How Nonprofits Can Leverage the Benefits of the Google Ads Grant
If you work at or run a Nonprofit organization, the Google Ads Grant is something that could be useful for you. If your organization qualifies, Google will grant your organization $10,000 of ad credits a month. There are eligibility requirements, and you must use the allocated funds each month to continue to qualify. To effectively manage your campaigns and stay compliant with Google's requirements, consider having an in-house expert, agency, or consultant on board.
Why Nonprofits can benefit from utilizing the Google Ads grant
Utilizing the Google Search ads grant will allow you to get additional visibility for your organization and help you reach new audiences. Think of the Google Ads grant as an extension of your existing marketing efforts, and all of your marketing/ social media work should complement each other. You will also be able to test out different ad creatives, or different demo targeting to see which kinds of creatives or targeting performs better for your campaigns. You can leverage your Google Ads spend each month to cover normal advertising for your organization which will allow you to be more strategic with your paid advertising spend.
Getting Started: Eligibility and Website Requirements
The Organization eligibility process is relatively user friendly and Google provides documentation that details each step.
Nonprofit Verification: Your organization must be registered as a charitable entity and verified by Google’s, partner Goodstack.
Compliance with Google for Nonprofits Terms: This includes adhering to specific policies, such as ensuring your website:
Belongs to your organization.
Clearly describes your mission.
Is free from commercial activities like selling products or generating leads.
Contains limited, unobtrusive ads.
For full details on eligibility and website requirements, visit Google’s policy guidelines and website policy.
Once your organization and website are verified, you can request a Google for Nonprofits account. After approval (a process that takes 2 to 14 business days), activate your Google Ad Grant by following Google’s activation guide.
Effectively Schedule and Manage Your Google Ads Campaigns
Being able to maximize the monthly $10,000 credit really depends on how well you schedule your campaigns. You should plan out your advertising campaigns for priority intiatives ahead of time. Think about your organization's upcoming programs or events and plot this all into an advertising schedule. In the beginning of the month, allocate more money to the priority campaign(s) and then revise mid-month based on performance. Monitoring, reporting and adjusting mid-month will allow you to maximize the grant and ensure that you are putting every dollar into the best performing creatives or campaigns.
Best Practices for Organized Campaigns and Clear Reporting:
Plan Your Campaigns in Advance: Schedule your campaigns by month or quarter, considering upcoming programs or events that need promotion. Pre-planning helps ensure you maximize your budget each month.
Strategic Allocation: Typically, you’ll manage two to three campaigns per month. Prioritize budget distribution based on your most critical initiatives, then adjust mid-month as needed.
Campaign Best Practices:
Create separate campaigns each month, with clear labels for easy tracking.
Keep campaign structure clean with consistent labeling across Campaigns, Ad Groups, and Ads.
For additional resources on setting up and managing your campaigns, refer to Google’s Ads guide and Glued Network’s guide.
A Powerful Tool in Your Marketing Toolkit
Taking advantage of this program from Google can help your organization reach new donors, volunteers, and other interested parties. It will allow you to test out new creatives and targeting. The best part is that it is another tool in your marketing tool belt that will compliment your organic search, social media and marketing efforts. Keep in mind, if you can maintain this program it is a win win, and you can take advantage of free advertising money for your organizations campaigns each month!
Feel free to reach out to learn how One Girl Guru can support your organization in making the most of the Google Ads Grant.
Additional Resources
Explore more tools and resources for nonprofits: