Google Ads for Nonprofits: How to Utilize Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits?

Nonprofit advertising goes beyond door-to-door outreach and direct mail. These channels are good, but they’re not sufficient enough – you’d need a more reliable way if you want to get your word out there. When it comes to nonprofit organizations, there are always issues of funding that limits how far the organization could go. Adding an extra budget for marketing is somewhat out of reach for most nonprofit organizations – and that’s where Google Ads for nonprofits comes in.

Many nonprofits pretty much depend on Google Ads for nonprofits. Without such programs, funding their advertising will be somewhat tedious. This will, in turn, limit the rate at which they spread their word. Speaking of Google Ads for nonprofits, there is a simple application process for the program – and if your application process is successful, the Google Ads for nonprofits could serve as the foundation for your online advertising.

The Google Ad Grants program is a sure way to acquire lots of web traffic, and regardless of what the primary objective of your nonprofit is, the Google Ads for nonprofits could help you boost your organization’s awareness, increase donations, attract more people, and recruit more volunteers for your organization.

But what about Google Ad Grants, and which organizations are eligible for Google Ad Grants? Here is what you need to know.

What are Google Ad Grants?

If you’re eligible for the Google Ads for nonprofits, you get to have up to $10,000 per month of free advertising on the Google search engine platform. The program is primarily tailored to help your nonprofit organization make more impact across the globe. To benefit from the Google Ads for nonprofits, you’ve got to meet the Ad Grant’s program and eligibility policies, and get approved by the Ad Grant’s pre-qualification process.

Which Organizations Are Eligible for Google Grants?

All organizations with the exceptions of government organizations, hospitals, and schools are qualified for the Google grants. Organizations that meet the basic eligibility requirements (which is arguably all nonprofits), and submit the applications the right way, are most likely to get approval for the Google Grant. How organizations use the Google grant differs in several ways, and these may include;

• To reach out to potential donors and encourage them to donate.
• Building a community of donors by getting contact information from people who subscribe to white papers, newsletters, and other valuable resources.
• Educating and advocating for issues within your area of interest.
• Google grants help in reaching out to the target audience so they can make charitable donations.
• Recruiting volunteers who are willing to support the nonprofit’s objectives.
• Informing the public about events and selling tickets to activities like fun runs, galas, and meetings.
• Driving people to take actions like signing petitions or social media engagements.

Regardless of what you want to accomplish, Google grants are a sure way to reach more people and direct them to your website. When it comes to organizations that are eligible for Google grants, then you’ve got to consider charities and nonprofits across different countries. Organizations in the United States must have records with the IRS as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit. Furthermore, the organization has to meet these requirements:

• The organization must not be a school, a hospital, or a government agency.
• You must agree to the Google for Nonprofits and Google Ads terms of service.
• Your website has to be hosted on your separate domain.
• The security of your website has to be ascertained by the installation of the SSL certificate.

The requirements are similar for other countries, and if an organization meets these requirements, then it will be eligible for the Google Grant. It is important to emphasize that organizations that qualify and apply the right way, can access the Google grant.

Here comes the next big question – how much does Google for nonprofits cost? Well, you’ll discover that in the next section.

How much does Google for nonprofits cost?

If you’ve successfully opened the Google for Nonprofits account for your organization, then you’d be eligible for some offers like the Google Workspace for Nonprofits (at no cost), Business Standard (at $3/user/month with some discount), and the Business Plus ($5.04/user/month with some discount).

How do Google Ads work for nonprofits?

Google Ads Grants positions your organization in front of people who are searching for nonprofit organizations like yours. As already mentioned each organization gets up to $10,000 per month in search ads shown on the Google platform. You can opt for more Google Ads using a separate account.

Having access to the Google Ads Grants is the easy part. Maintaining it is the tricky part, and here’s how things work.

• All the running ads have to be linked to the nonprofit URL that was used during the application process.
• Be proactive when it comes to managing your ad account by logging into your ad account monthly. If you fail to log into your ad account, the account may likely get paused without notifying you.
• Any ad you’re promoting must pretty much reflect the mission of your organization. There’s an option of selling products using ads, but all proceeds from the sale have to be used to support your program.
• Your ads should not be linked to pages that are primarily used to direct visitors to other websites.
• The ads should not offer financial products like credit cards and mortgages. Furthermore, the ads should seek donations in the form of goods like boats, cars, and property donations. The Google ad platform also bans keywords that relate to these activities.
• Your website should not display ads from affiliate advertising links like Google AdSense if you intend to be part of the Google Grants.

How Do I Set Up Google Ads For Nonprofits?

Here are easy steps to help you set up Google Ads for nonprofits.

Complete the Ad Grants eligibility form

You’ve got to register as a Google nonprofit and use the same user name both for the Ad Grant accounts and the Google for Nonprofit account. For instance, if username@gmail.com was the email you used for signing up for the Google for Nonprofits, then your Ad Grants account has to be of the same email address. After activation, there is always the option of inviting more users to manage the account.

