Microsoft says deleted nonprofit Microsoft 365 data cannot be recovered

Microsoft says it accidentally deleted data belonging to an undisclosed number of nonprofit organizations whose Microsoft 365 Business Premium Grant licenses were being retired. The company has also said the lost data cannot be recovered, according to reports cited by TechRadar.

The grant program provided 10 free Microsoft 365 Business Premium licenses to eligible nonprofits. Microsoft announced its closure in early 2025. Renewals on or after July 1, 2025, were to be the final ones, with licenses expiring on April 1, 2026. Microsoft said it would continue offering nonprofits up to 300 granted Microsoft 365 Business Basic licenses and discounts of up to 75 percent on many Microsoft 365 offers.

Microsoft had advised affected organizations to move to Microsoft 365 Business Basic or a paid Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan, depending on their needs. It offered a retention and export window, but the reported deletion meant some organizations lost data instead. Microsoft reportedly cannot provide a list, spreadsheet or log showing what was lost.

The affected cloud data included files stored in OneDrive and could include email and documents. Microsoft has offered a specialist service to help affected organizations set up a new Microsoft 365 Business Basic account. The source says the offer applies to organizations with expired Business Premium subscriptions, except those that have moved to Google Workspace.