When it comes to budgeting for digital advertising, some nonprofits may be eligible for financial assistance in the form of Google Ad Grants. Part of the “Google for Nonprofits” benefits, Google Ad Grants provides eligible nonprofits with up to $10,000 per month in search ads shown on Google.com.
Step 1: Determine eligibility
To request a Google for Nonprofits account, you must be a nonprofit charitable organization in good standing and meet the full eligibility requirements in your country.
Some types of organizations are not eligible and will not be verified. Before starting, you should confirm that your organization is:
- Not a governmental entity or organization
- Not a hospital or healthcare organization
- Not a school, academic institution, or university (Google for Education offers a separate program for schools)
Determine if your nonprofit is eligible here.
Step 2: Activate Ad Grants
Sign in to Google for Nonprofits, click “Active Products” then “Get Started” under Google Ad Grants, and fill out the assessment by clicking the eligibility form link. Click “Activate” to submit your organization for review.
Step 3: Ensure Google Analytics is installed on your website
At this point, it’s a good idea to check that you have Google Analytics installed and tracking on your website. Google Analytics is always helpful to help determine where your web traffic is coming from and what pages they’re visiting, but it’s even more relevant once you begin launching digital ad campaigns so you can effectively track which of your advertising efforts are most effective.
Step 4: Build and launch a Google Ad Grants campaign
Once you have been approved, you can begin using the platform to create and publish digital ads for your organization. If you already have someone on your team or a marketing agency that has been running digital ads on behalf of your organization, this process will be familiar. If you’re brand new to advertising on Google, they offer a step-by-step video series to help you get started.
It is important to note that unlike typical Google Search campaigns, Google Grant campaigns have several restrictions that need to be continually met to ensure that your campaign/s remain in compliance and do not put your Grant at risk. Additionally, search volume may be significantly lower for your desired keywords because Ad Grant ads are in a separate auction after paid ads.
As a result, many clients find that they are not able to spend the full grant amount.
Additional links that may be helpful:
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