Let’s just jump right in and start with some basics.

What is Google Ad Grants?

The short answer is, it’s free advertising. Google Ad Grants is a digital marketing grant program. It offers nonprofit grant recipients a monthly ad budget of $10,000. Please note that most organizations will not use the entire budget in a month and unused budget does not roll over month to month.

What kind of advertising am I getting?

When someone does a Google search that matches your organization, it will pop up as a sponsored ad at the top of the search page. For example, you’re looking to get your nephew a new basketball for his birthday. You type it into Google search and the first thing that pops up at the top of the page are sponsored ads for Amazon or Dicks Sporting Goods. This grant would allow your nonprofit to have that coveted spot at the top of the search page when people search for organizations or causes that you represent.

What is the benefit of having your organization at the top of the page?

When searching, a vast majority of people won’t go beyond the first page. Being at the top of a results page is even better. This visibility can have a number of advantages for your nonprofit. By being visible and getting people to click over to your organization’s web page you can potentially:

• Grow website traffic
• Grow a larger audience
• Reach both new and current donors, supporters, and volunteers more effectively
• Market multiple campaigns simultaneously

Who is eligible for a Google Grant?

Any nonprofit with the exception of hospitals, schools, or government agencies, is eligible for Google Ad Grants. As it is a global program, there are over 60 eligible countries. In the U.S. this means being registered as a 501(c)(3).

What steps do I take to obtain a Google Ad Grant?

Here is a quick rundown.

1) Go to the Google Ad Grants page.
2) Request a Google Nonprofits Account.
3) Once verified, apply for an Ad Grants account.
4) Complete the Ad Grants Eligibility Form.
5) Submit your activation.
6) Accept the Ad Grants invitation.

Note: With the verification process this can take several weeks to complete.

The Google Ad Grants web page does walk you through each step and includes a video for more nuanced detail.

What are the requirements for maintaining a Google Ad Grant?

• Your organization is required to be a verified nonprofit and maintain its nonprofit status.
• Your organization must agree to and follow the terms and conditions.
• Google recommends maintaining a secure, high-quality website.
• The digital marketing campaign must support your organization’s mission.
• Actively manage your Ad Grants account.
• Do not abuse the ad network or misrepresent your organization.

I’ve accepted the Ad Grants invite, what now?

Now you have to develop a Pay Per Click (PPC) ad campaign. Ad Grants has tools that will help walk you through the process. Some experts will suggest running multiple campaigns at once, perhaps 3-5, but not so many that your organization becomes overwhelmed. Each campaign can have a different focus or goal. For example, one campaign can advocate for your cause. Another campaign can be specifically for fundraising.

Here are a few steps to get you started on your PPC ad campaign(s).

1) First you want to define clear goals. What is it you are hoping to accomplish? These ads can be designed for so much more than just fundraising. Ad objectives can be:

• To inform or educate about your cause
• To recruit new volunteers
• To build a broader audience
• To increase web traffic
• To promote events such as donation drives, performances, or conventions
• To find people in need of your service/good (example: getting people looking for pets to your shelter to adopt)
• To get people to join in advocacy efforts such as call banks for elections or petition signings
• To promote specific fundraising events or sponsorship opportunities

2) Find your target audience. Contributing factors include age range, location, income level or profession, or special interests. You can use these parameters with the target options provided to try to attract those most likely to be interested in your cause or organization.

3) Craft your ad. This should include compelling copy and a visual element whether it’s a still image or video.

• Keep it simple, straight forward, and try to keep the technical terms to a minimum.
• Explain how others will benefit from the viewer’s involvement. Let them know the impact that your organization is already having. Use real success stories or testimonials from people that have been affected by your work. Specific examples will help separate you from similar organizations.
• Try to use your own photos and videos rather than stock images to help with authenticity.
• Include a Call to Action (CTA) to motivate new followers. Phrases like “Make a Donation” or “Become a Volunteer.”

4) Ensure your organization’s landing page is accurate, updated and well designed. This is important, the landing page should be as welcoming as possible to potential new supporters. A few things to consider for your landing page:

• Keep branding consistent between ads and webpage so new followers are assured that what they clicked on took them to the correct place. This includes aspects like using the same color themes, font, and messaging.
• Make the donation button easy to locate.
• Once on the donation page, make it as simple as possible. By keeping it uncomplicated, you reduce the possibility of losing donations due to frustration.
• Design banners and headlines that grab attention.
• Ensure the navigation is seamless.
• Include “thank you” messages after sign ups, donations, etc. Show your appreciation.
• Include testimonials and/or statistics to illustrate your organization’s efficacy and impact.
• Include CTAs.
• Make sure content is up to date.
• Get your SSL Certificate for a secure website.
• Ensure that your website is ADA compliant.
• Do not use a PDF as landing page content. Google Ad Grants does not allow you to direct to a PDF.
• Optimize the landing page for mobile devices.
• List your EIN in the webpage’s footer.

5) Track your progress. Tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) can help you track your goals, fine tune your target audience, and steer you toward changes that make your ads more effective.

There are several different metrics or Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that you can track. Here are a few:

• Total Donation Amount
• Average Donation Size
• Click-Through Rate (CTR)
• Conversion Rate

This looks overwhelming!

The Google Ad Grants webpage breaks down the steps and includes video to walk you through the whole process. There are also many third-party service providers like aJuxt Media Group that can help you at any step of this process, from applying for Ad Grants, to planning your goals, to directing your campaigns or crafting the ads. The benefits for your nonprofit organization could be numerous if applied correctly. Google Ad Grants has the potential to take your fundraising and awareness to the next level.