Did you know that eligible nonprofit organizations can receive $10,000 of in-kind advertising every month from Google AdWords? The donation is part of Google Grants and it is designed to help nonprofit organizations thrive. As a PPC company and digital marketing agency, we wanted to share our knowledge of Google Grants with you.
History of Google Grants
Google released its first version of AdWords in October 2000. Three and a half years later, in April 2003, Google’s co-founders wanted to give back to nonprofit organizations. Thus, Google Grants was launched. The creation of the program was in-line with Google’s core value of community service.
The program started with Google actually creating and managing accounts for the nonprofits. However, that quickly became too time consuming. Now, as Google works with more than 20,000 nonprofits, the program requires the organizations themselves to build and manage their own accounts.
Following the success of Google Grants, Google partnered with Grantspro to further assist nonprofits. This partnership provided the opportunity for eligible nonprofit organizations to apply for additional ad spend. Groups that met the criteria could receive up to $30,000 per month, in additional to the Google Grant $10,000. Sadly, the collaboration has stopped accepting applications since late 2012.
Am I Eligible for Google Grants?
Google has a set of criteria that grant applicants need to meet, in order to successfully qualify for the program. The criteria are as follows:
- Must be based in one of 50 countries, United States of America is on the list.
- Apply to Google for Nonprofits.
- Hold valid charity status. Google Grants does not support:
- Governmental entities and organizations
- Hospitals and medical groups
- Schools
- Childcare centers
- Academic institutions and universities
- Agree to Google’s required certifications.
- Have a live website.
Once you are accepted to the program, you will need to adhere to the following to maintain your eligibility:
- Your ads need to be linked to only one website domain. This domain should be the same one that was approved in your application.
- Actively manage your AdWords account. This can be accomplished by:
- Logging into your account once a month
- Making at least one change to your account every 90 days
- The ads that you run and keywords that you use should complement the programs and services that you offer.
- You cannot use the grant money for commercial advertising only. If you are promoting your products and services all of the time, 100% of the proceeds need to go to that program.
- The ads cannot link to pages that have a lot of links to other websites.
- You cannot offer financial products or request donations of cars, boats, and other property in your ads.
- Your website cannot feature AdSense ads or affiliate advertising links.
Benefits and Tips for Participating in Google Grants
The benefits of taking advantage of Google’s offer are immense:
- Reach key donors, volunteers, and share your message globally.
- Easier for people to donate to your organization.
- Insight into how your ads are working.
Although the program has some limitations, i.e. there is a $2.00 max cost per click, most participants under-spend their budget. We thought it would be helpful to provide some tips for effectively using your AdWords account.
- Run campaigns for each communication goal and project you want to highlight.
- Conduct keyword research to add to your list and incorporate in your account.
- Lead people to a targeted landing page to increase your conversion rate.
For more tips, contact the team at Kraus Marketing!
Are you curious about how to implement PPC strategies for your business? Kraus Marketing specializes in PPC and Social Media Marketing. We serve companies in the New Jersey and New York City area. Inquire about our services by calling (973) 998-5742 or contact us online.