Microsoft Ads for Social Impact Discontinued

What’s next for nonprofits?

What Is Microsoft Ads for Social Impact?

Microsoft’s Ads for Social Impact Program was created to empower nonprofits by providing ad grants that helped them reach more people, promote their causes, and grow their online presence through the Microsoft Advertising Network. Think of it as Microsoft’s answer to Google Ad Grants, an initiative that allowed eligible nonprofits to promote their missions through free online advertising credits on Google Search.

Program Officially Ending

In early 2025, many nonprofits were optimistic when Microsoft appeared to revive the Ads for Social Impact initiative. Applications were reportedly being reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and it seemed that more nonprofits might soon get into the program. However, after months of uncertainty, the opposite became true.

Microsoft has now confirmed that the Ads for Social Impact Program will officially end in December 2025.

This announcement has come as a disappointment to nonprofit professionals who relied on these ad grants to expand their reach or who were eagerly awaiting acceptance into the program. Still, Microsoft emphasized that its commitment to social impact remains strong.

For Nonprofits Running Ads for Social Impact Campaigns

According to Microsoft’s latest communications, the final ad grants will be issued on November 30, 2025, with a 45-day window for approved accounts to spend the grant.

Microsoft has already contacted participating organizations directly, so if your nonprofit is part of the program, it’s crucial to check your email inbox (and spam folder) for official updates.

Now is the time to prepare for a smooth transition:

Download and archive campaign performance data. These metrics will help guide future advertising decisions.
Explore alternative ad grant opportunities, programs such as Google Ad Grants, LinkedIn for Nonprofits, and others that can help fill the gap.

What Prevails

Microsoft will continue supporting nonprofits through its broader Tech for Social Impact initiatives, which include access to software, cloud solutions, and digital resources designed to help mission-driven organizations operate more efficiently and achieve greater impact.

These programs will continue to provide value in areas like productivity, security, collaboration, and technology enablement, ensuring that nonprofits can still access powerful tools even as the ad grant winds down.

Also, nonprofits that saw positive ROI from their Ads for Social Impact accounts can, of course, continue using a commercial version of Bing Ads. We recommend to thoroughly analyze the campaign performance and move best-performing elements into a commercial Bing Ads account. It is very likely that hand-picked campaigns like that will continue running strongly in a commercial account and such investment will pay off.

We will be happy to help you with such analysis and transition. Feel free to contact us for more information.

What It Means For Nonprofits

The end of the Ads for Social Impact Program is certainly a loss for many organizations that benefited from, or were hoping to join, this initiative. However, this change also offers a chance to explore alternative opportunities, such as Google Ad Grants, LinkedIn for Nonprofits, or other online advertising programs that support awareness and fundraising goals. Also, commercial Bing Ads campaigns remain available to nonprofits. It might make sense for those, who saw positive ROI in their grant-backed Ads for Social Impact accounts.

While Microsoft’s decision marks the close of one chapter, its continued investment in the social impact ecosystem shows there are still meaningful ways for nonprofits to leverage Microsoft technology to advance their missions.

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