDrive to store documents, images, and videos, making them accessible to all team members. This is particularly useful for organizations that need to share large files or collaborate on multimedia projects. Outlook integration ensures that staff can manage their calendars and schedule meetings directly from Teams. This seamless workflow reduces the need to switch between different applications and enhances productivity. Nonprofits can use Outlook to send meeting invitations, track RSVPs, and set reminders, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and engaged. Case Studies from the NTA Community Several nonprofits within the NTA community have successfully implemented hybrid work solutions using Microsoft Teams. For example, a nonprofit focused on healthcare used Teams to coordinate remote consultations and manage patient records, while another organization leveraged Teams to facilitate virtual board meetings and volunteer training sessions. One notable example is a nonprofit dedicated to providing mental health services. By using Microsoft Teams, the organization was able to offer remote counseling sessions to clients, ensuring that they received the support they needed during the pandemic. The virtual meeting capabilities allowed counselors to connect with clients securely and maintain confidentiality. Another example is a nonprofit focused on education. The organization used Teams to conduct virtual classrooms and training sessions for teachers. The collaboration tools enabled educators to share lesson plans, resources, and best practices, enhancing the quality of education provided to students. These case studies demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of Microsoft Teams in supporting hybrid work models for nonprofits. By adopting Teams, organizations can improve their operational efficiency, enhance communication, and better serve their communities. Getting Started with Microsoft Teams Sign Up for Azure: If your nonprofit organization doesn't already have an Azure account, sign up for one. Provision Microsoft Teams: In the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to "Teams & Groups". Follow the prompts to set up Microsoft Teams for your organization. Create Teams and Channels: In Microsoft Teams, create teams for different departments or projects. Set up channels within each team to organize conversations and files by topic. Integrate with Other Microsoft Services: Integrate Microsoft Teams with other Microsoft services such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and Outlook. Use connectors and apps to enhance collaboration and productivity. Train Staff on Using Teams Provide training to your staff on how to use Microsoft Teams effectively. Additional Benefits of Microsoft Teams for Nonprofits Enhanced Collaboration: The integration of Microsoft Teams with other Microsoft services like SharePoint and OneDrive fosters better collaboration among team members. Nonprofits can create a centralized hub for all their data and applications, making it easier for staff to access and share information. For example, a nonprofit focused on disaster relief can use Microsoft Teams to coordinate their response efforts. By integrating Power BI dashboards into Teams, staff members can access real-time data on the affected areas, track the progress of relief efforts, and communicate with team members in a single platform. This enhanced collaboration can lead to more efficient and effective disaster response, ultimately helping more people in need. Scalability: As nonprofits grow, their needs evolve. Microsoft Teams is scalable, allowing organizations to expand their use of the tools as their operations become more complex. This ensures that nonprofits can continue to benefit from the platform as they take on new projects and initiatives. For instance, a nonprofit that initially uses Teams to manage volunteer registrations can later expand their use of the platform to include donor management, event planning, and program evaluation. This scalability allows organizations to build on their existing solutions and continuously improve their operations. Cost-Effectiveness: By leveraging Microsoft Teams, nonprofits can reduce their reliance on expensive third-party software and custom development. The platform's low-code/no-code approach enables organizations to build and maintain their own solutions, saving both time and money. Nonprofits can also take advantage of Microsoft's discounted pricing for nonprofit organizations, making it more affordable to access the full suite of Teams tools. This cost-effectiveness allows nonprofits to allocate more of their resources towards their mission, rather than spending on expensive software solutions. Security and Compliance: Microsoft Teams is built on a secure and compliant infrastructure, ensuring that nonprofits' data is protected. Organizations can take advantage of Microsoft's robust security features to safeguard sensitive information and comply with industry regulations. For example, a nonprofit that handles sensitive donor information can use Teams' security features to ensure that their data is encrypted and access is restricted to authorized personnel only. This level of security helps build trust with donors and ensures that the organization complies with data protection regulations. Conclusion By adopting Microsoft Teams, nonprofits can improve their efficiency, make data-driven decisions, and ultimately achieve greater impact in their communities. Whether it's through creating insightful dashboards with Power BI, building custom applications with Power Apps, or automating workflows with Power Automate, the platform offers a comprehensive solution to the unique challenges faced by nonprofit organizations. The real-world examples of nonprofits successfully leveraging Teams demonstrate the transformative potential of these tools. From improving healthcare delivery to streamlining case management, Teams has enabled nonprofits to enhance their operations and better serve their communities. As nonprofits continue to face increasing demands and limited resources, the need for efficient and effective solutions becomes more critical. Microsoft Teams provides a powerful and flexible set of tools that can help organizations overcome these challenges and achieve their mission. By embracing this technology, nonprofits can unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and impact. In summary, Microsoft Teams offers a range of benefits for nonprofits, including enhanced collaboration, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and security. By leveraging these tools, organizations can streamline their operations, make data-driven decisions, and ultimately achieve greater impact in their communities. Whether you're just getting started with Teams or looking to expand your use of the tools, the potential for transformation is immense. Embrace the power of Microsoft Teams and take your nonprofit to new heights.Mastering Microsoft Teams Messaging: A Guide to Message Bar Features
