Charity Managers’ Guide to Best Cloud Storage for Nonprofits

Cloud storage for nonprofits is a flexible technology that enables organisations to store and access data online from anywhere at any time, rather than on physical servers. 

For charities handling sensitive information or juggling multiple locations, cloud storage solutions bring many benefits, including: 

• cost savings on hardware and software
• increased scalability
• better collaboration between staff and volunteers
• enhanced security measures such as backups and disaster recovery plans 
• ease of information access.

 With dozens of cloud storage providers competing for your attention, selecting the right solution for your charity can feel overwhelming. The stakes are high; you need secure, reliable storage that fits your budget while supporting your mission-critical work.

In this guide, we’ll examine the leading cloud storage options available to UK charities and share practical criteria to help you make an informed decision.

If you’d like to understand more about cloud computing, check out our blog ‘What IS Cloud Computing’.

 

What Makes The Best Cloud Storage For Nonprofits?

1. When it comes to cloud storage, choosing the right one for your charity and nonprofit organisation is key. Not sure where to start? 

   The main  properties mentioned below are the key things to consider when choosing the best cloud storage solution for nonprofits:

   1. Storage capacity: The best cloud storage solution for your nonprofit is one that provides you with enough storage! While your donor databases, program files, and operational documents must be stored securely, many providers fall short on storage limits, leaving charities struggling with inadequate space or costly upgrade requirements.
   2. Security & data encryption: Your cloud storage solution will be responsible for storing all of your charity’s sensitive data and files, therefore, robust security measures should be  included with your cloud storage solution. Look for cloud storage that offers:
   • End-to-end encryption
   • GDPR compliance
   • Two-factor authentication
   • Role-based access controls
   1. Ease of access & permissions: Some cloud storage solutions include permissions and varied access levels. For example, if your charity has managers, staff and volunteers, tailoring users to different permissions allows you to determine who can access your file folders.
   2. Integration with apps & software: The best cloud storage for nonprofits is one that can offer integration with multiple apps and software. Not only does this help to keep your data and files in one place, but it also maximises ease of use.

   3. Collaboration Tools. Nonprofits often rely on remote teams and partners. Integrated tools for real-time collaboration, like document editing and file sharing, make it easier to work together and improve productivity.

   4. Costing: Last but not least, is the cost. Finding the right cloud storage for your charity budget at a suitable price is vital. There are many cloud storage solutions that offer heavily discounted or even free plans for registered charities, with a wide range of packages, some being bespoke.. Always ask about nonprofit pricing and what’s included—some features may be limited on free tiers.

   5. Data backup and recovery. Reliable backup options and recovery tools protect your organisation from accidental deletions or cyberattacks. Look for automatic backup features and clear recovery processes.

   6. Mobile access. Staff and volunteers are often on the go. With a proper BYOD policy in place, mobile-friendly apps ensure they can access important files securely from anywhere.

   Support and training. Access to responsive customer support and helpful training resources can make a big difference, especially if you’re implementing cloud storage for the first time.

 

Best Cloud Storage for Charities in the UK

1. Microsoft OneDrive for Nonprofits

 

 

Microsoft OneDrive for Nonprofits is an online storage and collaboration platform that helps nonprofits streamline their operations and boost productivity. 

Microsoft OneDrive is free for eligible nonprofit organisations of up to 300 users. It comes under Microsoft 365 Business Basic and can be purchased with a Microsoft grant.

OneDrive Features

OneDrive offers several plus points for nonprofits:, 

• 1TB of storage for subscriptions with fewer than five users. Unlimited OneDrive storage for E3 or E5 subscriptions of five or more users.
• Allows the admin to set file permissions and integration with Microsoft Office Apps.
• Access anywhere, anytime
• File sharing and collaboration. OneDrive for Nonprofits enables organisations to share large files with ease while ensuring that the data remains secure. OneDrive also offers improved collaboration between staff and volunteers, increased scalability, better agility, and easier access to information. 
• Large file support
• Security and compliance, with enhanced security measures such as data encryption.
• Seamless Integration
• Cost savings
• Offline access
• Copilot integration

 in delivery and disaster recovery plans,

 

2. Microsoft SharePoint for Nonprofits

 

 

Microsoft SharePoint for nonprofits is more than just cloud storage; it’s a collaboration platform which helps organisations that need multiple individuals and teams to work on documents and products at the same time. 

Microsoft SharePoint enables intranets and team sites for different departments within a nonprofit organisation. Your team can collaborate in real-time on dashboards, calendars, tasks, notifications, and updates. Also, Microsoft 365 SharePoint provides version history for restoring and protecting data and an admin centre to track important updates.

