The Safest Way for Nonprofits to Validate Conditional Access Policies Before Enforcing Them

Nonprofits rely on secure, reliable access to Microsoft 365 to serve communities, support staff and volunteers, and protect sensitive data. Conditional Access (CA) in Microsoft Entra ID is one of the strongest tools available to safeguard identities—but a misconfigured policy can unintentionally block staff, volunteers, donors, or even your entire organization. That's why Report-Only Mode is essential. It allows nonprofits to test Conditional Access policies safely, without risking lockouts or disrupting mission-critical work.

What Is Report-Only Mode?

Report-Only Mode lets you create and run Conditional Access policies in evaluation mode. When enabled:

• The policy does not enforce access
• The policy's expected outcome is logged
• You can analyze real-world sign-in impact
• Users experience zero disruption
• You can validate whether the policy is behaving as intended

It's a safe, low-risk way for nonprofits to strengthen security without interrupting services.

Why Report-Only Mode Matters for Nonprofits

1. Prevents Accidental Lockouts That Could Impact Services

Nonprofits often operate with small IT teams and limited redundancy. A single misconfigured CA policy can:

• Block all admins
• Prevent staff from accessing emails or files
• Interrupt donor portal access
• Stop volunteers from signing in during events
• Lock out emergency access accounts

Report-Only Mode exposes these risks before they affect your mission.

2. Critical for Passwordless and Passkey Rollouts

Passwordless methods—Passkeys (FIDO2), TAP, Microsoft Authenticator, Windows Hello—reduce support burden and improve security. Report-Only Mode confirms:

• Users can register new methods
• Security info setup isn't blocked
• Authentication Strengths apply correctly

This prevents enrollment issues that could overwhelm small IT teams.

3. Provides Real-Time Insights Using Logs and Workbooks

Report-Only evaluations appear in:

• Sign-in logs ("Report-only: Allowed/Blocked")
• Conditional Access Insights workbook (apps, users, locations, platforms)

These insights help refine policies before enforcing them.

4. Supports Safer Change Management

Many nonprofits have limited IT teams. A production lockout could be catastrophic. Report-Only Mode:

• Reduces risk
• Eliminates surprise outages
• Allows collaborative review across teams
• Ensures leadership confidence
• Helps with staged rollout plans

This is critical for organizations that depend on uninterrupted access to Microsoft 365 apps.

5. Minimizes Disruption for Staff, Donors, and Volunteers

In mission-driven organizations, security must enhance operations—not interrupt them. Testing in Report-Only Mode ensures:

• Volunteers can sign in during events
• Donors can access giving platforms
• Staff can work without friction

Once validated, policies can be enabled confidently.

When Should You Use Report-Only Mode?

Use Report-Only Mode whenever you:

• Create a new Conditional Access policy
• Modify an existing policy
• Add new authentication methods (Passkeys, TAP, WHfB)
• Deploy new device policies
• Enable Authentication Strengths
• Roll out Zero Trust security requirements
• Implement identity protection conditions
• Migrate from legacy authentication

In short: use it before turning any policy on.

How to Enable Report-Only Mode

1. Go to Microsoft Entra Admin Center
2. Navigate to Conditional Access → Policies
3. Create a policy
4. Under New Policy, select Report-Only
5. Save your changes
6. Monitor impact for 48–72 hours
7. Adjust as needed
8. Switch to On only after validation

Best Practices for Using Report-Only Mode

• Test policies with a pilot group first
• Include emergency access accounts in exclusions
• Monitor sign-in logs daily during testing
• Review "Report-Only" block events carefully
• Document any expected vs. unexpected outcomes
• Turn on policies only after full validation

Conclusion

Report-Only Mode is one of the safest and most effective tools for nonprofits using Microsoft Entra ID. It strengthens identity protection while keeping staff, volunteers, and donors productive. For nonprofits, it:

• Reduces risk
• Improves policy accuracy
• Supports passwordless adoption
• Enables smooth Zero Trust transitions

If your nonprofit wants stronger security without disrupting your mission, Report-Only Mode should be your starting point for every Conditional Access policy.

What's Next: Don't Get Locked Out

If you're strengthening Conditional Access, the next essential step is protecting your organization from accidental lockouts. Our upcoming blog, "Don't Get Locked Out: Why Every Organization Needs Emergency Access Accounts," walks you through how to build resilient, secure break-glass accounts in Microsoft Entra ID—so your nonprofit can recover quickly when something goes wrong.

Stay tuned to learn how to configure, secure, and maintain these critical accounts with nonprofit-ready best practices.

Updated Feb 24, 2026 VERSION 1.0 MICROSOFT ENTRA NONPROFIT