Google One Today and How it Improves Nonprofit Outreach

Google One Today is a new donation app released by Google. Its name comes from their motto of ‘one deed today = a better tomorrow’ and it encourages users to donate as little as one dollar on a regular basis to various nonprofits.

Google has worked hard to make sure this app works for both potential donors and the nonprofits themselves. Here is a rundown of why we think Google One Today is so promising and how it will benefit you and your supporters, both old and new.

The downside is, the app is currently only available in the US, so read ahead if you’re a US nonprofit, or just interested in advancements in online donations and want to be ahead of the curve.

Social donating increases outreach

The unique appeal of Google One Today is that it’s made supporting nonprofits through the app a surprisingly social experience. Inspired by the belief that ‘generosity is contagious’, it encourages users to make their friends aware when they donate (via notifications) and inspire them to match the donation.

This can even be done completely automatically! Users just set a limit of how much they are willing to spend, and the app will immediately send a donation to match what a friend has given to a cause. This means for each donation you receive via the app, it could be doubled, tripled or more by the supporter’s friends!

Google One Today could be a massive boost for your outreach, people who may never have heard of your nonprofit will become aware simply because their friends donated and posted, or because they automatically matched the donation.

This means that each person you inspire through all of the work you put into online marketing and bringing attention to your nonprofit could then inspire their friends quick and easily.

You may be thinking that such a simple boost to your outreach sounds too good to be true. Will supporters (and potential supporters) actually want to use this app, rather than just donate in a more traditional way?

Google One Today answers many of the concerns donors have and fixed problems that can sometimes restrict people from donating to nonprofits. Take a look at why we think Google One Today is beneficial for both nonprofits and users.

Quick and easy to understand

Google One Today gives information on the real impact a donation will make to a nonprofit by providing images and summaries of the work of each nonprofit. This makes it easy for donors to know where their money will go and to narrow down which nonprofits they would be interested in helping.

This helps streamline the process and stops users from having to search for the key information they need when deciding to donate.

Trustworthy

Google One Today helps to alleviate concerns donors may have over whether they are donating to a legit nonprofit, or are being scammed. The app only features nonprofits with a Google for Nonprofits account, meaning they are verified and official.

This means as a nonprofit you need to have a Google for Nonprofits account to access this app – just one more reason to get yourself a Google for Nonprofits account!

Not only can you increase donations and outreach by using Google One Today, you can also access a wide rang of other useful services and can apply for the Google Ad Grants of $10,000 a month! Read this article for more information on why Google for nonprofits is an essential tool and how to apply.

Discreet

While making donation social, Google One Today also keeps it discreet where it matters for donors.

No contact details (or unnecessary data) are passed on to the nonprofits themselves, meaning concerns over privacy are put at ease, and donors don’t risk accidentally signing up to an email list they didn’t want to receive (email marketing is useful, but receiving emails they didn’t ask for can put people off of donating.)

Minimum effort, maximum reward

For many, a barrier to donating is that they don’t have the time to search for a worthy cause, or they can’t decide out of the thousands of nonprofits out there. Google One Today takes the decision making out of their hands, they donate where their friends donate and to a wide range of different causes.

This means without putting in any effort, everyone can donate regularly, simply because their friends are. Its a win for the donors, and it’s a massive win for you and your nonprofit!

This works in a similar way to influencer marketing would on social media, one influential supporter could really boost overall donations through brining your nonprofit to a new audience via someone they trust.

Are there any downsides?

Unfortunately, as was mentioned at the beginning of the article, Google One Today isn’t as widely available as you’d hope.

The app is only available to donors and nonprofits in the US. While we hope to eventually see the app made accessible for a wider audience, it’s looking more and more unlikely, as there has been no sign of this since the app was originally released in 2013.

Some have complained over the limited number of nonprofits they can actually access, which limits their choice of who to donate to and damages the outreach potential for nonprofits. While it seems like this issue may have been remedied since its release, it is still worth being mindful of.

We think the best way to assess the functionality of the app, and whether it would work for your nonprofit, would be to download it as a donor and play around, see how the app actually matches up to the hype, and make sure you can access it.

What’s next?

A Google for Nonprofits account is essential for any nonprofit, not only to access modern donation solutions like Google One Today, but for resources such as G Suite and Googles Ad Grant, which are much more widely available. 

Twenti wants to help nonprofits reach their potential online. We can help your nonprofit access Google’s Ads Grant – $10,000 of in-kind advertising with Google every month – by helping you to meet the eligibility requirements of a professional and user-friendly website. Check out our Google Ad Grant management service for more information on what it is and what we can offer.

To find out more book a free consultation with our experts and explore your options to reach thousands more donors online.