Quick Guide to Google Grants for Nonprofit Organizations – Google Grants Requirements

What is Google Ad Grants?

Google Ad Grants is a grant of 10,000 USD to use on Google text ads every month. This is a form of advertising called PPC (pay-per-click). These grants are only available for charities, NGOs and approved Google grants users. Google AdWords works in a “bidding” system for keywords people use while searching on Google search. With a Google Ad Grant, you could get possibly 300 clicks/users to your website every day.

The concept is basically giving free money to charities to spend on Google’s own ad-words platform. But there is a catch! You have to comply with a lot of fundamental rules that dictate the spending. For Google, it is a way to help charities/NGOs to reach a larger audience and make a difference in the community. 

Google AdWords, an online advertising platform that is used by millions of businesses around the globe. In 2019, worldwide digital ad spending is $333.25 billion. Google is the largest ad seller with more than 31% of the market share, raking in $103.73 Billion every year. Google Adwords is by far the best way for the majority of businesses to use as their primary digital ad publishing platform.

Benefits of Google Ad Grants

• Raise awareness for your cause – Reach supporters when they use Google Search. With Ad Grants, your ads can show up when people use keywords relevant to your nonprofit.
  
• Drive more website views and activity – Drive online traffic to your website for fundraising, recruiting volunteers, and more.
  
• Track your nonprofit marketing efforts – Combine Ad Grants with the power of Google Analytics to measure and understand your organization’s online marketing performance.
  
• Reach the people who need your help – Make sure people searching for your services on Google can find your nonprofit.

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Eligibility Criteria

• Must have on-going and valid charity status in your country of origin.

• Must acknowledge and agree to required certifications regarding how to receive and use donations received by the Google Grants.
• Must have a website, both functioning and providing satisfactory details. Have a high-quality website that meets the Ad Grants website policy. See how TechAffinity can help you with a high-quality website for Google Ad Grants approval process.

Who are Not Eligible for Google Grants?

• Government bodies and organizations
• Hospitals and medical groups
• Schools, childcare centers, academic institutions and universities (philanthropic arms of educational institutions are eligible).

Guidelines to Stay Eligible

Updated Rules

The Google Ad Grant team updated some of the fundamental rules on 1st January 2018 for its nonprofit grant and how it can be spent. Here is a summary of those practices, which if infringed will get your account barred:

• A least 5% CTR must be maintained. Accounts will be discontinued after 2 consecutive months with a CTR below 5%.
• Minimum keyword quality score of 2
• At least 2 ad groups per campaign should be live at all times.
• Minimum 2 ads per ad group have to be live.
• At least 2 ad extensions should be part of the ads.

Enrolment and Donation Platform

Your organization may use only website domains that have been approved through the Ad Grants enrollment process. Approved domains are subject to the following criteria to stay eligible:

• Your charity must own the domain that you use as a landing page on when users click your ad. If you’d like users to land directly on a donation page, your content may be hosted by one of the below-verified donation processors. 
  
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High-Quality Website (Google Website Policy)

Your website must have a strong and clear representation of your organization, mission, and activities. It must have tangible content, updated events and information, clear navigation, and clear calls to action for high-quality user experience. Your website’s content must be unique to your organization. No plagiarism. Your website must load quickly, and not include broken links and be secured with HTTPS.

Talk to our expert website consultants to get your website optimized for Google Ad Grants

Commercial Activity

Commercial activity must not be the purpose of your website. This includes sales of products and services, offering consultations, generating leads, and providing referrals.  Sites resembling businesses or for-profit blogs/vlogs are not permitted. Any limited commercial activities must describe how they support your mission.

If your organization charges for products or services, your website must describe how your organization uses funds, for example, by disclosing an annual report. Your website may not make claims that promise results only after a consultation, service, or purchase. Your organization must serve the public in some way, rather than only those who pay for a service.

Limited Ads on Your Website

Advertising on your organization’s website must be relevant to your mission and not be intrusive to users.

Your website may not host Google AdSense ads or affiliate advertising links. If you’re required to link to an AdSense account to receive payments for the Android market, you’re qualified as long as you don’t display AdSense ads on your website.

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Don’t Use Broad Keywords

Avoid broad keywords like “charity” “peace,” or “Paris” Most likely your ad won’t perform since there are already millions of businesses and other companies that are bidding on the same keyword. Google added regulations that limit Ad Grant accounts from bidding on common, generic and single-word keywords. It is highly advised to use long-tail keywords that are more precise. 

For example: instead of using “t-shirt” to use “blue puma t-shirt for gym” Long tail keywords will not only drive more qualified traffic to your site, but they’re also cheaper to bid for.

Shift Focus on Conversions, Not Ad Spend

Usually, organizations use Google Grants to get as close to maxing your spend as possible. While spending the money as efficiently as possible, it’s essential to regard that Google Ads is pushing Grant recipients towards more than just driving a high quantity of traffic, but driving traffic that will convert. 

These conversions could be taking an action like signing up to your newsletters or donating to your charity. Take advantage of more bidding strategies like Target CPA, Maximize Conversions, and Enhanced CPC. 

Test different bidding options other than the default CPC to understand what makes the most goal conversions with your users. Depending on the results, these tests could help you. Re-work on your digital advertising strategy, and which calls-to-action are most effective at encouraging a visitor down your engagement funnel.

Need help with optimizing your Ad spends? Our consultants can help you. Drop a mail – media@techaffinity.com

If you’re a Google Ads newbie and would like to get started with Google Grants – how to write awesome ads, where to find keywords, and how to measure success; get in touch with us. We’ll show you the absolute best use of the Google Grant. With effort and dedication, TechAffinity can make the most of the resources available exclusively to nonprofits to expand audiences and enhance your ads.