The Challenge
CBM is a not-for-profit working in disability inclusion and international development, with information moving between regions, partners, and field programs. Data of this kind, about donors, partners, and the people the organisation serves, carries real sensitivity and real obligations. CBM wanted to modernise its Microsoft 365 environment, bring structure to its collaboration, and explore Copilot. But putting AI over an ungoverned environment is risky: without classification and data protection in place, Copilot can surface information that should never have been broadly accessible. The organisation needed governance and productivity addressed together.
What Evocate Delivered
In 2025, Evocate delivered a single engagement spanning discovery, platform, and ongoing support:
- Discovery and assessment of the current Microsoft 365 environment
- SharePoint information architecture for structured, secure collaboration
- Microsoft Purview for data classification, governance, and protection
- Copilot readiness, so AI sits on top of a governed foundation
- A managed services SLA for ongoing support
Outcomes
CBM now operates a Microsoft 365 environment with governance built in rather than bolted on. SharePoint gives collaboration a defined structure. Purview applies classification and protection to sensitive information. Copilot can be adopted on a foundation where access and data handling are understood and controlled. An ongoing SLA means the environment stays supported well beyond go-live.
Why This Matters
Not-for-profits handle some of the most sensitive data around, usually on constrained budgets and small teams. The temptation is to chase AI productivity before the governance is ready. CBM shows Evocate can sequence it properly: govern and protect the data with Purview, structure it in SharePoint, then enable Copilot, all under one support arrangement. For NGOs and mission-driven organisations, the lesson is that responsible AI adoption starts with data governance, not the AI.
