What could your nonprofit do with an extra $10,000 every month to spend on in-kind advertising to help with your marketing? Enter Google Grants, (aka Google Ad Grants), a little-known gem that can give your nonprofit serious visibility on Google via search ads, without costing your organization a dime in advertising budget. Search ads, which display on Google alongside organic search results, can be used for whatever you need to spread your message and activate your mission. Here’s what you need to know.
What is the Google Grants program, and who is it for?
Essentially, Google Grants is Google’s way of saying, “Hey, we see you doing good work; let us help!” The program gives qualifying nonprofits up to $10,000 per month in search ad credits. This in-kind advertising can be used to:
- Drive donations
- Recruit volunteers
- Bring new visitors to your website
- Promote upcoming events
- Boost awareness about your organization and mission
In other words, it’s like having access to the Internet’s largest billboard to share your organization’s message, and the best part is that it’s completely free.
The program is available in over 65 countries, but there are a few requirements to be eligible. You must be a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in good standing or a group-exempt organization with proven affiliation to a central 501c3 nonprofit. It’s also important to note that government entities, schools, academic institutions, hospitals, or healthcare organizations do not qualify for the program.
Next Steps: How to get started with Google for Nonprofits
Does your organization check the right boxes? If so, here’s what you’ll want to do next:
Step One: Confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements noted above
Step Two: Request a Google for Nonprofits account at www.google.com/nonprofits. For this part, you’ll need the following:
- A Google email account (This will be the profile you will use to access your Google for nonprofit’s account.)
- Your organization’s EIN
- Your organization’s physical address
- Your organization’s contact information (Who is the main point of contact at the organization? This does not have to be a Google email.)
- Your organization’s Mission Statement (500 characters max)
Step Three: Sit tight. The verification process typically takes about 2-14 days, and you’ll receive an email once your account has been approved.
Step Four: Activate your account and use the tools to create your search ads!
But what are search ads, and how do they work?
Search ads are known by several different names. They might be called SERP (Search Engine Results Page) Ads, Text Ads, SEM (Search Engine Marketing) ads, or PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Ads, but they all refer to the same thing: Google search ads.
These are the ads you’ll typically see as part of a Google search right at the top of the page, and they’re targeted based on what users are searching for. For example, an advertiser selling running shoes could target keywords such as ‘running shoes’ or ‘sports gear’ while an advertiser looking for volunteers could target keywords such as ‘volunteer opportunities near me’ or ‘ways to give back.’
But wait! Before you go to set up your first campaign, here are a few tips, tricks, and best practices for getting your search ads in front of the right audience and driving the right results.
Start with Keyword Research—There are plenty of tools to help you nail your keyword strategy, like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SpyFu, and Moz. These platforms can help you build a solid list and even suggest some keywords you might not have thought of. It’s also fair play to keep an eye on your competitors’ ads to see what terms they’re using. Just be sure to revisit and update your keywords regularly as you gather new insights.
Think Strategically—If you want your ad to be the first thing people see, you’ll need to get super specific about the search terms you wish to appear for on the search engine results page. Although your target keywords may seem obvious, there are a few other factors to consider if you want your ad to stand out.
- Search volume (How many average monthly searches does it generate?)
- Difficulty score (How hard is it to earn a top-10 organic search ranking?)
- Cost per click (How much will you pay each time someone clicks on your ad?)
- Match type (How closely does the keyword need to match with the user’s query?)
Hitting the right combination of these things will help you reach the right people faster and without blowing through your budget too quickly.
Focus on Short, Snappy, Attention-Grabbing Text—When creating your campaigns for Google Ads, you’ll need to write text for headlines and descriptions, plus corresponding text for any site links that will be included in the ad. Google has specific character limits for each, so to make the most of that valuable real estate, we recommend creating headlines and descriptions that complement one another without repeating the same information. It’s also a best practice to make sure your ad reflects the content on your landing page (and vice-versa).
Know Your Audience—When creating your search ad campaigns, you should first know the answer to these three questions: Who are you talking to? Where do you want them to land after clicking on your link? And what actions do you want them to take?
Demographics like age, gender, and location will be used to determine who your ads are shown to so that you can really zero in on your target clients or customers. Your campaign will also include site links and calls to action, so you’ll want to be intentional about sending folks directly to a landing page where they’ll be most likely to complete the desired action.
Stay in Compliance— $10,000 a month in free advertising is fantastic, but you have to play by the rules and keep a few things in mind to keep your eligibility. The requirements to stay in Google’s good graces are:
- A minimum Click-Through Rate of 5% and at least one conversion per month to show that you’re making good use of your ad credits
- An account structure that includes proper location settings, at least 2 ad groups per campaign, and 2 different active ads per ad group. Plus, at least two unique site links.
- Avoid using single-word keywords, overly generic keywords (e.g., “free videos” or “e-books”), or keywords with a quality score of 1 or 2.
Google Grants offers a valuable opportunity for nonprofits to expand their reach and grow their impact. With up to $10,000 in monthly ad credits, your organization can raise awareness, engage new supporters, and make meaningful strides toward fulfilling your mission. The tools are available—now it’s time to put them to work for your cause.
Want more help navigating Google Grants for Nonprofits?
If setting up Google Grants and launching your first campaign still feels a little overwhelming, we get it, and we’re here to assist. Our marketing and design specialists have helped many of our nonprofit clients get up and running with search ads, and we love connecting organizations like yours with this amazing program. Reach out to First Ascent anytime, and let’s chat about how we can work together to get your mission noticed!ission noticed!