I cannot log in to our non profit account because two factor authentication is not working

Question

Our admin left the company. We need to download Microsoft 365 for business on a new computer and cannot log into the nonprofit hub because we cannot set up two factor authentication for it. How do we set up two factor authentication for the nonprofit email account we were given. It is not our regular email but one issued to us by microsoft.

Answer 1

I contacted the one person who might have been our global administrator, who has since left our organization. She is not familiar with the term global administrator and does not seem to know what I am asking. Right now, no one has access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center if that is what is accessed with our onmicosoft.com account.

I have never been able to link my authenticator app to that account and that seems to be the only MFA attached to that account.

We are a small church organization-I barely understand what "tenant" means in regard to technology but I'm guessing that we handle it ourselves. We don't have an IT department and handle issues with software directly with the companies that provide it.

Answer 2

Hi @Admin Asbury,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum, and I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’ve experienced accessing the nonprofit Microsoft 365 account.

To assist you more effectively, could you please confirm the following:

• Is there another Global Administrator in your company who still has access to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center?
• Does your company manage the Microsoft 365 tenant directly, or it is handled through a partner or MSP?

While we wait for your response, here are some options you can try to resolve the issue:

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1/ Contact another Global Administrator or your partner

If your company has other Global Administrators, or if your Microsoft 365 tenant is managed by a partner or MSP, the next step is to contact them. They can assign the Global Administrator role to another account.

Because MFA is enforced for administrative accounts, once the Global Administrator role is assigned to an alternate account, that administrator will be able to sign in and complete the required MFA setup.

For reference: Assign admin roles in the Microsoft 365 admin center - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

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2/ Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by phone

If your admin was the only global admin on the tenant, in this situation, the Microsoft Data Protection Team has tools and processes in place to verify identity and regain access to administrator accounts. You can try reaching out to our Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

Please note that forum moderators do not have access to user account settings and cannot assist with logging in, resetting passwords, or changing access rights. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.   

To prepare for that process, you’ll need:

• Proof of domain ownership (DNS access)
• Billing or subscription details
• Tenant ID
• Email address of the Global Administrator

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:     

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?       

You: Authenticator.       

A: What products do you use?

B: Office 365 for business.

Verification: Education or company account?

B: For companies

A: Are you an administrator?

B: Yes.

A: Are there any other administrators in your organization?

B: No.

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?     

You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me directly to the Data Protection Team.

 

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3/ Create a new tenant to submit a support ticket

If you cannot reach a live agent, there is still a workaround, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription.

To set up a new tenant, please follow these steps:

Visit Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided. Once set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant.

Follow the guided setup process to create a new account for a new tenant.

Once your tenant is created, you should be able to access the support portal and submit your ticket without further issues.

Ticket Support: In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > Help & Support.

Please remember to cancel the trial subscription once your issue is resolved to avoid any unintended charges. You may prefer the following resource for detailed instructions: Cancel your Microsoft business subscription in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn

I hope this helps you regain access to your account quickly. I'm glad to assist and truly hope the information provided has been useful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

If you find my post helpful, kindly consider marking it as the accepted answer. Doing so can assist others in the community who may have similar questions in finding solutions more quickly.

Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.

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Answer 3

To set up two-factor authentication (2FA) for your nonprofit email account issued by Microsoft, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Microsoft account: Use the email address and password associated with your nonprofit account to log in.
2. Navigate to Security settings: Once logged in, go to the security settings of your account. This is typically found under the account settings or security section.
3. Set up two-step verification: Look for the option to enable two-step verification or two-factor authentication. You may need to provide a phone number or an alternate email address where a verification code can be sent.
4. Follow the prompts: Complete the setup by following the on-screen instructions. You may need to verify your identity using the method you chose (e.g., receiving a code via SMS or email).

If you are unable to log in because the global admin has left the organization, you will need to submit a support request to transfer admin access to someone else in your organization. Only global admins can activate grants or update key profile data, so this step is crucial.

If you encounter issues during this process, such as being unable to access your account or needing assistance with the admin transfer, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for further help.

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References:

• Set up multifactor authentication for Microsoft 365
• Troubleshoot sign-in issues and account access problems