2026 Apex Digital Technology Empowerment Grant

Apex Digital Solutions is awarding up to $100,000 in Microsoft 365 Assessments to help up to ten eligible nonprofit organizations across the United States strengthen their technology foundations, improve collaboration, and enhance security.

 

 

 

 

About the Grant

At Apex Digital Solutions, we empower nonprofit organizations to confidently navigate change, strengthen security, and get the most value from their technology investments.

The 2026 Apex Digital Technology Empowerment Grant provides up to $100,000 in Microsoft 365 Assessments to help eligible nonprofit organizations across the United States understand the current state of their Microsoft 365 environments and identify practical opportunities to improve security, productivity, and collaboration. 

This year, up to ten organizations will be selected to receive a Microsoft 365 Assessment valued at $10,000 each.

Building on the success of the 2025 Apex Digital Technology Empowerment Grant, which delivered meaningful technology improvements for nonprofit organizations in Southeast Michigan, Apex Digital has expanded the grant program to reach more organizations and drive even greater impact in 2026.

What a Microsoft 365 Assessment Includes

The Microsoft 365 Assessment provides a practical, real-world evaluation of your Microsoft 365 environment to help identify opportunities to improve security, collaboration, and efficiency.

Typical focus areas include:

  • Identity and access security (account protection and sign-in risk)

  • Email security and phishing protections

  • Security posture visibility and practical improvements

  • Data protection across SharePoint and OneDrive

  • Permissions, sharing, and governance controls

  • Collaboration structure in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint

  • Licensing and usage insights tied to cost optimization

What Selected Organizations Receive

Microsoft 365 Assessment

A structured review of your Microsoft 365 environment tailored to your organization’s needs.

Clear Findings & Insights

A comprehensive summary of findings designed for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Prioritized Recommendations

Actionable next steps aligned to your team’s capacity, budget, and strategic priorities.

Who is Eligible for the Grant?

To be eligible to apply to, organizations must:

  • Be headquartered in the United States 
  • Be a 501(c)3 in good standing with your state and the Internal Revenue Service
  • Have 50+ employees  
  • Demonstrate $15M+ in annual revenue
  • Have an IT team size of at least one person   
  • Be actively using Microsoft 365 at time of application 

Exclusions:  

  • Hospital systems 
  • K-12 schools 
  • Organizations who have received a grant from Apex Digital Solutions within the past three years 

Application Process & Timeline

The timing below is presented in stages rather than fixed award dates due to rolling applications and available capacity.

Application Process

Step 1: Eligibility Screening

Start by completing the grant eligibility form.

Step 2: Full Application 

Organizations that meet the initial criteria will receive an email invitation with a link to submit the full application.

After You Apply

  • Application Review (Within approximately 2 weeks)
  • Interview Call (Within approximately 2 weeks of application review)
  • Selection Notification & Next Steps (Within approximately 2 weeks of interview call) 

After Selection

  • Discovery & Expectations Session (1–2 months after selection)
  • Microsoft 365 Assessment Completion (Approximately 1–2 months after discovery session)
  • Grant Story Interview (Approximately 2–3 months after assessment completion)

FAQs

Does an organization need to have an audit, or will a financial review and 990 form be sufficient?

Organizations may be requested to submit the most recently completed audit. If there are barriers which impede your organization providing this information, please notify the Apex Digital team for further review. You can reach the Apex Digital team at grant@apexdigital.com

Yes, it will be considered. Please communicate your concern to us within the application.

Yes, we are looking for the most recent audit information and understand that based on an organization’s fiscal year and associated lags in financial review this may be the case for some organizations. Please provide the most current information available at the time you apply. 

Grant funding does not cover hardware or licensing. Organizations must have the necessary hardware and licenses already in place or be prepared to purchase them separately outside of the grant. Apex Digital can assist with hardware and license purchasing if requested. 

No, there is no minimum number of individuals served in order to apply. Applicants will be asked to identify or share more information about their mission, who they are and who they serve, and how this proposed project will support their work and impact goals. 

The awarded grantee will be expected to submit a final report at the end of the term of service. Details will be outlined in the grant agreement but generally will focus on the impact of the project on the organization and for those you serve. 

There is an application scoring rubric and other grant resources that are available for this opportunity that can be found on apexdigital.com/grant or directly in the links below:

  • Application Questions
  • Grant Rubric

Services must be utilized and completed prior to March 31, 2027.

No, this is a service-based grant. That means that the selected grantee will receive $10,000 worth of services to support and complete a Microsoft 365 Assessment. The Apex Digital Solutions team will work with the awarded organization outlining an agreed-upon scope of work within the grant award value.  

Yes, the service-based grant is meant to be awarded to eligible non-profit organizations. 

At this time, up to ten non-profit organizations will be awarded a grant. However, if the awardee pool fills up, the Apex Digital team is available and open for discussion on possible solutions or connections to other resources to support your goals and needs. Feel free to contact the Apex Digital team at grant@apexdigital.com 

Resources

Use the resources below to understand grant requirements, prepare your application, and see how submissions will be evaluate:

Download General Grant Information and Eligibility

Download FAQs

Download Application Questions Reference Document

Download Awardee Selection Rubric

Download Legal Terms and Conditions

 

Note: This is a merit-based contest and is not a giveaway or sweepstakes. Official legal terms and conditions can be found here.

 

Questions?

If you have questions or if you would like to schedule a time to speak with a team member, please send an email to grant@apexdigital.com