Malteser restores health and dignity to those in need with Microsoft 365 Copilot

The Germany-based international aid nonprofit Malteser provides care for hundreds of thousands of people every day. In Germany, caring workers provide healthcare, visiting services for lonely people, access to warming centers, and more. In a rural area of Haiti plagued by landslides, they teach farmers sustainable agriculture practices to improve their community’s nutrition and reforestation techniques to restore the ecosystem. In mobile outreach clinics in Uganda, they provide testing, advice, and paths toward early intervention for sickle cell disease, improving the quality and length of life for many people with this condition. 

Each of these projects reflects Malteser’s mission of providing healthcare, humanitarian relief, and social services. The Germany-based nonprofit, which is an institution of the international Order of Malta, promotes health and dignity for all. “Everything we do at Malteser is about helping other people and doing good in the world,” says Merle Elsner, Organizational Development Manager at Malteser.

Like many mission-driven organizations, Malteser is facing a growing need for their services. Demographic changes, immigration patterns, and the frequency of crises worldwide increase demand for Malteser's help with health, disaster relief, gender equality, and more. Meanwhile, funding uncertainties and staffing difficulties put pressure on the nonprofit’s operations. Malteser is rising to the occasion by gaining efficiencies, finding creative solutions, and fueling innovation through Microsoft 365 Copilot.

“We give to the world in every way we can,” explains Thomas Berding, Chief Information Officer at Malteser. “We are finding new ways to offer our services and help communities with the support of technology.”

Serving communities through greater efficiency

“The combination of passion and compassion drives us at Malteser,” Elsner says. From elder care in Germany to establishing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in Africa and Asia, the nonprofit always aims to do more for the communities they serve. They are maximizing their work by becoming even more productive with Copilot.  

About 500 office-based staff now use Microsoft 365 Copilot, saving a significant amount of their time through the AI assistant’s efficiencies. They delegate repetitive tasks, such as designing protocols, drafting project plans, writing emails, outlining job descriptions, and analyzing the risks and strengths of new proposals. They also use the tool to streamline administrative work, such as directing Copilot to summarize email inboxes and identify urgent messages. Human oversight over outputs ensures materials are in line with both Malteser’s priorities and culture. 

Staff use the saved time to focus on the work that drives Malteser’s mission. For example, one manager uses Microsoft 365 Copilot to create shift schedules for 50 workers who run a shelter for migrants. It used to take him hours to balance scheduling conflicts, but now he completes this recurring task in a few minutes. He has more energy and time for leading his team, coaching individuals, and developing an even better experience for the people they serve. As another manager says, “Copilot gives me more time for what I care most about: supporting persons.”

Malteser’s IT service team is using Microsoft 365 Copilot to respond to calls and tickets. They use a Microsoft agent, which draws from information in a SharePoint-based knowledge base, to troubleshoot issues and answer questions for thousands of staff. While the team is continuing to refine the solution, “we see they are able to support colleagues faster,” empowering the entire workforce to get back to their mission-moving work, Berding says.   

The productivity gains have made a clear business case for Microsoft 365 Copilot. “We have to be very careful with overhead spending because we invest the most possible on our services,” Elsner explains. “Copilot is a good investment because it improves the efficiency of our work.”

Collaborating on a shared vision

Malteser provides frontline services in more than 30 countries, enabled by behind-the-scenes support staff based primarily in Germany. With such a dispersed workforce, “technology in the Microsoft world makes us more connected,” Berding says. 

Teams use the Microsoft 365 suite to collect shared information and seamlessly collaborate on documents, presentations, and creative content. Knowledge banks document organizational norms, role responsibilities, project statuses, past projects, and future strategies to ensure continuity. That way, teams can continue to push important work forward even when staff go on vacation or switch roles. “When people have the information they need, they can make better decisions. That makes our work better,” Elsner says.

With the foundation of Microsoft 365, Malteser rolled out Microsoft 365 Copilot, which easily integrates into the platforms staff use every day. The AI assistant acts as an “external perspective” to help colleagues hash out differences, identify where competing ideas overlap, and find common ground, Berding says. "As an impartial party, Copilot can overcome personal tensions and help people look at conflicts differently,” he adds. 

Malteser leadership has noticed that younger generations prioritize collaboration in their work style, embracing the team approach that technology enables. Access to cutting-edge tools helps with recruitment, too. Malteser hiring managers have noticed that young workers in particular are attracted to the opportunity to work in an organization that leverages technology. They see investment in Microsoft 365 Copilot as an investment in the workforce.

“Technology is an important step to connect our resources and enable us to work together,” Elsner says. “That makes us much stronger.”