Get the Most out of Your Google Grants

Google Grants For Non-Profits

Google Grants is a program offered by Google which provides organizations that qualify for free advertising support. It’s based on their Adwords platform.  In order to qualify, your organization must meet the following criteria

• Hold a valid charity or non-profit status.
• Agree to Google’s certification requirements concerning non-discrimination, donation receipt, and donation use.
• Have an active website with meaningful content.

Tips on Setting up Your Google Grant and Staying Compliant:

• See if you are eligible
• Apply for your Google Grant
• Stay in compliance with Google Grant Guidelines:

– Ads must be 100% text-based
– Ads can only appear on Google Search
– Keyword Targeting ONLY for all campaigns
– You are limited to $2 CPC’s
– Staying compliant can get you $10,000 (up to $40,000 for Grantspro participants) each month.
– Link your ads to one (and only one) website domain, which should be the same one that was approved in your initial application.
– Actively manage your AdWords account by logging in once a month and making at least one change to your account every 90 days.
– Your ads and keywords should match your organization’s programs and services.
– Strictly commercial advertising is prohibited. If you’re promoting products or services, 100% of the proceeds must go directly to supporting your program.
– Your ads must not link to pages that are primarily composed of links to other websites.
– Your ads may not offer financial products (like mortgages or credit cards), nor can they request donations of cars, boats, or other property.
– Your site can’t display Google AdSense ads or affiliate advertising links. 

How to Maximize Your Google Grant:

You want the money you take in for your cause to go as far as it possibly can. Now that we know what Google Grants is, let’s discuss a few ways to maximize your grants.

To begin, the way to receive the largest amount possible from Google Grants is to max your spending over $9,900 for at least two months (does not have to be consecutive) in six months. This would qualify you for Google Grants Pro which is a grant of up to $40,000. Many non-profits are at the end of their wits as to how to go about this. The irony is that non-charitable entities could spend this amount in half a heartbeat.

1. Write Out a Daily Budget.

Google Grants will give you a daily budget of $329. This is a hard limitation of Google Grants. They will not allow you to spend more than this per day. The catch-22 here is that you need to hit that daily spend in order to reach your monthly goal of spending over $9,900 per month in order to qualify for Google Grants Pro.

2. Incorporate Play into Your Non-profit by Promoting Events

If your organization is at all community-minded, use that to set up fun activities around your cause. Bake sales, league sports, scavenger hunts, and open-house events are all great ways to get the community involved. Use your grant money to promote these events.

3. Utilize Adwords Ad Extensions

Google’s Adwords offers 6 kinds of ad extensions. These extensions provide a number of ways that you can boost your organization’s electronic footprint. They are guaranteed to generate better click-through rates and are therefore a sound way to allocate your grant money.

4. Expand Your Target Locations

If your organization is limited to serving people in your local area,  you might tend to forgo seeking wider recognition. Consider that there are people all over the world who are interested in supporting charitable agencies. If your company has a particular appeal, there are likely people far and wide who would appreciate it. Allocating grant money to fund that effort is a fine way to make your quota.

The limitations Google places on its grants are meant to ensure that it is spent on charity-oriented promotional content. By focusing your Grant budget on these four tips, you’ll be sure to get the most out of your Adwords grant. Colling Media works with national charities and has years of experience getting nonprofits the maximum grant available through Google. Contact a rep today to find out how we can help your Non-Profit!