Google Grants is a great opportunity for nonprofits who are looking to take advantage of Google AdWords campaigns to drive in volunteer and donor prospects.
You may have heard recently that Google has launched a new initiative (Google Grants) to provide advertising funding to nonprofit organizations. If you have not heard about the program, your nonprofit could be leaving some serious advertising dollars on the table. In order to take advantage of the program your nonprofit needs to apply and meet Google’s eligibility requirements. We will discuss the eligibility requirements in more detail later on in this post. Eligible nonprofits can receive as much as $10,000 per month in Google AdWords credit to enhance their online marketing efforts. This money can be used to create new campaigns in AdWords to build brand exposure and reach new volunteer and donor prospects. Before we discuss who is eligible and how to apply lets first talk about the benefits of Google AdWords in the nonprofit space.
The Benefits of Google AdWords for Nonprofits
Google AdWords can be a great tool for nonprofits as long as the platform is being used correctly and campaigns are optimized often. The tool allows your nonprofit to bid on clicks based on keywords that your volunteer and donor prospects are searching for online. Keep in mind that your organization will need to conduct keyword research based on targeted prospect personas to make campaigns most effective.
What are the Eligibility Requirements for Google Grants?
The first question that your nonprofit needs to answer when considering Google Grants is are your eligible. Your nonprofit must meet some basic requirements to secure funding, and also meet ongoing requirements to maintain eligibility. Here are the initial requirements needed to be considered for funding:
- Your nonprofit must be a valid charity and have documentation to prove it.
- Your organization needs to have a website and be contributing content on an active basis.
- Your organization must agree to and acknowledge Google’s certifications regarding nondiscrimination and donation receipt.
Here are the ongoing eligibility requirements to continue to receive grant money from Google:
- Nonprofits can only have ads pointing to one domain.
- AdWords account must be actively managed and optimized for success by the qualifying nonprofit.
- Targeted keywords and ad copy must match the nonprofits programs and service offering.
- Your organization’s ads are not allowed to land on pages with a lot of links to outside sources.
- Your nonprofits ads cannot offer financial products.
- Your organization’s website cannot participate in Google AdSense or affiliate marketing.
How Do I Apply for Google Grants?
If you believe that your nonprofit organization can stay within the guidelines mentioned earlier in the post than it is time to apply for the Google Grant. Applying for funding with Google is easy. All your nonprofit has to do is visit the Google Grant application page and follow the five steps listed.
Takeaways about Google Grants
Google Grants are a great way for an eligible nonprofit to substantially increase the amount of online exposure they can generate each month. This additional advertising budget can help drive in new volunteer prospects, donors and also increase the amount of brand recognition around an organization. As long as your nonprofit can maintain eligibility, and has internal knowledge on how to successfully optimize Google AdWords campaigns there is no reason not to participate in the Google program.
Is your nonprofit interested in learning more information about how volunteer management software can help to keep your organization’s volunteer data organized and create exposure for opportunities? A volunteer management solution can drive nonprofit efficiency and process.
