Giving Back: How RyanTech is empowering nonprofit organizations with the latest technology

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RyanTech – Premier, Managed Office 365 partner in North America

Microsoft Gold Platform partner RyanTech is no stranger to excellence. Heavily involved in the Microsoft partner community, RyanTech has long been involved in the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) as well as the partner engagement board. The US-based partner has an impressive history selling Microsoft services, and RyanTech’s customers currently account for the largest share of Office 365 seats among Microsoft partners in North America. RyanTech’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed having won Microsoft Partner of the Year 3 times in the last 5 years.

RyanTech’s Founder and CEO Kevin McMillen sees commercial success as only a small part of the work RyanTech is doing. Taking advantage of Microsoft’s NGO/NPO development program, McMillen has used his relationship with Microsoft, as well as his own organization’s expertise to empower non-profits across North America to make lasting, human impacts in their communities.

Microsoft’s NGO/NPO opportunity

Microsoft’s Partners for Good program is an initiative Microsoft developed, enabling its partners to provide subsidized Azure and Office 365 licenses to its non-profit organizations. The program offers non-profits $5K in free Azure services with which these organizations can digitize their entire operations, helping NPOs across the world do great work to better the communities in which they reside.

The program was founded with partners like RyanTech in mind – partners willing to put in the work to evangelize this opportunity across the non-profit community.

RyanTech takes the offering one step further, matching Microsoft’s contribution to provide their non-profit customers with $10K per year in free azure services while also providing Office 365 licenses for their entire organization at no charge to the customer.

While RyanTech collects their standard fees for services, support and implementation, the real opportunity in these engagements comes from the opportunity to make meaningful impact within these communities while establishing a reputation for excellence and giving – a valuable long term strategy that has given Kevin and RyanTech a sterling reputation among their customers and other for-profit businesses.

The Center on 4^th

Kevin McMillen has been an entrepreneur all of his life. Leaving home at a young age, Kevin’s experience with business has been characterized by passion and risk – a philosophy he still holds today. Shortly after starting RyanTech, Kevin met Curtis Thornhill, a successful entrepreneur in his own right and founder of the Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th in Arizona – a charitable organization affiliated with the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF).

“We envision the Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th as a safe, supportive space for the LGBTQ+ youth of Southern Arizona – a place to share and grow, a place to move beyond endurance to transformation and triumph." – Curtis Thornhill, Founder, The Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th

Informed by his own experience growing up, Thornhill’s organization was created to help ensure that no young person would ever find themselves on the street as a consequence of their parents’ intolerance.

“Curtis’ organization was set up to ensure that no young person never needed to go through what he had to go through in his life. The Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th provides kids access to showers, kitchens, hygiene and education. The kids learn how to cook and how to sew – volunteers from the community come in and educate those who are interested in religious studies. Other businesses also contribute to the center; for example, Comcast recently donated TVs and high-speed internet to the facility.” – Kevin McMillen, CEO

The Thornhill Lopez Center on 4th is a great example of the powerful impact individuals and partners can bring to their community when committed and united in a worthy cause. When Kevin first heard about the organization, he was quick to offer assistance from RyanTech. This has not only enabled the organizational to modernize its infrastructure and digitize its operations – but has also empowered the kids staying at the center with a unique skills development opportunity.

“We came in and provided Office 365 licenses for all of the kids, volunteers and faculty at the center. We ensure they all have Office on their devices and use it as an opportunity to educate them on some of the tools they will need when entering the modern workforce. We give them access to the training and knowledge center in order to help them learn Excel, Word and PowerPoint. We provide curriculum and testing, ultimately giving them a certification that they can take to potential employers when they go out and look for jobs.” – Kevin McMillen, Founder and CEO, RyanTech

Targeting the non-profit vertical

RyanTech’s work doesn’t go unnoticed, as the partner has consistently received referrals and won further work with clients involved in charitable organizations who run commercial businesses of their own. This has enabled RyanTech to passionately give to the non-profit community, while continuing to grow their commercial business.

“In 90 percent of the cases when you work with non-profits, you find that at the top of these organizations are successful, passionate people who are involved in commercial endeavors as well. When they see us give, and see the kind of value we can provide with Azure and Office 365, it makes them want to get us involved in their commercial practices as well.” – Kevin McMillen, Founder and CEO, RyanTech

RyanTech’s approach doesn’t come without risk – they provide a significant amount of time and value up front for their non-profit customers. For McMillen, however, the rewards significantly outweigh that risk, as he is able to channel his passion to serve the community while expanding his network. By being engaged and outspoken, Kevin has put his organization in the best position to succeed.

By taking risks and offering discounted or free support and services to non-profits, he has been able to grow his business while serving the community. Kevin’s advice to other partners – “don’t get comfortable; think like entrepreneurs.”

“The biggest excuse I see partners make when we ask why they aren’t more involved with non-profits and other community organizations is: ‘I don’t have time.’ They see themselves as being too busy and they don’t see the value in this sort of work. My advice to them would be to take risks. You have to be willing to take a leap of faith, otherwise you are not an entrepreneur. You shouldn’t call yourself an entrepreneur unless you are willing to risk everything on an idea and not sleep until it is done. If you are cozy and comfortable just being a Microsoft partner, you are not going to last long these days. You have to take risks and get involved.” – Kevin McMillen, Founder and CEO, RyanTech