Amazon Web Services – TechSoup

Learn more about the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program and how to make the most of the program.

What is Amazon Web Services?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a secure cloud services platform, offering computing power, database storage, content delivery, and other functionality to help businesses scale and grow.

Learn more about AWS. If you're new to AWS or want to become more aware of its services, check out the AWS introductory videos, labs, and nonprofit case studies.

What is the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program?

The AWS Nonprofit Credit Program provides access to AWS promotional credits, which help nonprofits implement cloud-based solutions to help meet their mission goals without the upfront investment of physical infrastructure.

AWS, through TechSoup Canada, will make one grant of US$1,000, US$2,000, or US$5,000 in credits per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) to eligible nonprofit organizations. Organizations can apply these service credits toward usage fees for all AWS on-demand cloud services, as available by region. AWS credits will not cover any fees or charges for Amazon Mechanical Turk, AWS Managed Services, Enterprise Support, AWS Marketplace, AWS Professional Services, AWS Training, AWS Certification, Amazon Route 53 domain name registration or transfer, any services for cryptocurrency mining, or any upfront fee for services such as Savings Plans and Reserved Instances.

With AWS, nonprofits don't have to make large upfront investments in hardware and spend time and effort managing that hardware. Instead, organizations can provision the right type and size of computing resources they need to power their organization and keep focus on the mission.

See the work Amazon Web Services is doing for nonprofits globally.

Is my organization eligible for the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program?

Consult the eligibility and restrictions page to review your organization's eligibility to participate in this program.

What is the Amazon Free Tier?

In addition to the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program, AWS offers the AWS Free Tier for all new customers for 12 months following the organization's sign-up date. The AWS Free Tier is a separate offer from the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program and allows new customers to use certain AWS services for free up to certain usage limits. The AWS Free Tier is available for one AWS account only per organization.

AWS recommends that potential grant recipients sign up for the AWS Free Tier before they request this offer. Note that receiving AWS credits will not reset the 12-month duration of the AWS Free Tier.

In most situations, organizations will use both the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program and the AWS Free Tier. This combination can help organizations leverage AWS's cloud infrastructure on a pay-as-you-go basis to host websites and fundraising software, store and analyze data, and develop new systems.

Why do I need an AWS account to request this grant?

A valid AWS account ID with the organization name identified in the Account Name field is needed to be able to apply the grant credits.

If an organization does not have an AWS account ID, it can simply sign up for a free account before it requests this grant.

A credit card is required to open an AWS account.

How long can I use the credits?

Credits are valid for at least 12 months from the time they are delivered to you via email. If they are not used within 12 months, they will expire.

What happens after I use all my credits or if they expire?

After all credits are used or if they expire after 12 months, the credit card associated with your AWS account will be charged at standard rates for all services used.

AWS recommends that organizations use Amazon CloudWatch to set up billing alerts to avoid unexpected charges.

Can I renew the grant after the first year?

Organizations can request a grant through TechSoup Canada each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) to receive additional credits.

Is it possible that my request for this grant will be rejected after I pay the admin fee?

No. Only organizations that are eligible for this grant will be allowed to request it and be charged the admin fee.