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Google provides valuable support for non-profit organisations and charities

This program (Google for Non-Profits) allows non-profit charities access to a huge range of products and services that assist in addressing certain challenges such as finding volunteers, finding donors, enhancing online fundraising, and helping spread awareness.

What are Google Ads?

Google Ads are the paid listings on Google’s search engine results, these can come in many forms, but the main ones are text-based ads and marked as ‘sponsored’, these can also appear as shopping-based ads, plus display ads in other places online. The Google Ads grant for charities allows you to have a text-based ad for your non-profit, totally for free – pushing traffic to your website.

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How Does the Free Google Ads Credit Work?

The Google Ad Grant offers select non-profits $10,000 USD (roughly converted as £8,000) of in-kind advertising from Google each month. This advertising budget can be used to create effective search campaigns that promote the organisation’s mission, initiatives, and goals.

By utilising a Google Ad Grant account, non-profits can display text ads on Google’s Search Engine Results Pages, enabling them to attract donation, raise awareness of fundraising events and simply spread awareness of your charity or non-profit.

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Is your Charity Eligible for a Google Ads Grant?

For UK charities to qualify for a Google Ad Grant, organisations must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a registered UK charity or non-profit – in England or Wales this means you must be registered with the Charity Commission and in Scotland and Northern Ireland pass the ‘Charity Test’ as outlined by the OSCR. Non-profits must have charitable tax-exempt tax status with HMRC.
  • Not be a governmental entity or organisation, hospital, school, academic institution, or university.
  • Agree to the terms of service for Google for Non-Profits and Google Ads.
  • Have a high-quality website with content that complies with Google’s website policies. This means that the website must be secured with HTTPS; not contain any broken links; have unique content; have clear descriptions of your organisation and its goals; clear navigation and calls to action.
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How to Apply for a Google Ads Grant?

Setting up a Google Ad Grant account for your non-profit or charitable organisation can be easily done via Google for Non-profits by clicking here – after providing details of your organisation, one of their verification partners will verify your organisation’s charity status.

Once you have been approved as a non-profit organisation you will be able to access a number of other benefits from Google products alongside the ads grant including:

  • Free Google Workspace usage.
  • Exclusive YouTube features such as Link Anywhere cards linking supporters directly to your website.
  • Google Earth and Maps credits to display interactive maps on your website.
  • Once verified it’s time to set up your ad campaigns. This involves identifying popular keywords, writing ad copy and setting bids for these terms.

Conversion actions will also need to be set up for the site. Is it possible to do this yourself?

Yes! Is it possible to do this yourself effectively? That’s another story!

Option One: DIY Ad Campaign Setup.

Option Two: Have a Google Ads Agency Set it up for you.

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Do you qualify?:

To be eligible for Google Grants charity PPC an organization must:

  • Hold current and valid charity status (i.e. Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales; and/or Registered with HM Revenue & Customs as a charity for tax relief.)
  • Acknowledge and agree to Google’s required certifications regarding non-discrimination and donation receipt and use.
  • Have a live website with substantial content.
  • Governmental entities and organizations, hospitals and medical groups, schools, academic institutions and universities are not eligible for Google for Non-profits, but philanthropic arms of educational institutions are eligible.

How to stay qualified:

To maintain your eligibility for Google Ad Grants, your organisation must abide by program policies.

  • All the ads in your account must link to the non-profit URL that was approved in your application process.
  • You must be engaged and proactive in your Google Ads account by logging in to the account, at least, monthly.
  • The ads you are promoting must reflect the mission of your non-profit. You can advertise to sell products as long as 100% of the proceeds are going to support your program.
  • The ads you create cannot point to pages that are used to primarily send visitors to other websites.
  • Your ads cannot offer financial products, such as mortgages or credit cards.
  • Your ads also cannot be asking for donations in the form of large goods such as cars, boats or property donations. Keywords related to this activity are also not allowed.
  • Your website cannot display ads from Google AdSense or other affiliate advertising links while participating in Google Grants
  • A daily budget set to £329, which is equivalent to about £10,000 per month
  • A maximum cost-per-click (CPC) limit of £2.00 (without bid strategies)
  • Paid adverts will always appear above grants adverts.
  • It is limited to the search market. You cannot run ads in the display market.
  • Ad Grantees may only promote mission-based ads and keywords in their Google Ads account.

The fine print:

  • Maintain a 5% Click through rate (CTR). CTR is the ratio showing how often people who see your ad end up clicking it. If your account doesn’t achieve at least a 5% CTR for two consecutive months, your account will be cancelled.
  • Non-profits cannot buy branded keywords they don’t own.
  • Keywords must have quality scores of 3 or higher.
  • Campaigns must have at least two ad groups with at least two ads running in each.
  • Accounts also must have at least two sitelink extensions active.
  • Accounts must have geotargeting.
  • Most single-word keywords are prohibited, the idea being non-profits should choose well-targeted keywords.
  • Contact us to help you with the management of your campaigns and get the best return for this amazing opportunity.

Click here to arrange a call with one of our experts.

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