Jonathan Smith is the President of MBS and the Chief Technology Officer at Faith Ministries in Lafayette, IN.
He is an author and frequent conference speaker.
You can reach Jonathan at jonathans@mbsinc.com and follow him on X @JonathanESmith.
Copyright © 2026 Jonathan Smith. All Rights Reserved.
For many nonprofits, churches, schools, and ministries, Microsoft Publisher has been a trusted tool for decades. Weekly bulletins, newsletters, donor appeals, event programs, brochures, business cards, and fundraising materials have all been created in Publisher because it offered an easy-to-use middle ground between Microsoft Word and expensive professional design software.
Microsoft has announced that Publisher will reach end of life in October 2026 and will no longer be included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions after that date. Ministries that continue to rely on Publisher should begin planning now to avoid workflow disruptions.
The good news is that there are multiple transition paths available, and there is no need to panic. The best approach depends on how heavily your organization uses Publisher today.
Here are some suggested steps to plan to modernize your desktop publishing.
Step 1: Inventory Existing Publisher Files
Before making any changes, identify:
Critical Publications
- Monthly or quarterly newsletters
- Annual reports
- Fundraising campaigns
- Event brochures
- Ministry guides
- Volunteer handbooks
Reusable Templates
- Bulletin templates
- Program layouts
- Donor mailers
- Letterhead
- Envelopes
- Business cards
Historical Documents
Determine whether files are:
- Active and regularly edited
- Occasionally reused
- Historical archives only
Step 2: Preserve Existing Content
Microsoft recommends converting important Publisher files before support ends.
Archive Copies
Save final versions as:
- PDF/A for long-term retention
- Standard PDF for sharing and printing
Benefits:
- Preserves layout
- Prevents future compatibility issues
- Easily searchable and viewable
Editable Copies
For files that may need future updates:
- Convert to Word where appropriate
- Rebuild key templates in replacement tools
- Store master templates in SharePoint or OneDrive
Now that you’ve identified your current Microsoft Publisher files, their uses, and their longevity, you can start to plan a transition path. Here are some options.
Option 1: Microsoft Word.
According to Microsoft, Word and PowerPoint (yes PowerPoint) can already do most of what you currently use Publisher for. That’s one of the reasons they are dropping Publisher as, according to them, most of the features are redundant and it doesn’t make sense to maintain numerous products that all do the same thing.
You may or may not agree with that, but objectively Word and PowerPoint can do most of what you use Publisher for today.
Best For
- Newsletters
- Letters
- Donor communications
- Basic brochures
- Volunteer materials
Advantages
- Already included in Microsoft 365
- Familiar to staff
- Excellent collaboration
- Strong long-term support
Limitations
- Less flexible for complex layouts
- Multi-column publications may require redesign
Recommended For
Most ministries producing primarily text-based publications.
Option 2: Microsoft PowerPoint
While we often think of PowerPoint as a visual presentation platform, it can do a lot in terms of print and other medias.
Best For
- Flyers
- Posters
- Event promotions
- Signs
- Ministry graphics
Advantages
- Surprisingly close to Publisher’s drag-and-drop experience
- Easy image placement
- Professional templates
- Simple PDF export
Recommended For
Ministries that primarily create visual marketing materials.
Option 3: Microsoft Designer
Designer is a web-based application, primarily for personal use, but with many tools that nonprofits may find appealing. As a web-based tool, no installation is necessary. You can try Microsoft Designer by clicking here.
Best For
- Social media graphics
- Event promotions
- Fundraising campaigns
- Volunteer recruitment materials
Advantages
- AI-assisted layouts
- Modern templates
- Cloud-based
- Included with many Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Recommended For
Organizations looking to modernize their design process.
Option 4: Canva
Due to the free nature of Canva, many ministries may already be using it. Canva is template based and perhaps now is the time to go all in with a single platform. Many ministries use numerous platforms for the same basic functionality.
Best For
- Churches
- Nonprofits
- Schools
- Volunteer-driven organizations
Advantages
- Extremely easy to learn
- Large template library
- Team collaboration
- Free nonprofit licensing available in many cases
Common Replacements
| Publisher Use | Canva Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Flyer | Flyer Template |
| Newsletter | Newsletter Template |
| Bulletin | Custom Document |
| Program | Multi-page Document |
| Fundraising Mailer | Campaign Template |
Recommended For
Most nonprofit organizations starting fresh and standardize.
Option 5: Affinity Publisher
Best For
Organizations wanting a true Publisher replacement.
Advantages
- One-time purchase
- Professional desktop publishing
- No subscription required
- Modern development
Recommended For
Organizations with in-house marketing staff.
Option 6: Adobe InDesign
If you are already using Creative Suite, and already have a license for InDesign, going all in with Adobe may make sense. While there is a significant learning curve, the long-term benefits will be powerful.
Best For
Professional design departments.
Advantages
- Industry standard
- Advanced publishing features
- Commercial print production
Drawbacks
- Expensive
- Steeper learning curve
Recommended For
Larger ministries with dedicated designers.
Keeping Publisher Working Beyond 2026
That was a lot, and you might be asking, “Can we just keep using Publisher?”
The answer is yes, with limitations.
Option A: Retain an Existing Perpetual License
Organizations that own:
- Publisher 2019
- Office LTSC 2021
may continue running Publisher after October 2026.
However:
- No security updates
- No bug fixes
- No Microsoft support
- Future Windows compatibility is not guaranteed
This can be useful for accessing legacy files.
Option B: Dedicated Publisher Workstation
Depending on how your discover process went at the beginning of this article, you may find you have so many Publisher files that it might be simplest, and cheapest, to setup a dedicated workstation that just runs Publisher. This provides you a machine that is frozen in time but will keep Publisher running.
Create a “Publisher Preservation Workstation”
Characteristics:
- One dedicated Windows PC
- Office LTSC installed
- Publisher retained permanently
- No daily web browsing
- Limited software changes
Purpose:
- Open old PUB files
- Make occasional edits
- Export updated PDFs
This reduces risk while maintaining access to years of historical content.
Option C: Virtual Machine Archive
An alternative approach to a workstation on your network would be for us to host a virtual machine for you that allows you to remote into to run Publisher. This gives you virtual machine you can access from anywhere, with the backup, maintenance, and support on us.
Benefits:
- Snapshot preserved
- Operating system frozen
- Recoverable if hardware fails
- Long-term access to Publisher files
Next Steps
We recommend:
Immediate Actions
✓ Inventory Publisher files
✓ Identify mission-critical templates
✓ Export active publications to PDF
✓ Preserve original PUB files
Short-Term
✓ Rebuild frequently used templates
✓ Train staff in replacement platform
✓ Reduce dependence on Publisher
Long-Term
✓ Move production workflows to:
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Canva
- Designer
✓ Maintain a single LTSC-based Publisher archive workstation for legacy access
Final Thoughts
Publisher served nonprofits exceptionally well for more than 30 years. While its retirement marks the end of a familiar tool, it does not mean losing your publications, branding, or design capabilities.
Our recommendation is not to abandon Publisher overnight, but rather to:
- Preserve your existing assets.
- Transition active workflows to modern platforms.
- Maintain one controlled LTSC-based Publisher environment for historical content.
This approach provides the lowest risk, the lowest cost, and the smoothest transition while preserving decades of organizational history with minimal staff frustration.