Microsoft SharePoint Features

Here are Microsoft SharePoint features in a nutshell:

• Document management & storage: A Central place to store, organise and share files securely.
• Collaboration tools: Real-time co-authoring, version control, and easy file sharing across teams and volunteers.
• Customisable Intranet: Build team sites or hubs to share updates, policies, event info, and resources.
• Integration with Microsoft 365 – Works seamlessly with Teams, Outlook, and OneDrive, keeping everything connected.
• Access control & security: Role-based permissions, data encryption, and compliance tools to safeguard sensitive information.
• Automation & workflows: Streamline processes like approvals, reporting, or document tracking.
• Search & navigation: Advanced search to quickly find documents, people, or resources.
• Mobile access: secure apps for accessing content on the go.

Microsoft SharePoint is free for up to 300 users with Microsoft 365 Business Basic Grant option. It also offers 1 TB of storage, plus 10 GB per license purchased (Microsoft 365 Business Standard Nonprofit Staff Pricing £2.30 per user per month. Microsoft grant offers 10 users free, then £4.210 for any additional user per month

 

3. Google Workspace For Nonprofits

 

 

Google Workspace is Google’s suite of cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools for businesses and organisations. It includes Gmail, Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Calendar, and other apps, all integrated to work together seamlessly.

Eligible nonprofits can access specific offers:

• Google Workspace for Nonprofits (offered at no charge)
• Business Standard (at 75+% nonprofit discount)
• Business Plus (at 72+% nonprofit discount)
• Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus (at 70%+ nonprofit discount)

Google Drive is the cloud storage component within Google Workspace (also available as a standalone consumer product). 

If your nonprofit or team members use Google Drive storage outside of Workspace, or for personal/backup purposes, Google One offers plans like:

• 15 GB free (shared across Drive, Gmail, Photos) for all Google accounts
• ~£1.59 per month for 100 GB plan (UK) 
• ~£2.49/month for 200 GB
  ~£7.99/month (≈ 2 TB)

Google Workspace provides control over document sharing policies, meaning you can decide whether external viewers can access your files and make edits to them. 

You can also grant permissions within your organisation at different levels for folders and files. There are colour-coded version histories to quickly see who made changes to a document and restore or make copies of an old version. Google Workspace is fully integrated with cloud apps for Gmail, Google Meet and Google Calendar.

Google Drive Features for Nonprofits

• Generous Shared Cloud Storage
• Nonprofits get access to 100 TB of pooled storage distributed across all users in the organisation.
• Shared Drives: Teams can use “Shared drives” which are spaces owned by the organisation (not just individual accounts), making file ownership, access and organisation easier.
• Offline Access: Work on files without internet; changes sync once you’re back online.
• Advanced Search – Smart search powered by Google, including filters by type, owner, or keyword.
• Mobile Access – Dedicated apps for Android and iOS for easy access on the go.
• Security & Compliance – Encryption in transit and at rest, two-factor authentication, and admin controls for organisations.

 

4. Dropbox Business 

 

 

Dropbox Business is an enduring cloud storage solution that offers advanced sharing and permission controls and team management tools.

Dropbox Standard package costs £12 per user per month (a minimum of 3 users) with a total of 5 TB,000GB of storage. They also offer an Advanced package at £18  per user per month (a minimum of 3 users) with starts with 15 TB of storage. unlimited storage. Dropbox Business doesn’t have a free version available, however, nonprofit discounts can be available by contacting Dropbox directly.

Dropbox Features

Dropbox Business provides:

• Granular file permissions to ensure that only the correct people within your organisation have access to each document. 
• Dropbox allows you to collaborate in real-time when editing files or even leaving feedback on documents using Dropbox Paper. 
• With Dropbox, files are encrypted in transit, ensuring the security of your data. 
• It also provides fast tracking to see how your data is being shared through in-depth audit logs.
• Access files from anywhere, useful for remote work and field operations.

 

5. Box For Nonprofits

 

 

Last but not least, Box, a cloud storage solution that provides content management, secure collaboration and automated workflow.   Box comes with an insight dashboard so that admin users can see how others are using Box. 

Box offers 10 free licences for eligible nonprofits, which come with 100GB of storage. There are also 3 other packages currently at 50% off. The Business package which provides unlimited storage, unlimited users and 1 app integrations for $10 per user. Business Plus also provides unlimited storage for unlimited users, but has 3 app integrations and a larger single upload limit. Lastly, Enterprise provides unlimited storage for unlimited users, but also has unlimited app integration.

Box Features

• Box Relay saves your nonprofit organisation time by allowing you to create automated workflows for users. 
• In terms of security, Box provides metadata labels to ensure that users are aware of documents containing sensitive data and adjust sharing permissions accordingly. 
• Box cloud storage solution integrates with Microsoft Office 365 and Google Docs and so you can work on your Google or Microsoft documents and autosave them to Box.
• Secure Cloud Storage. Store and organise files of any type, with encryption at rest and in transit.
• File Sharing & Permissions. Share files/folders with individuals or groups, control access levels (view, edit, upload only), and set password protection or expiry dates.
• Mobile Access. Dedicated iOS and Android apps for secure on-the-go access.

