What is Google Ad Grants for nonprofits?
The Google Ad Grants program allows nonprofits and charities to advertise on Google’s search engine for free. With an advertising grant of $10,000 per month, eligible organizations can use the Google Ads network to advertise their services and promote their mission. It is a great asset to improve the visibility of a website, increase donations, find new volunteers, or promote specific campaigns and events, free of cost.
Once you are part of the Google Ad Grants program, you receive automatically the allocated 10k budget per month, which your nonprofit is then free to spend on Google Ads, with some rules and restrictions.
Who is eligible for Ad Grants?
The Google Ad Grants program is open to charities and nonprofits in the UK and worldwide, so long as you:
- Hold current and valid charity status
- Acknowledge and agree to Google Grant’s required certifications
- Have a website that is functioning and provides adequate detail on your nonprofit activities
It is possible to use Google Ad Grants for nonprofits for selling products and items, so long as all the benefits go towards supporting your campaigns and mission.
Please note that governmental entities or organizations, hospitals or healthcare organizations, schools, academic institutions, or universities cannot apply to the Ad Grants program.
Where can I apply?
To join the Google for nonprofits Ad Grants program, you first need to register with TechSoup, which handles the nonprofit verification process on behalf of Google. Once your organization is validated, you will receive a TechSoup Validation Token, which you will need for the next step: applying to Ad Grant.
The rest of the process happens through the Ad Grants application form on Google.
What’s the difference with Google Ads?
A Google Ad Grants account looks similar to a classic Google Ads account. However, being part of the program for nonprofits, you must work with some limitations and follow certain rules to maintain your eligibility for the program. Amongst the main limitations:
- Your account is limited to advertising on Google search only, which means you cannot use display advertising and are limited to text ads on search engines.
- The cost per click for your keywords is automatically limited at 2$ (although there are ways of avoiding that cap once you know how it works)
- Single or generic keywords are not authorised
- You will be in competition with other paid advertisers, which can make it difficult to get the best position for your ads as paid advertisers are not limited by budgets or a 2$ cap per keywords
- Your account must maintain a minimum of 5% CTR each month
- You must have valid conversion tracking in place
The full list of requirements to stay eligible for the program can be found here.
What are the benefits for my nonprofit?
The Google Ads network is one of the most efficient ways to get traffic to your website, reach out to a new audience and increase sales and donations to boost your nonprofit. The best part is that you do not need to spend your own money or make an internal budget for your ads, as you will receive the $10k every month without a fail.
Advertising on Google’s search engine gives you a great opportunity to make your voice heard and develop your mission.
How to maintain eligibility?
Being approved to join the Ad Grants program does not mean that you are in for life; to maintain your eligibility, you must follow all the rules and guidelines from Google. Or else, your account might be suspended without further notice and until you fix the issue.
Work with us
Managing an Ad Grants account takes time and resources, and requires a good understanding of Google Ads as well as the program for nonprofits in order to obtain the best performances. The $10k grant per month is a very valuable asset for your organisation and should not be wasted away.
At ContentOpia, we specialised in Google Ad Grants and have built up many years of experience working the ins and outs of the program. Our team of experts can help you make the best of your advertising account and help you reach your goals quickly and efficiently.
Get in touch today to discuss the possibilities for your organisation!