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! 👇Automate Your External Data Collection: Power Automate and Microsoft Forms
In the fast-paced world of nonprofits, efficiency is key. With limited resources and time, automating routine tasks can free up valuable hours for more impactful work. One area ripe for automation is data collection. By leveraging tools like Power Automate and Microsoft Forms, nonprofits can streamline their data collection processes, ensuring accuracy and saving time. (Please note that this process is applicable to both internal and external members using Microsoft Forms. For a simplified process that works exclusively for internal members, please refer to this blog: Simplify Internal Data Collection with Microsoft Lists Forms | Microsoft Community Hub) Why Automate Data Collection? Nonprofits often rely on data to make informed decisions, track progress, and report to stakeholders. However, manual data collection can be time-consuming and prone to errors. Automation offers several benefits: Efficiency: Automating data collection reduces the time spent on manual entry, allowing staff to focus on mission-critical tasks. Accuracy: Automated processes minimize human error, ensuring that data is consistent and reliable. Real-time Insights: With automated data collection, information is available in real-time, enabling quicker decision-making. Today, we will develop a Power Automate flow to capture form responses and automatically send a thank-you email. Let's begin by creating the form. Getting Started with Microsoft Forms Microsoft Forms is a powerful tool for creating surveys, quizzes, and polls. It's user-friendly and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 applications. Here's how to get started: Log in to your Microsoft 365 account by going to https://www.office.com/ , select apps, then select all Apps and navigate to Microsoft Forms. Choose the appropriate form type for your needs. Select a template to begin your form creation. Tailor your questions and style to fit your specific requirements. Once your form is ready, Click on Collect Responses share it with your audience via a link, email, or embed it on your website. Automating with Power Automate Power Automate allows you to create automated workflows between your favorite apps and services. Here's how you can use it to automate data collection from Microsoft Forms: Log in to https://make.powerautomate.com/ and click on "Create" to start a new flow. Choose between "Automated flow" to trigger actions based on specific events or "Scheduled flows" to run at predefined times or intervals. In this example we will work with Automated flows. Set Up Triggers: Write a flow and Select "When a new response is submitted" in Microsoft Forms as your trigger. This will initiate the flow whenever someone submits a form response. Pick a Form: Click on the trigger and search for the form. If the form does not appear, save the flow and refresh the page. Define what happens next: For example, you can add an action to save the form responses to an Excel file, send an email notification, or update a SharePoint list. For this example, we will send an email. To Send an email, we have to first get the email address from the responses. Add Action: Click on the plus sign and select "Add an action." Get Response Details: Select get response details. Select Form: Choose the form, click on "fx" to access the Dynamic content, select "Response Id," and click "Add." Send Email Action: Add an action and select "Send an email (V2)." Switch to Advanced Mode. Use Dynamic Content: Use Dynamic content to add the email address and the name of the user in the email body. Click on "fx" to add dynamic content. Save and test: Save and Test your flow to ensure it works as expected. A green checkmark shows that there are no issues with your flow. Real-World Applications Here are a few examples of how nonprofits can use Power Automate and Microsoft Forms: Volunteer Sign-Ups: Automate the collection and organization of volunteer information, making it easier to manage and communicate with your volunteers. Expense Approvals: Simplify the form submission process for expenses and reimbursements by implementing an approval workflow, ensuring that all expenditures are reviewed and authorized by the appropriate personnel. Project Proposals: Implement a form and approval workflow for new project proposals to ensure they align with the organization's mission and strategic goals. Once approved, a workflow can be initiated to create the project in a Planner board. Conclusion By automating data collection with Power Automate and Microsoft Forms, nonprofits can enhance their efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making capabilities. These tools not only save time but also empower organizations to focus on what truly matters – making a difference in their communities. Additional resources Microsoft Power Automate – Process Automation Platform | Microsoft Get started with Power Automate - Power Automate | Microsoft Learn Microsoft Forms help & learningWhat’s Included with Microsoft’s Granted Offerings for Nonprofits?
Are you a nonprofit looking to boost your impact with cutting-edge technology? Microsoft is here to help! From free software licenses to guided technical documentation and support, this program offers a range of resources designed to empower your organization. In this blog, we’ll dive into the incredible tools and grants available to nonprofits through Microsoft, showing you how to make the most of these generous offerings. Whether you’re managing projects or just trying to simplify your day-to-day tasks, there’s something here for everyone. Let’s explore what’s possible!Exploring Microsoft Forms: A Comprehensive Overview
Microsoft Forms emerges as a versatile tool that empowers organizations to efficiently engage with stakeholders, collect valuable data, and streamline processes. From event registrations and feedback surveys to volunteer management and fundraising campaigns, Microsoft Forms offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies data collection, enhances stakeholder interaction, and facilitates informed decision-making. Through its seamless integration with Microsoft 365, real-time response tracking, and data visualization capabilities, nonprofits can harness the power of technology to make a more significant impact on their communities and achieve their philanthropic goals.
