The MCP Connector integration is available with the Enterprise subscription.
This articles covers how to set up the MCP Connector integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot and corresponds with Phase 2: Client Instructions in the MCP Connector: Integration Checklist.
Below is an overview of the setup steps for the MCP Connector integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot:
- Foundant provides a GivingData MCP server that exposes grants management tools over a secure API.
- Your IT administrator configures a Copilot Studio agent that connects to that MCP server.
- The agent is published to your organization's Microsoft Copilot environment.
- When an end user first opens the agent, they are prompted to sign in with their GivingData credentials.
- All subsequent tool calls are made on behalf of that individual user, respecting their existing GivingData role and permissions.
Prerequisites
Before following the steps in this article, confirm that the following requirements are in place:
| Requirement | Details | Who Verifies |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot License | Users who will use the agent need access appropriate for your organization's Microsoft configuration. | Your IT administrator |
| Copilot Studio Access | The person building the agent needs a Copilot Studio User License and Copilot Studio Authors role in the Power Platform environment. | Your IT administrator |
| GivingData User Accounts | Each end user must have an active GivingData account with appropriate roles configured. | GivingData administrator |
Agent Configuration in Copilot Studio
In this section, your IT administrator will complete the one-time setup to create and publish an agent in your Microsoft 365 Copilot environment.
A Copilot Studio license is necessary to build and edit the agent. End users need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to use the published agent.
Configure the Agent
- Navigate to copilotstudio.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 admin
account. - In the left-side menu, click Agents.
- Click New agent.
- Enter the following agent details:
- Name - GivingData Assistant
-
Instructions - You are a grants management assistant connected to GivingData via live data tools. When a user asks about grants, organizations, funding requests, payments, or requirements, use the available tools to retrieve real-time information. Only report what the tools return. If a query is ambiguous, ask a clarifying question. Do not fabricate grant amounts, dates, or organization
names.
Add the MCP Tool and Create the Initial Connection
- In the agent editor, click Tools.
- Click Model Context Protocol (MCP).
- Click Add, and then click Model Context Protocol (MCP).
-
Enter the following MCP server details, and then click Add:
- Server name - GivingData MCP
- Server description - GivingData grants management tools. Provides access to grants, organizations, funding requests, payments, and requirements.
- Server URL - https://YOURSITENAME.givingdata.com/api/mcp
- Authentication - OAuth 2.0
-
Configuration type - Dynamic (with discovery)
- Once the MCP server is successfully created, click Next.
- Continue to the Add tool screen, and then click Create new connection for the GivingData MCP server.
- In the sign-in window, enter your own GivingData credentials to verify that the connection works.
- This is an admin verification step; it does not affect how end users connect.
- After successful sign-in, click Add to agent to finish adding the GivingData MCP server to your agent.
Validate the MCP Connection
- The Copilot Studio provides a preview experience for testing the new agent. Run a test request (e.g., "Show me organizations created in the past X months in GivingData").
- Verify the following:
The GivingData MCP tool is invoked.
Authentication succeeds.
The MCP request returns data.
Returned data matches the user's GivingData permissions.
No unexpected authorization or connection errors occur.
Publish and Share the Agent
- In the agent editor, click Publish in the upper navigation bar.
- Click Channels, choose Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot, and then click Add channel.
- Click the three dots icon, and then click Share.
- Add the users or security groups that should have access to the agent and assign them the Viewer role.
- Click Update.
End User Setup
Instructions in this section are for each end user who will use the GivingData Assistant in Microsoft Copilot.
Locate the GivingData Assistant in Microsoft Copilot
- Open Microsoft 365 Copilot by navigating to m365.cloud.microsoft/chat or opening
Copilot in Teams. - In the left-side menu under Agents, click GivingData Assistant.
- If you do not see this option, click More agents to browse available agents in your organization.
Connect Your GivingData Account
The first time you use the agent, you will be prompted to connect your GivingData account. This
grants the agent access to your data using your own credentials and permissions.
- After opening the agent, click the Open Connection Manager link in the Connection Manager window.
- Click Add new connection.
- In the GivingData login window, enter the email address and password you use to log into GivingData, and then click Sign in.
- Once signed in, click Submit. The Connection Manager will confirm that your connection is active.
- Return to the Copilot chat window and click Retry to resubmit your original query.
Use the GivingData Assistant
Once connected, you can ask the agent questions about your GivingData grants data in plain
language. The agent can only access information that your GivingData role and permissions
allow, the same data you see when logged into GivingData directly.
Sample prompts include:
- “Show me all open grants due for a report this quarter."
- “Which organizations have overdue requirements?”
- “List grants approved in the last 12 months over $50,000.”
- “What is the status of the grant for [Organization Name]?”
- “How many active grants do we have in the Education program area?"
Troubleshooting
Below are suggested troubleshooting steps for potential issues.
- Agent does not appear in Copilot:
- Confirm that your IT administrator has published the agent and shared it with your user account or security group.
- Confirm that you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license assigned. Contact your IT administrator if unsure.
- Authentication error when signing in:
- Confirm that you are using your GivingData credentials (not your Microsoft credentials).
- Confirm that your GivingData account is active and you can log in directly at your GivingData site.
- If the issue persists, contact the GivingData Support team.
- Agent returns no data or errors on queries:
- Try opening the Connection Manager again (look for the Open Connection Manager link in the agent chat) and verify that your connection shows as active.
- If the connection appears expired, select your connection and click Sign in again to re-authenticate.
- Confirm that your GivingData role has API access enabled. Contact your GivingData administrator if unsure.
- Reconnecting after token expiry:
- Your GivingData connection token will periodically expire and require re-authentication. When this happens, the agent will prompt you to reconnect. Follow the same steps in the End User Setup section to reconnect.
Data Access and Security
Your data access in Copilot exactly mirrors your GivingData access. The agent cannot retrieve data that your GivingData role does not permit. No user can access another user's scoped data through this integration.
Key security behaviors for this feature include:
- Authentication is performed individually per user, no shared credentials or service accounts are used.
- Each user's access token is stored securely by Microsoft's connection infrastructure and is only accessible to that user's session.
- Foundant does not retain copies of user credentials or access tokens.
- All data transmitted between Microsoft Copilot and GivingData is encrypted in transit.
- Tokens expire and require periodic re-authentication, limiting the window of any potential exposure.
Reach out to your GivingData contact with any additional questions on data security or compliance.