Soapbox Engage Blog

We no longer live in times when direct mail advertising and word of mouth is enough to inform people about your organization. We’re in a digital era, meaning there are many other channels of communication that we need to master. According to websiterating.com, people are 4 times more likely to click ads on Google than on other advertising networks.

However, spending a lot of money on ads might not be feasible for your budget. Luckily, Google Ad Grants is a virtually free advertising program that can help your nonprofit acquire website users while furthering your organization’s impact. Unlike most grants, Google Ad Grants also has a very simple application process.

This is how Google defines the Google Ad Grants Program:

“Google Ad Grants provides up to $10,000 USD per month of free Google Ads advertising on Google search result pages to eligible nonprofit organizations. The program is designed to help people connect with causes to make a greater impact on the world. The program is open to organizations who join Google for Nonprofits, meet Ad Grants’ eligibility and program policies, and are approved through the Ad Grants pre-qualification process.”

In this guide, you’ll find all the basics to help you get started with Google Ad Grants!

Table of Contents

1. Nonprofit Eligibility for Google Ad Grants
2. Applying for Nonprofit Google Ad Grants
3. Google Ad Grants Best Practices for Nonprofits

Eligibility for Google Ad Grants

The first requirement for the Google Ad Grants program is to be a part of Google for Nonprofits. As part of Google for Nonprofits, you can access the Google Ad Grants program, as well as Google Workspace for Nonprofits, YouTube Nonprofit Program, and Google Earth and Maps.

To be eligible for Google for Nonprofits, you must:

• Be verified as nonprofit organizations by TechSoup
• Meet all additional eligibility requirements in your country
• Agree to Google for Nonprofits’ terms of service

Once you’re a member of Google for Nonprofits, you can be part of the Google Ad Grants program. To be eligible for Google Ad Grants, you must:

• Hold current and valid charity status
• Acknowledge and agree to Google Grant’s required terms regarding how to receive and use donations obtained from the grant
• Have a website that is both functioning and provides adequate detail on your nonprofit

Applying for Google Ad Grants

Luckily, applying for Google Ad Grants is a relatively simple process! Here are the steps:

1. Set up Google Analytics on your website.
2. Register your nonprofit on TechSoup.
3. Sign up for Google for Nonprofits.
4. Get a token from TechSoup and add it to the sign-up page on Google for Nonprofits.
5. Apply for the grant on the Google Ad Grants application form.

Okay, so say you’re eligible and can become a part of the Google Ad Grants program… but what then?

Here are some best practices to help you get the most out of your Google Ad Grants!

Google Ad Grants Best Practices

1. Get Your Keywords Right

You probably already know how important keywords are to your advertising strategies. Unfortunately, broad keywords like “donation” or “nonprofit” won’t do much for you, considering many large organizations will be using those as well. You need to be as specific as possible.

Find your keywords by brainstorming a list of topics that are important to your organization. These can be anything from problems that your nonprofit is tackling, to communities that you serve, issues you stand for, or services that you offer. Take one of your keywords and enter it into Google’s Keyword Planner.

Once you have your list of topics, create a list of keywords that are relevant to each topic, with the intention to eventually focus on one keyword per topic. Your keyword research should involve SEO tools, conversations with customers, and data from your web analytics software.

Focusing on these more specific keywords will help you rise to the top of a specific market.

It’s also important that you identify your “negative keywords”-- the keywords for which you don’t want your ad to be displayed. Using them allows you to eliminate the searches from people who aren’t looking for your organization or your programs and services.

Find related search terms and add them to the “negative keyword” list. When the relevance of your ads is improved, your audience will find them more interesting. This means that there will be fewer wasted impressions on your ads. Ultimately, this will improve your Quality Score.

2. Have a Solid Landing Page

It’s important that your landing page is fast, functional, and relevant. Whether or not you are using Google Ad Grants, you should work to make sure your website meets these requirements. But just because the whole website is strong, doesn’t mean you should be driving all the traffic to your homepage. Make sure the landing page assigned to your keyword is the most relevant option.

3. Use Location Targeting

Your ad will perform best if it’s relevant to the people who see it, which it only will be if you have the location right. No need to be marketing to people in LA if you’re in New York.

Google Ads Location Targeting allows your ads to appear in the geographic locations that you choose. Your ads should only show to searchers in locations that are relevant to you.

4. Track Your Performance

A tool can only be successful if you’re doing it properly. You should continuously measure and analyze data to see how well your Google Ad Grants account is working.

Set up conversion tracking so you’ll be able to see and measure the visitor’s journey from the moment they click on your ad to when they complete an action on-site, like signing up for your mailing list or making a donation. You should also link your Google Ads account to Google Analytics so you can analyze which campaigns and keywords are performing the best. Then take the data and adjust accordingly!

5. Maintain Compliance

In order to keep your grant, you must remain compliant with Google’s rules. The Google Ad Grant renews monthly, so you must be intentional about remaining compliant.

Here are the most common reasons a Google Ad Grants account may be suspended:

• Abusing the ad network or misrepresenting your organization
• Losing your nonprofit status
• Failing to meet Google for Nonprofits eligibility criteria
• Repeatedly violating Google’s Terms & Policies

In addition to tracking your data, make sure you are also regularly checking that you are doing all you need to maintain compliance. You don’t want to lose the tool!

And there you have it! All of these tips should help you get started with Google Ad Grants. Google Ad Grants are an effective way to serve targeted ads to your organization’s most important audiences, increase your organization’s reach, increase donations and product sales, and raise awareness about your nonprofit. Don’t ignore this opportunity!

Here are three more resources to help you grow your Nonprofit:

• Email Marketing Tools for Nonprofit Success: Email marketing is still an essential tool in your marketing strategy! This blog post contains information to help you utilize email marketing to the best of your ability.
• The Nonprofit Marketing Guide for Busy Fundraisers: If you feel overwhelmed thinking about marketing at all, we can help. This blog post is a detailed guide to help you plan your marketing strategy.
• Write a Fundraising Plan That Converts More Donors: Ultimately, the point of marketing is to grow your organization’s reach so you have more people to support your mission. What good is marketing if you can’t eventually get the support you need? This blog post will help you write a fundraising plan that converts more donors in the long run.