If your nonprofit organization has not heard of Google Ads for Nonprofits or Google Ad Grants yet, it is missing out on a huge opportunity. Google offers a 10,000 USD monthly Google Ads budget, and we’re here to guide you on how to secure it for your business or nonprofit.
What Is Google Ad Grants?
Google for Nonprofits is a membership program for nonprofits that gives access to free versions of Google products like Google Workspace, YouTube Nonprofit Program, Google Earth and Maps and Google Ad Grants. Google Ad Grants is the way to interact with users searching on Google. To a certain extent, it is Google Ads for free, as it gives your organization a monthly budget of 10,000 USD for search campaigns. The program has specific requirements, such as maintaining a minimum 5% click-through rate and using conversion tracking. Ads must be focused on keyword-based search queries, and certain restrictions, like a $2.00 max cost-per-click, apply. This initiative helps nonprofits expand their reach without the high costs of traditional advertising. Despite these small restrictions, there is a lot you can do to run successful fundraising campaigns through Google Ads Grants.
How Do You Apply for Google Ad Grants?
To apply for Google Grants and make your cause found, follow the steps below:
1. Check your eligibility for Google for Nonprofits
The first step to enjoy Google Ad Grants is to be admitted to the Google for Nonprofits program. In order to be eligible, the organization has to be registered as a charitable organization in one of the countries Google for Nonprofits is active in. Governmental entities or organizations, hospitals or organizations related to health care are excluded from the program. Also, educational organizations like schools, childcare centers and universities are not eligible. For those organizations, there is Google for Education.
2. Obtain a validation code and submit membership application
If your NGO is not registered in the United States, you will have to use a TechSoup validation code in order to start the process. For Swiss non-profits this for example means they have to be registered at Stifter Helfen, TechSoup Global’s regional arm. Once you have this code, you can move on to submit your Membership Application.
3. Create Google Ads Account
The review of your application should be done by Google within ten business days. If you want to use your time wisely and want to be ahead of the game, you can make first steps in Google Ads to ensure enrollment to Google Ad Grants (step 4.). It is very important to realize that, should you have any, your existing Google Ads account is not going to be accepted by Google for Nonprofits. You will have to create a new account. There are four crucial requirements that will allow you to get Google Grants:
- The currency of your Google Ads account is set to US Dollars, regardless of where your organization is located.
- No billing information has been added to the account ever. If you click the settings icon in the top right corner of your account and choose “Billing”, you should not see a payment method.
- At least one campaign, one ad group, one ad and one keyword are added in the account. It does not matter if you for example name your campaign “test” or use “test” as a keyword.
- The campaign is set to the Search Network only.
4. Enrol in Google Ad Grants
Once you have been admitted to the Google for Nonprofits program, it is time to enrol in Google Ad Grants. Log into your Google for Nonprofits account and click “enrol” under Google Ad Grants. Make sure you can tick all the boxes under “Check for Errors”, add your account information and submit the form. It will take one or two business days for your enrollment to be processed.
How Do You Use Google Ad Grants?
As soon as you are Google Ad Grantee, you can start enjoying your free Google Ads advertising on Google search results pages. You can delete your test campaign and start using your free monthly budget. In order to keep enjoying Google Grants it is important to know that:
- Your daily budget cannot exceed 329 USD
- You can only target the Google Search Network
- You must login to your Google Ads account at least every 30 days
- Changes to your campaigns will have to be made at least every 90 days
5 Best Practices for a Google Ads Grants Account:
Here are our five best practices for running a Google Grants account effectively:
- Optimize keyword targeting: Focus on relevant, mission-driven keywords with high intent, and avoid overly broad or generic terms to ensure your ads attract the right audience.
- Maintain a strong account structure: Organize campaigns and ad groups around specific goals or themes to improve ad relevance and performance, while also staying compliant with Google Grants guidelines.
- Focus on quality ad copy: Write clear, compelling ads that highlight your nonprofit’s mission and include strong calls to action (CTAs) to engage users and drive conversions.
- Use conversion tracking: Implement conversion tracking to measure key actions like donations, sign-ups, or event registrations, ensuring your campaigns are aligned with your goals and helping improve ad performance over time. A target CPA or target ROAS strategy is also a great way to circumvent the maximum 2$ CPC restriction.
- Regularly optimize for performance: Continuously monitor and refine your campaigns by pausing underperforming keywords, improving ad relevance, and ensuring a click-through rate (CTR) above 5%, which is a requirement for the Google Grants program.
Should the process be a bit overwhelming, then don’t hesitate to contact us for support to set up your Google Ads Grants account and campaigns.
