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Tanya Ellis-Puk

Senior Digital Marketing Executive

Microsoft to end its Ads for Social Impact programme – what next for nonprofits?

Related post categories Digital marketing PPC Social media Charity & non-profit
2 mins read

Microsoft Advertising recently announced it will end its Ads for Social Impact programme in December, with final grants being issued on 30th November 2025.

Since launching in 2022, the scheme has provided free monthly ad credits to eligible nonprofits, helping them run search and display campaigns across Microsoft’s ad network. It’s been a valuable, smaller-scale alternative to Google Ad Grants, giving charities another way to raise awareness, recruit supporters and drive donations.

Here’s what we know so far:

  • Final ad credits will be issued on 30 November 2025.
  • Nonprofits will have 45 days to spend any remaining credit.
  • After that, all ads must be paused.
  • Campaigns left running beyond the grant period will begin using paid funds, charged to the payment method on your account.

In short: the Ads for Social Impact programme will close fully in early 2026.

Why this matters to nonprofits

While the Microsoft programme was smaller in scale than Google Ad Grants (which offers up to $10,000 USD per month), it still played a useful role, particularly for charities diversifying their traffic sources beyond Google, as a cost-free way to reach new audiences on Bing, Yahoo, and AOL networks.

Losing this support means nonprofits will need to decide whether to pivot their advertising away from Microsoft platforms or start allocating budget there instead.

Our take

For many charities, this news will come as a disappointment. The Ads for Social Impact programme has offered an extra route to reach supporters and share vital messages without extra cost, and losing that support may create new pressures on already-stretched budgets.

But it’s also a moment to take stock. As the landscape shifts, this change provides an opportunity to review your paid media mix and ensure your investment is going where it has the most impact.

Charities can use this time to:

  • Review performance. Look at how your Microsoft Ads have performed - are they worth continued investment, or is it time to refocus elsewhere?
  • Test and explore. Consider trialling new channels or formats to diversify your reach.
  • Optimise what’s working. Make full use of your Google Ad Grants, including testing newer campaign types like AI Max, which we explored in our recent blog.

Our recommendations

  • Reforecast your 2026 media spend. If Microsoft Ads were driving results, you may want to keep a small budget to continue key campaigns.
  • Broaden your channel mix. Experiment with Google Ad Grant formats, paid social, or social search to reach audiences in new ways.
  • Plan ahead. Start preparing now so you can transition smoothly before the programme ends.

If you’d like to explore how to adapt your approach before the programme ends, please get in touch.

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