Is my nonprofit eligible?
First, to request a Google for Nonprofits account, you’ll need to be a charitable organization in good standing, meet all of Google’s eligibility requirements and begin the verification process.
One of the amazing things about this grant is that unlike others that your organization is likely familiar with, it does not require an experienced grant writer and endless pages of information and documentation! Furthermore, you’re not in competition with other nonprofits who are all vying for a limited amount of funds. Google wants to keep things simple for small nonprofits that don’t have large teams and a ton of resources. It’s an easy process with the potential for generous results!
How do Google Ads work?
Google Ads are focused on keywords. Keywords should be unique to your nonprofit. Start by considering what a potential donor looking for a nonprofit just like yours might type into their Google search bar. If keywords are new to your nonprofit, you may have to educate yourself on the use of keywords. A little bit of research and some help from Google’s Keyword Planner can get you on your way.
Once you’ve pulled your list of keywords together, you can start creating ads for your nonprofit. Your nonprofit’s ads may show up when people search for particular terms. Not sure what a Google Ad for a nonprofit looks like? We promise you’ve seen them before. Here’s an example of one we found when we searched “donate shoes.”
If you’d like your nonprofit to show up in search results when someone types in the exact thing that they have an interest in, Google Ads are a great way to achieve that!
We have a Google Ad Grant but what now?
Google Ads can be an incredibly effective tool for distributing your message, but if you are unfamiliar with selecting keywords, developing ad copy and managing the Google Ads account, it can seem intimidating. Plus, Google does have some strict requirements that you must adhere to in order to maintain the account.
Google offers plenty of free resources to help you learn how to set up your account, create and manage ad campaigns and stay in compliance in order to continue receiving free advertising.
If managing your Google Ad Grant is not realistic for your organization, it makes sense to reach out to a digital firm that has expertise in Google Ads, as well as working with nonprofits to leverage the full benefits of the Google Ad Grant.