Make Outlook default mail application on a Mac I used the directions referenced in many places to make Outlook the default mail application on a MAC (by going to MAIL and clicking the Mail menu - Preferences to set it). 

I can not do that because Preferences is grayed out because I do not (nor am I allowed to on my work machine) have an iCloud account to reference in there or any other mail account. So what else can I do?
If it's greyed out, you obviously have an Admin restriction.  Your option is to get the Admin to change this setting for you.  I am assuming that Outlook is the default mail client of your organization.  Just explain to him/her that it's very inconvenient to have Mail as the default that always pops up when Outlook is the company standard.