A Quick Overview of Google Ad Grants

The Google Ad Grant is a simple and affordable way for nonprofits to jumpstart their digital marketing. With a robust digital presence, organizations can bolster existing fundraising, development, or communications efforts. The Grant is easy to acquire, does not have to be renewed, and has precise compliance requirements. Further, the grant is entirely free to get and maintain, requiring only the labor necessary to maintain minimum compliance.

For many nonprofits, using an outside vendor, such as ourselves, to acquire, manage, and utilize the Grant, provides peace of mind, and an assurance that arrangements will be kept in order. However, while having experts manage your grant is likely to maximize the effectiveness of your digital marketing ventures, plenty of nonprofits successfully manage their Grant themselves. No matter your organization’s size, scope, or mission, the Google Ad Grant is an opportunity you should be familiar with.

    1. What Is A Google Ad Grant?

    2. How To Apply & Use A Google Ad Grant

    3. Google Ad Grant Best Practices

What is a Google Ad Grant?

The Google Ad Grant is a program organized and administered by Google that allocates up to $10,000 every month that eligible nonprofits (see below) can use to compete for Google Ads. Google Ads are sponsored links that appear in relevant Google Search results. As such, users who click on these links are taken to a specific page on your website. While the Grant gives you the funds necessary to compete, your success will depend on various factors such as relevance, keywords, ad copy, and the quality of your website.

The Ad Grant is a powerful tool because it gives organizations the ability to grow their audience and spread their message. Successful use of the Grant does not correlate with size or mission, but rather the organization’s ability to understand the Google Ads space and their commitment to improving its website quality.

How to Apply + Use a Google Ad Grant

Only specific kinds of nonprofits are eligible for the Grant. An organization is qualified only if they:

    1. Are a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

    2. Are not a hospital, school, or government institution.

If your nonprofit meets these two conditions, then you should consider applying for the grant. Even if you use the minimum compliance standards as a guide, you will start to see more visitors on your website. With proper management, you can begin to turn these visitors into contacts, donors, and supporters.

Google Ad Grant Best Practices

The simplest way to acquire and utilize the grant is to outsource the task to a marketing agency that works with nonprofits. This not only removes some of the learning, research, and guesswork involved, but it frees up your organization to focus on content. Nonprofits can maximize the effectiveness of their grant when they invest in content that their audience is searching for. The grant can help you target this audience and quality content can turn them into donors, volunteers, or supporters. If you plan on managing the grant in-house, it’s best practice to assign one person or team to manage the grant. This ensures that the knowledge required for good management is concentrated and effective.

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The Google Ad Grant can help nonprofits of any size expand their audience and enhance their development, programming, or communications efforts. The grant’s primary function is to drive traffic to your website, but skillful organizations can turn this traffic into more valuable conversions over time. Whether you’re interested in outsourcing your grant to an agency or managing it yourself, the low costs of compliance make the Google Ad Grant an ideal option for any eligible nonprofit!

Written by Grant Hensel, CEO of Nonprofit Megaphone, an agency focused 100% on Google Grant Management for nonprofits. NPM is honored to manage the Google Grant for 370+ leading nonprofits worldwide and to be an inaugural member of the Google Ad Grant Certified Professionals community. To connect with Grant, visit him on LinkedIn.