In nonprofit marketing, the Google Ad Grants program emerges as a beacon of opportunity, offering up to $10,000 per month in advertising credits on Google Ads.

In recent years, nonprofits like Blueprint for All, All Hands and Hearts, and To Write Love On Her Arms have demonstrated the transformative power of effectively managed Google Ad Grants. These organizations leveraged the grants to increase web traffic, drive donations, and boost online sales, showcasing the program’s potential in supporting diverse nonprofit goals.

To help nonprofits navigate the intricacies of the program, let’s explore maximizing the impact of Google Ad Grants, transforming them from a free account for nonprofits, to a foundational tool for paid search for small to medium size nonprofits.

Enrollment and Compliance with Google Ad Grant Accounts

Enrolling in the Google Ad Grants program is a beneficial step for nonprofit organizations, providing access to up to $10,000 per month in Google Ads advertising. To successfully enroll and maintain compliance with the program, organizations need to follow specific guidelines:

Enrollment Process

Google for Nonprofits Account: Nonprofits must be enrolled in Google for Nonprofits to qualify for Ad Grants.

AdWords Account Configuration: An existing AdWords account must be set up to receive Google Ad Grants, and requests for billing information should be ignored.

Customer ID: Organizations need to find their AdWords Customer ID and learn how to add an Administrator to their Google for Nonprofits account.

Eligibility Check and Application: Nonprofits must check their eligibility and follow the instructions provided on the Google Ad Grants how-to-apply page. This includes signing into the Google for Nonprofits account, enrolling under the Google Ad Grants product, entering the Customer ID, and completing the application.

Ad Grant Compliance: Nonprofits, once approved, must maintain ad grant compliance by meeting performance goals and following account rules specific to Google Ad Grant program accounts. These are:

Campaign & Ad Group Rules:
- A minimum of two sitelink ad extensions must be included.
- Geo-targeting must be enabled.
- Only paid search ad campaigns are allowed.
- The account should have a minimum 5% click-through rate (CTR) for the past week.
- Two ads per ad group.
Keyword Rules:
- No single-word keywords (except for brand names, medical conditions, and a few other exceptions).
- Keywords must not have a Quality Score of 1 or 2.
- Avoid overly generic, single-word or trademarked keywords.
Bidding Rules:
- Manual bids cannot exceed $2.00.
- Strategies like Maximize Conversions, CPA, and ROAS can set bids above this limit.
- At least one campaign must be set to Maximize Conversions with relevant conversion data in the account.

These guidelines ensure that nonprofits can effectively use the Google Ad Grants program to expand their reach and impact. For the most current and detailed information, it’s recommended to regularly consult the official Google Ad Grants support page.

Maximizing the Impact of Google Ad Grants: A Not-So-Secret Weapon for Nonprofits

Hey there, nonprofit crusaders! Are you ready to dive into the world of Google Ad Grants without dozing off? Buckle up, because we’re about to take a not-so-boring journey into making these grants your new best friend.

Why You Should Care About Google Ad Grant Management (Seriously, It’s Important)

Alright, let’s get real for a second. Google Ad Grants are like finding a treasure chest in the world of nonprofit marketing. We’re talking about up to $10,000 per month in free advertising on Google Ads. That’s a lot of zeros, folks! But here’s the catch – it’s not just about getting the grant; it’s about being able to make it work.

Stay Out of Google Jail

First things first, Google’s got rules, and they enforce these on a routine basis. Slip up, and the grant can be suspended and even revoked. Managing your ads properly means playing nice with Google’s policies.

Squeeze Every Drop from Your Ad Budget

Imagine having a limited budget (oh wait, you probably don’t have to imagine). Every cent counts, and with smart management, you can turn those Google Ad pennies into nonprofit gold.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

If you’re not tracking how your ads are doing, you’re basically driving blindfolded. Monitoring and analyzing your ad performance is like having a marketing GPS – it guides you to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Make sure you have conversion tracking set up properly for whatever KPIs you are tracking (donations, signups, etc.).

Top Tips for Google Ad Grants

Keyword Research

Keywords are the secret sauce to connecting with your audience. It’s like knowing the magic words to open a hidden door. Determine high volume keywords across the funnel that are relevant to your goals, both brand and non-brand keyword, and start thinking about ad copy and landing pages that are relevant to these keywords.

Ad Copy

Strong calls-to-action and benefit highlights are your best friends here. Utilizing keywords in headlines and descriptions, and be sure to include branded elements, dynamic components, and UVPs, testimony, and impact statements to help increase ad relevance and click-through rate.

Monitor and Analyze

Keeping an eye on your ad performance is a no brainer, but you have to be a bit more diligent with a grant account. Use scripts to help keep track of compliance or help turn things off when rules are broken. For example, a script to pause all keywords with a Quality Score of 1 or 2 in the last 30 days.

Test and Refine

Test different ad formats and pinnings with RSAs, but also test DSAs, adding audience lists for both prospecting and retargeting audiences. Additionally, consider running both Broad and Exact match dedicated campaigns to help drive volume and conversions steadily. These are just a few big picture tests.

Really, create a testing schedule based off anything that you may observe in performance, like an audience that might be really strong could benefit from personalized messaging, or maybe a certain geo performs at a much better tCPA than the rest of the target locations. Testing should be a continual process.

Call in the Pros

Managing Google Ad Grants can be different from managing other types of paid search accounts.. If it’s not what you’re used to, consider bringing in a Google Ad Grants Certified Professional.

Google Ad Grant Management Wins

In 2023, several nonprofits successfully utilized the Google Ad Grant, showcasing its potential in boosting online visibility, engagement, and fundraising. Here are some notable examples:

Blueprint for All

This inclusion charity, formerly known as the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, faced challenges due to a name change, leading to a loss of search traffic. They sought to generate awareness for their educational content. In partnership with Climbing Trees, they implemented a Google Ads campaign, focusing on brand terms and promoting diversity and inclusion content.

This approach resulted in a significant increase in web traffic, achieving a 14% Click-Through Rate on specific campaigns, especially during Black History Month. Over time, they utilized the full budget of the account, which led to over 64,000 unique site visits and a 2,866% increase in overall conversions.

All Hands and Hearts

Focusing on disaster relief and recovery, this organization used the Google Ad Grant to raise $15,000 in donations over 90 days. They achieved a 5x increase in average donation value and an 89% decrease in cost-per-conversion. Their marketing efforts were geared towards quickly raising funds for disaster relief while enhancing online visibility and brand awareness.

To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA)

Dedicated to supporting people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide, TWLOHA leveraged the Google Ad Grant to drive significant eCommerce sales. In just 3 months, they achieved 1,000 purchase transactions generating over $50,000 in sales, and in one year, they saw an increase of over $174,000 in online revenue.

These examples highlight the diverse ways in which the Google Ad Grant can be effectively used to support various nonprofit objectives, from increasing donations and web traffic to enhancing brand visibility and driving specific campaign goals.

Google Ad Grant Management Takeaway

In the end, Google Ad Grants can be low hanging fruit for your nonprofit’s digital efforts, but only if you manage them like a pro. Set clear goals, do your homework on staying compliant in the account, cast a wide net of brand and non-brand keywords, and keep a close eye on performance. And hey, if you need a hand, don’t be shy about reaching out for some help.