A quick recap here.

• Sign in to your Google for Nonprofits
• Click on the Activate icon under the Google Ad Grants menu.

Within 20 minutes, you can use the eligibility form link to fill out the assessment. This way, you get to know if your organization is eligible for the Ad Grant program. Aside from checking your eligibility status, the assessment helps you to know more about the organization. Your response pretty much helps in the improvement of the support you’d get from the organization.

Submit your activation for review

• Return to the Google for Nonprofits
• Click on the Activate icon under the Google Ads Grants menu
• Click on the checkbox that confirms that the eligibility form has been completed
• Click on the Activate icon to submit your activation for review.

A typical review process takes 3 business days. After that, you’ll receive an email with further instructions.

How Does PPC Signal Help You Optimize Your Google Ads For Nonprofits?

Whether you desire to grow your mailing list, your social media accounts, or merely convert visitors into loyal donors, the Google Ads for nonprofits can help you achieve that. There are times when visitors will hear about your brand for the first time – and they get to hear about it from Google Ads. In such cases, it won’t be wise to ask them to make donations from the get-go. You get to build rapport and take it up from there.

Also, managing multiple nonprofit ad accounts is not easy. To lessen the burden that comes with such responsibility, you’ve got to opt for a tool – and that’s where the PPC Signal tool comes in.

With the PPC Signal tool, you get to manage and optimize all your accounts from a single tool. Let’s say you notice that your Google Ads for a campaign is not performing well, and since the cost per conversion is arguably one of the most important metrics of a campaign, you’d have to optimize it.

To do that, you’ve got to choose the cost per conversion metrics from the dashboard of your PPC Signal tool. Once chosen, an automated signal will be showcased on your dashboard in real-time. From the signals, you can easily draw insights about the cost per conversion of your campaign – and you can take a close look at the shifts, trends, anomalies, and outliers found in your data.

You can explore the signal by clicking on the Explore icon.

By clicking on the Explore icon, you get to see the graphical representation of your data, and also discover whether your cost per conversion is moving upward or changing.

There is also the option of displaying the data in a tabular form. This way, you’d get a closer view of the metrics that are affecting your cost per conversion.

Results from the automated generated signal show you how your PPC campaign is performing, and you can make the necessary adjustments by;

• Write compelling, clickable PPC ads that are relevant to the search query (or keyword) of your target audience. There are more chances of recording better conversions if you’re targeting consumers who are late in the buying cycle. To get such people, you’ve got to target high-intent long-tail and mid-tail keywords.
• Your landing pages and ads should maintain a high degree of relevance. That is, you’ve got to design your landing pages in such a way that it fulfills the promises of the ad (call to action), and also provides an easy path for your customer to take action. Such actions could be completing a purchase, downloading a white paper, or signing up for your newsletter.
• Always test your landing pages. Simply put, perform A/B testing to figure out the right colors, layouts, or copy that compels the most visitors to take your desired action.

FAQs:

Should non-profits use Google Ads?

Yes, almost all nonprofits can benefit from Google Ads for nonprofits. With the free ads, you get to drive more traffic to your website, boost your organization’s reach, and possibly get your message in front of the right people.

Does Google offer discounts for nonprofits?

Yes, Google for nonprofits has products and discounts that are offered to eligible organizations. These products pretty much help them solve challenges like the search for new volunteers and donors, ways to get more people involved, and how to be efficient within the ecosystem.

Who qualifies for Google Ad Grants?

Eligible organizations are organizations that have sleek websites that meet the website policy, things that are aligned with the program policies, and of course, must be a nonprofit organization.

How do I use Google Ad grant money?

First, you’ve got to pick an ad manager and set up a system to help you maintain the account. After that, you’ve got to plan and build your ads. Finally, keep a close eye on your ads, measure your ads, optimize them for the best possible performance, and grow your ad account.

Are Google Ad Grants worth it?

Yes, applying for the Google Ad Grant is worth the time spent. If you’re part of a team of nonprofits, applying for the Google Ad Grant is worth it. And when you gain access to the grant, you’ve got to put the money to good use – and that includes creating awareness, and using everything within your jurisdiction for the benefit of your nonprofit.

Wrap Up:

Competing as a nonprofit in the world of digital advertising and social media is not a walk in the park – it’s tough, and you need every bit of help you can get – and that includes having access to the Google Ads for nonprofits.

The program has helped thousands of nonprofits to position their brands in front of their target audience, and also boost their awareness in the online space. This way, nonprofits get an equal playing field when it comes to digital advertising.

Regardless of what your goals are – whether you’re looking for more new visitors, or you want to raise more awareness for your brand, Google Ads for nonprofits will help you get started. And if you’re looking to manage multiple ad campaigns, then the PPC Signal tool is your go-to tool.

Now you know the nitty-gritty of Google Ads for nonprofits, how will you take advantage of the program?