Did you know that Google gives $10,000 a month in Google Ads to 501(c)3 nonprofits?
It’s free money and a great program of which every qualifying organization should avail itself. But if you want to squeeze the most out of a Google grant, understanding the ins and outs of pay-per-click — aka PPC — advertising is of paramount importance. Do you have a digital advertising expert in-house? What about the analytical tools needed to measure the success of your digital marketing initiatives? If you answered “no” to those questions, working with a Google Ad Grants management team is a smart idea.
Our Google Ads Grant management crew will select keywords for your campaigns, write the ads, and continually test multiple versions to maximize performance and conversion rates. Our primary goal is to get your nonprofit the funds and exposure it needs to make a positive difference in the world!
What Is the Google Ad Grants Program?
Could your 501(c)3 use some free money from Google? Yes? Then the company’s Ad Grants program may be the perfect fit for your nonprofit.
How It Works
- Step 1: Apply for the program and secure approval.
- Step 2: Develop and deploy a Google Ad campaign using your free Google grant money.
- Step 3: Enjoy the increased exposure and donations that roll in as a result of your Google-financed ad campaign.
The $10,000 Ad grant automatically renews monthly unless Google suspends your account for some reason. If that happens, our team will help work to get you reinstated.
Why Should You Work With Our Google Ad Grants Management Team?
Enlisting a Google Ad Grants management team makes a lot of sense if you don’t have anyone on your internal team with digital marketing and pay-per-click advertising experience. Having the right search analytics tools is also vital. Without the know-how, it’s frighteningly easy to blast through $10,000 of Ads and see nothing in return.
Our team has navigated countless nonprofits through the Google Ads Grant process, and we’re proud of our impressive track record. But, at the risk of sounding boastful, our success makes sense. After all, digital marketing is our strength, and we’ve spent over a decade perfecting the craft of online promotions. We understand which ads work and which ones don’t; we know how to maximize exposure to specific demographics. Plus, we maintain accounts with the best analytics services on the market.
What is the process?
Rounded Digital’s Google Ad Grants team will make sure you get the most out of the program.
Application Process: We will complete the application process for your organization and fill out all the necessary forms. Since we’re experienced in the process, your chance of being accepted increases exponentially. However, be aware that we’ll need certain documents from you.
Goal Setting: One of the first things we’ll do is review your organization’s goals. Actually, we take that back. Our team will do more than review your objectives; we’ll examine and dissect them. After we’ve wrapped our heads around the landscape, our team will get to work creating dozens — if not hundreds — of viable advertisements that support your endeavors. From there, we’ll test, test, and test some more until we figure out which ads work best for your demographic.
Keyword Research and Implementation: When crafting a PPC campaign, it’s important to choose the right keywords. Otherwise, your ad won’t reach the right eyeballs. We’ll do that for you and continuously tweak them based on trends and conversion rates.
Strategic Planning: One ad does not fit all. Mapping out an editorial ad calendar that hews to your organization’s yearly schedule is the best way to leverage Google Ad Grants funds. For example, let’s say you run a nonprofit that awards scholarships to promising young musicians. Every year you celebrate the recipients at a gala concert that’s open to the public. The event is also your biggest fundraiser of the year. In the weeks running up to the gala, it would be smart to use ad money to promote the concert. However, at other times during the year, you may use Google Ad Grants funds to highlight other drives and initiatives, advertise your scholarship, or put out a call for volunteers.
Certified Experience Matters
Thanks to a strategic partnership, our team enjoys Ad Grants Certified Professional status. What does that mean? In short, it signifies that when working with us, you’re in competent hands. Our Ad Grants team is intimately familiar with the program’s framework and parameters, plus they’re PPC experts who know how to craft ads and target them towards the best demographic for your niche.
Making the most of your Google Ad Grants money requires digital marketing knowledge. So ask yourself the following questions:
- Does anyone on your team have a solid understanding of digital marketing?
- Do you have access to the best keyword tools? Do you know how to use them?
- Have you ever run a pay-per-click campaign?
- Do you understand the Google Quality Score, Ad Rank, and auction features?
- Do you know when to use the Google AdWords API and when not to?
- What is the formula for targeting ads when people are most likely to buy or act?
If you don’t have a firm grasp on these concepts, working with Google Ad Grants Certified Professionals is probably the best way to go. We can tweak your campaign to ensure maximum exposure and increase your click-through rate.
How Can Digital Marketing Support Your Nonprofit’s Goals?
Let’s start with some facts.
- About 1.5 million 501(c)3 organizations are based in the United States.
- Charitable giving is on the rise. In 2020, Americans gave $471 billion to charitable organizations.
- Almost 3 in 10 Americans say they are online constantly, and the other seven are “plugged in” about 6.3 hours a day.
- 93 percent of Americans access the Internet daily, and they all use search engines to find services, buy goods, and research topics.
- According to several studies, between 88 and 92 percent of Americans use Google as their search engine of choice when online.