Cloud Storage for Nonprofit Comparison Table

Here’s a comparison table summarising the main features and pricing of the best cloud storage for charities:

Solution	Typical Nonprofit Offer / Price*	Storage / Limits	Key Features (Collaboration, Security, Admin)	Pros & Things to Watch
Microsoft OneDrive / SharePoint (via Microsoft 365 for Nonprofits)	• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: free grant for up to 300 users. • Microsoft 365 Business Premium: ≈ US$5.50/user/month for nonprofit staff pricing, annual commitment. • Microsoft 365 E3 Nonprofit: ≈ US$9.00/user/month	• OneDrive: 1 TB per user for many plans; can scale up (depending on number of users, etc.), up to 5 TB in some plans. • SharePoint allows shared sites, team sites; central storage, libraries etc.	• Strong integration with Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) both web & desktop. • SharePoint enables creation of intranet / team sites, workflows (Power Automate), versioning, permissions. • Good compliance, audit, identity & security features (e.g. multi-factor auth, device management via Business Premium). • Admin tools, ability to manage external sharing, etc.	Pros: very good if your organisation already uses Microsoft tools; mature security + compliance; lots of features. Watch outs: Free grant plans have limitations (e.g. fewer security features or no desktop apps); recent changes in Microsoft’s nonprofit licensing (some grant-based plans being phased out) mean you may need to pay / upgrade.
Google Drive / Google Workspace for Nonprofits	• Free plan: Google Workspace for Nonprofits (“Nonprofit edition”) — free for eligible organisations. • Paid discounted plans: Business Standard, Business Plus etc. (with nonprofit discounts ~70-75%) • UK pricing: Business Standard ~ £2.95/user/month (annual), Business Plus ~ £5.16/user/month (annual) with nonprofits discount.	• Free plan: pooled storage ~ 100 TB shared across all users (for the free nonprofit edition) with up to 2,000 users. • Business Standard: 2 TB per user (pooled) • Business Plus: 5 TB per user (pooled) (	• Real-time collaboration via Drive, Docs, Sheets etc. • Shared drives, external sharing controls, admin tools. • Meet video conferencing, etc. • Security / compliance features increase in higher tiers (eDiscovery, retention, endpoint management, etc.) • Good support and management tools.	Pros: very good free entry option; simple to use; good collaboration; generous storage in free plan for many users. Watch outs: free plan may lack advanced security / compliance features; higher plans cost more; pooled storage means large users may use up shared quota. Also, organisation size limits may apply for free or discounted tiers.
Dropbox Business	• Nonprofits can get ~40% discount via programs like TechSoup on plans like Dropbox Business Standard and Advanced. • UK business pricing (non-nonprofit) for Standard ~ £12/user/month, Advanced ~ £18/user/month. Discounts can reduce that.	• Standard: ~5,000 GB (5 TB) shared storage for the team. • Advanced: much larger/unlimited team storage depending on plan.	• Strong file syncing (good desktop / mobile clients), sharing, version history, audit logs. • Team admin controls. • Permissions, link sharing, etc. • External sharing, some workflow features.	Pros: reliable, mature product; good for teams needing heavy file storage + syncing. Watch outs: can be more expensive per-user for higher capacity; free / lower tiers less generous in features; some security/compliance features only in higher plans; discount process may require validation.
Box	• Box for Nonprofits: they offer donations & discounts to nonprofits around the world. • In general, Box’s Business / Business Plus / Enterprise plans in UK cost: Business ~ £16/user/month; Business Plus ~ £27/user/month; Enterprise ~ £38/user/month. These are non-discounted; nonprofit discount may reduce them.	• Most of Box’s business & enterprise plans offer unlimited storage (or very large quotas) depending on plan. For example, Business & above often unlimited.• File upload size limits vary (e.g. 5 GB, 15 GB, 50 GB etc depending on plan).	• Strong content management: metadata, labels, workflow automation (Box Relay), granular sharing & external collaborator controls. • Good security/compliance support. • Integrations with other apps. • AI-tools in newer plans for search etc.	Pros: powerful for organisations that need advanced content management, large storage & strong security. Watch outs: cost can be high for many users; some advanced features only in top tiers; need to check whether the nonprofit discount brings it to affordable level.

 

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there are lots of cloud storage options for nonprofits on the market. Deciding on a cloud storage solution that best suits your charity is vital, whether it’s based on storage amount, collaboration features or access levels, use the information from this blog to determine the best for your nonprofit organisation.

Do you need some advice on how cloud storage solutions for your charity? Book your FREE consultation below to speak to our IT experts and find out the best cloud storage for nonprofits.