Nonprofit organizations are key to making our community a better place. At Get Online NOLA it has always been important for us to work with the nonprofit organizations that help our friends and neighbors. One of the hardest things for many nonprofits is getting their message out to a wider audience. With limited resources and expensive advertising requirements, running digital ads may sound impossible. But – did you know that there is a huge free resource provided by Google waiting for you? Google Ad Grants shows your message to people searching for nonprofits like yours. Each qualifying nonprofit has access to up to $10,000 per month in search ads shown on Google.com. That’s a whole lot of ad spend for free.
Apply for Google for Nonprofits
Understandably, Google doesn’t give away $10K in advertising without making you jump through a few hoops first. Here’s an overview of what is required to apply for a Google Ad Grant.
To be eligible for a Google for Nonprofits account, an organization must:
- Be registered as a charitable organization. All organizations must also be verified as a nonprofit organization by Google for Nonprofits’ validation partner, Percent. Percent will contact you for more information or documentation so they can verify your organization.
- Meet the USA requirements.
- Organizations must be:
- Registered with the IRS as exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code, or
- A group-exempt organization with proven affiliation to a central nonprofit that has 501c3 status
- The organization must not be one of the following:
- Governmental entity or organization
- Hospital or healthcare organization
- School, academic institution, or university (Google for Education offers a separate program for schools)
- A fiscally sponsored organization that does not have its own 501(c)(3) status.
- Organizations must be:
- Agree to the Google for Nonprofits Additional Terms of Service.
Once you are sure the above meets your organization’s setup requirements then you can create a Google for Nonprofits account. You will need to use the same login email for your Google for Nonprofits and Ad Grant accounts.
- Sign in to Google for Nonprofits,
- Click “Activate Products”
- Then “Get Started” under Google Ad Grants,
- Complete the required information, and
- Click “Activate” to submit your organization for review.
After your activation request has been approved and you’ve accepted the email invitation to your Ad Grants account, your first campaign in Google Ads can be set up.
Google Ads Requirements
Now that you’ve gone through the initial setup of your nonprofit Google Account, it’s time to set up your first of many ad campaigns. The Google Ads Grant does have advertising requirements for organizations that are more strict than the standard ad requirements. Get Online NOLA already helps nonprofits in New Orleans to get the most out of their ads grant, so they can reach a wider audience. Here are a few metrics you must keep in mind to keep your account in good standing, be eligible to run ads and prevent suspension.
The main metrics that must be kept in consideration are:
- Keyword type and quality
- Keeping a 5% CTR (click-through rate) each month for all qualified ad campaigns
- Must have valid conversion tracking setup
- Valid means that you are reporting at least 1 conversion per month
- Correct initial campaign setup with Google Ad’s best practices including
- 2 ads per ad group
- 2 ad groups per campaign
- 2 site link ad extensions
- Must respond to the yearly Google Grant Program Survey
Get Online NOLA helps nonprofits and small businesses to grow their digital presence. With years of expertise in setting up Google Ads Grant campaigns, we not only assist you in the initial setup of your account but also manage the day-to-day operations of running Google Ads. Our goal is to ensure that you maximize the benefits of the $10,000 spending cap and achieve as many conversions as possible during this period. We recently helped one New Orleans nonprofit increase their ad spend and reach by over 700%! Reach out today for more information about how we can help your charity do the same!
Working with the GON team was excellent all the way through. They are extremely responsive to communication. Actualization of your vision and communication are where they really shine. Their rates are more than reasonable for their collaborative spirit, timeline, and product. I found them a joy to work with and am super happy with the results.
Haley Sledge, Jewish Family Services
Ready to boost your nonprofit? Request a Strategy Session Below:
Get in touch today for a free strategy session for non-profit or charitable organizations. We’ll discuss the Google Ads Grant along with any other marketing efforts you may need. For your free strategy session fill out the form below.