What do the facts tell us? A lot of people give to charitable organizations, and the overwhelming majority of them spend a lot of time on Google. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there’s a lot of competition for those development dollars. So for nonprofits, the question becomes: How can we best position ourselves to fundraise successfully?
One way to stand out is by maintaining a highly targeted and tested Google Ad campaign.
Don’t Abandon Old Marketing Methods. Just Enhance Your Approach With New Ones.
The tried-and-true nonprofit marketing and fundraising methods — digital and direct mail giving drives, gala concerts, banquets, and endowments — still work well for certain niches. Adding a Google Ad Grants campaign is simply another arrow in your marketing quiver.
How Can the Google Ad Grants Program Help Nonprofits?
Nonprofits — both new and established — typically need exposure, funds, workers, participants, and volunteers. But overhead compliance standards mean that most don’t have much money and are looking to stretch a dollar. So, to further those ends, the Google Ad Grants program can be used to:
- Introduce an organization
- Support fundraising drives
- Attract volunteers
- Promote concerts, galas, and events
- Find participants
Meeting People Where They Are
People living in developed countries spend an average of 6.3 hours a day on the Internet — so it makes sense to introduce your nonprofit where folks gather.
The great thing about Google AdSense campaigns is that your ads only pop up for searches that pertain to your organization. For example, a nonprofit symphony that holds performances throughout the year may want to target their region for the keywords “concerts near me.” Or, a 501(c)3 who adopts out dogs and cats may target local users who search for phrases like “benefits of living with a pet” or “pet adoption near me.”
Three Google Ad Grants Myths Debunked
Many myths float around about the Google Ad Grants program, and people who believe them risk losing out on a fantastic offer.
Myth: Smaller nonprofits cannot compete with larger ones on Google.com and won’t benefit from running Google ads via the grants program.
Truth: The Google Ads system rewards relevancy. As such, smaller organizations that use location-specific keywords often “beat” national organizations for some searches.
Myth: Participants cannot maintain a paid Google Ads account because the ads will compete with their Google Ad Grants work.
Truth: Ad Grants and paid accounts don’t compete with one another because they appear in different locations on the page.
Myth: Google Ad Grants content can only be used for non-commercial events and initiatives.
Truth: Indeed, you cannot use Google Ad Grants money for purely commercial initiatives that don’t support a nonprofit in any way. However, you can use it to drive traffic to commercial services and products that support your nonprofit’s mission. For example, if you’re selling tickets to an event that funds your work, it’s fine to use Google Ad Grants as long as you explain how the money will be used. Basically, the rules you must follow to maintain your 501(c)3 status are the same rules for the Google Ad Grants program.
Take Advantage of Google’s Nonprofit Ad Grant by Working with Rounded Digital
Every eligible 501(c)3 should be taking advantage of Google’s Ad Grants program. It’s a great way to boost your nonprofit’s bottom line and increase exposure. It costs nothing to inquire. So let’s chat about how the Google Ad Grant program could work for your group — give us a call at (720) 507-7360.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does My Nonprofit Need To Be Based in the United States To Qualify for the Google Ad Grants Program?
No, the program is an international effort. To see if your country is eligible, here is a list of eligible countries.
Most 501(c)3s are eligible for the Google Ad Grants program, but there are a few exceptions. For example, hospitals cannot participate, but cancer research and other medical awareness organizations may qualify. Government entities, universities, and other academic institutions are also excluded from the Google Ad Grants program. However, philanthropies representing educational institutions are eligible.
Nonprofits must comply with Google’s nondiscrimination and donation receipt policy to keep their accounts active.
No. Google does proper due diligence when reviewing applications. Your organization must have 501(c)3 status or the equivalent for your country to qualify. Moreover, it must have a website with “substantial” content.
Yes. If you’re a 501(c)3 organization, turning down the Google Ad Grants offer is like shredding cash. After all, it’s free money and exposure!
Yes — just like all services, you must abide by the terms of use. If you break Google’s rules or use ads for unauthorized commercial purposes, you run the risk of being booted from the program. Working with a Google Ad Grants management team significantly mitigates your chances of running into problems.
What infractions could get an organization kicked out of the Google Ad Grants program?
- Failing to report a change in your nonprofit status
- Losing your nonprofit status
- Violating program rules
- Failing to comply with applicable online privacy rules like the GDPR or California’s online privacy laws.
Google rejects ads that don’t comply with its missing information policy. Typically, grant recipients are slapped with this violation when their websites accept donations but don’t provide enough information on the organization’s charity status. Google suggests using a standard template for your website footer that includes:
- The nonprofit’s name
- Contact information
- Your charity or tax exemption number
Yes, as long as each website complies with Google’s standards, you can incorporate them into your Ad campaign.
No. You’re not required to use all funds every month. However, there is a $329 daily limit.
We get it. Nonprofits don’t have enormous marketing budgets — but implementing a successful Ad campaign may turn that around. Leveraging the program properly pads your bottom line. Moreover, we understand the financial confines of running a 501(c)3 and have factored that into our pricing scale.