Exploring the Message Bar in Teams When you open a chat or channel in Teams, the message bar is where you type your messages. But beyond just text, it offers several features that make communication more effective. Here’s a breakdown of what you can do: 1. Rich Text Formatting ("A" Icon) The "A" (Format) button expands the message bar, allowing you to: Apply bold, italics, underline, and strikethrough for emphasis. Adjust font size, color, and highlight for clarity. Create ordered and unordered lists for structured communication. Insert quotes and code snippets for technical discussions. 2. @Mentions for Attention Using @ followed by a name notifies a specific person in a chat or channel, ensuring they don’t miss important messages. In channels, you can also mention: @team – The name of the team: Notifies everyone in the team. @channel – The name of the channel: Alerts everyone following the channel. @everyone - Alerts everyone in a chat. 3. Attach Files (Paperclip Icon) Teams makes it easy to share files directly in chat. You can: Upload files from OneDrive or your local device. Drag and drop files into the message bar. Collaborate in real time on Office documents. Find the paperclip icon, by clicking on the '+' icon. 4. Emojis, GIFs, and Stickers Enhance engagement with: 😀 Emojis – Express emotions quickly. 🎭 GIFs – Add fun or emphasize messages. 🖼️ Stickers & Memes – Create customized visuals. 5. Inline Reactions Instead of replying, hover over a message and use quick reactions like 👍❤️😂 to acknowledge messages instantly. 6. Loop Components For interactive collaboration, Loop Components allow you to create: Live task lists Shared tables Real-time checklists These stay editable by everyone in the chat, keeping information updated. 7. Urgent & Important Messages (! Icon) Teams lets you mark messages as: Important (Red exclamation mark) – Highlights key messages. Urgent (Red bell) – Sends repeated notifications to ensure visibility. Navigate to the '+' for Action and Apps Click on the "Set delivery options" Select which delivery options you would like 8. Meeting Scheduling (Calendar Icon) If a conversation needs a deeper discussion, use the Schedule a Meeting button to book a Teams meeting instantly. First click on the '+' icon and find the 'Schedule meeting' option. 9. Schedule a Message If there is a need to send a message later, perhaps during normal working hours or as a reminder to a teammate at a certain time, schedule a message for the best date and time up to a week in the future. 10. Immersive Reader (Three Dots Menu) This accessibility feature reads messages aloud and adjusts text size for better readability. Hover over a message Click on the three dots menu that appears If not enabled yet, hover over More Actions Click on Immersive Reader The messages will appear in new screen click on "ESC" button to exit 11. Copilot AI Assistance (accessible with a subscription) For organizations with a Copilot license, Microsoft Teams now includes AI-powered assistance directly in chat. With Copilot, you can: Summarize long chat threads to quickly catch up on conversations. Draft messages with AI suggestions to improve clarity and tone. Extract action items from discussions to ensure follow-ups aren’t missed. Ask for insights about ongoing conversations, making it easier to stay informed. Copilot in Teams is a premium feature, available only to organizations subscribed to Microsoft’s AI-enabled subscribed plans/licenses. It’s a game-changer for productivity, reducing manual effort in message drafting and task tracking. Conclusion The message bar in Microsoft Teams is more than just a text box—it’s a productivity powerhouse. Whether you're formatting messages, sharing files, collaborating with Loop, or leveraging AI with Copilot, knowing these features can enhance your communication experience. 💬 What’s your favorite Teams messaging feature? Let us know in the comments!Engage, Empower, Excel - Fun Ways Nonprofits Can Use Microsoft Polls
Polls for Nonprofits: The Secret Sauce for Engagement! Microsoft Polls is a built-in feature that helps nonprofits quickly gather feedback, spark engagement, and make data-driven decisions—all without switching apps. And the best part? It’s easy and free for organizations using Microsoft 365! 🙌 🎯 Why Should Nonprofits Use Microsoft Polls? Quick Decisions, Less Guesswork – Need to decide on a meeting time? Want feedback on an upcoming fundraising campaign? Fire off a quick poll and get instant results. Boost Engagement & Participation – Volunteers and staff love to feel heard! Polls encourage collaboration and help keep meetings dynamic instead of crickets 🦗. Data You Can Actually Use – Poll responses are stored in Forms and can be analyzed later, helping you track trends and make informed decisions for your mission-driven work. Perfect for Remote & Hybrid Teams – Whether your team is all in one place or spread across different time zones, polls make sure everyone's voice matters! 🌍 🚀 How to Create a Poll in Microsoft Teams (It’s Easy!) Open the Apps icon in Microsoft Teams. Type in Polls in the search. Add the Polls app. Optionally pin to your menu bar if you will use it frequently. Choose a channel, chat or meeting you’d like to use Polls in and then select Open. Select Create a new Poll. Craft poll questions and responses and then select preview. Choose whether you want to record the names of respondents (visible to creator only). Choose whether you want to share results with the respondents. Select Preview and then make edits or send the poll. The chosen chat, channel or meeting will now see the poll and be able to submit responses. If you have selected to have aggregated responses visible, they will also be able to see them in real time. Poll results can also be found in Microsoft Forms. You can also create polls in Teams meetings to keep your audience engaged and interactive—perfect for virtual town halls, volunteer training, or staff check-ins. 🎉 Fun Ways Nonprofits Can Use Microsoft Polls Fundraising Brainstorming: “What theme should our next fundraiser be? 🎭🕺🏾🎨” Training & Development: “What cybersecurity topic should we cover next?” (Because cyber threats don’t take breaks! 🔐) Volunteer Scheduling: “What weekend works best for our community event? 📅” Just for Fun: “How do we feel about pineapple on pizza? 🍍🍕” (Because, yes, team bonding matters!) 🏆 Pro Tip: Make Polls a Habit! Want to keep engagement high? Try making a quick weekly poll part of your team meetings. Whether it’s a serious topic or just a lighthearted check-in, using Microsoft Polls can make work feel less like work and more like a collaborative experience. So, next time you're in a Teams meeting, give Microsoft Polls a spin and see how it transforms engagement for your nonprofit! 🚀💙 Have you tried Microsoft Polls in Teams yet? Drop a comment and share how your nonprofit is using it! 👇
