Disclaimer: Make Giving Happen operates independently of Google Ad Grants and is not affiliated with Google. To apply for the Google Ad Grant, please visit https://www.google.ca/intl/en/grants/.
In the non-profit world, funding is hard to come by, and every bit counts. Whether in the form of donations, volunteers, press or grants, a successful NGO knows that leveraging all forms of resources is key to growth.
What many organizations do not know, however, is that Google has USD $10,000 a month in advertising funding waiting for eligible non-profits (that’s USD $120,000 a year.)
Google Ad Grants may seem like it does not fit your organization at first glance, but it is an unmissable opportunity for eligible organizations.
What is it, exactly?
Google offers USD $10,000 a month for charities to advertise their work for free. Advertising only appears on Google’s search results page. But, with the term ‘google it’ now universally synonymous with ‘Search online’, that’s powerful enough. (According to Smart Insights, Google’s net share of use of search engines in 2017 was a whopping 74.54%).
To get it, charities apply online. The application for a Google Non-Profits account has a few requirements (more on that later), and needs to be approved by Google themselves.
But we don’t have products. How could we use advertising?
‘Advertising’ can run the gamut. While we think of ad campaigns as targeted, commercial ventures, you do not have to have a product or a specific drive, but if you want to raise awareness, recruit volunteers, share one of your success stories, generate donations or highlight a specific cause, you can do that too.
With Google Ad Grants, you can get your charity to appear alongside search results when someone searches for a term related to your cause or your mission. This massively widens your network and awareness of your organization, funneling would-be donors and volunteers to your site.
So, should we apply?
While the ad grant is a great opportunity for non-profits, it does require a certain digital presence and the resources to properly take advantage of it. Before you apply, your organization needs to have certain things in place to be eligible.
Your organization will need:
- Current and valid charity status
- An established website, with verified content
- An advertising strategy that focuses purely on charitable purposes
- A base in one of these countries
Right now, hospitals, and government and academic institutions are ineligible. (However, charitable branches of educational institutions can apply).
If so, the next step is to ask yourself is if you can maintain it. To keep the grant, Google requires you to maintain a 5% or higher clickthrough rate. This means you must keep your finger on the pulse of your campaigns and make the necessary adjustments to stay relevant. You also will have to ensure you spend the monthly $10K. That may seem daunting but Google is providing you with this grant, so take advantage of it!
Additionally, both keywords and PPC campaigns require some technical know-how. While it isn’t difficult to get started, it will be important to have someone on your team to dedicate time to understanding the best ways to leverage keywords, and who will be able to effectively monitor and tweak campaigns.
Need some more guidance? Here at Make Giving Happen, we are all about meeting changemakers like you. If you’re looking for a solution to maximize your potential for your organization in correlation to Google Ad Grants, don’t hesitate to reach out! letsgetstarted@makegivinghappen.com
We look forward to connecting!