Grantee Toolkit : Get Noticed

Register with Volunteer Manager

Use Volunteer Manager to connect with Microsoft employees and Alumni. Promote volunteer opportunities and events, and confirm volunteer hours to collect matching funds. This tutorial will help guide you through the various sections of the site—from registration to confirming volunteer hours.

Get on the Map!

As a Microsoft grantee, we invite you to submit a story about how your donation from Microsoft is helping your organization fulfill its mission. Simply send your Microsoft Community Affairs Manager an email and you could be featured on the Microsoft Local Impact Map or included as a guest blogger on our Microsoft Citizenship blog. This could bring great visibility to your organization and its work and potentially help you attract new supporters.

The Microsoft Local Impact Map is a rich internet application showcasing how Microsoft and our grantees enable social and economic opportunity in communities around the world. The map is a one-stop repository for stories, data, and facts & figures about the role of technology in improving communities. With over 1,400 stories entered since launching in 2009, the map lets users quickly learn what’s happening, why it matters locally, and how technology has a positive impact on the local economy. The Map is featured on Microsoft.com. Try it out for yourself to see how it can help bring visibility to your work!

The Microsoft Citizenship Blog often features posts on how organizations like yours are making a difference. If you have a story to tell and would like to be a guest blogger, submit your ideas to your local Microsoft Community Affairs Manager.

Microsoft respects your privacy and requires a Release Form be completed before we promote your organization. Your name, image, likeness, or voice will not be used without your permission.

Social Media for Social Good

So you have heard the buzz about social media and want in on the action? Maybe you have already started, built a few accounts, and have a few followers. But have you taken the time to identify what you hope to gain from using this medium of marketing? Don’t start the journey without a map! Social media marketing is just like any other facet of business; you need to set goals, priorities, and objectives, mapping out a strategic approach to tackle a new means of communication with your audience. Whether you’re new to social media or experienced, here are some simple tips and ideas to help you succeed.

Press Relations

You got a grant from Microsoft and you want to shout it from the roof tops? How do you approach local media? We’ve provided a press release template to make it easy. Simply plug in information about your organization into this template and tell the world.

Of course we want to make talking about your grant from Microsoft as easy as possible, so we’ve also provided guidance on how you can do that. Whether you need a sentence for your organization’s newsletter or something more substantial for your annual report, we’ve provided suggested copy.

Communications and Press Relations Guidance

Talking about your support from Microsoft