Google Ad Grants: Free Ads for Non-Profits

Oh, Google. Just when we think you’ve done it all, you come up with another amazing service that knocks our socks off. And this one does more than just make our lives easier–it actually helps non-profits do the important work that they do.  Google Ad Grants is a program that provides eligible non-profit organizations up to $10,000 a month (or $329 a day) in AdWords click costs. Seriously! That’s $120,000 per year in free advertising! This obviously isn’t money you want to leave lying on the table.

We’ve recently used Google Ad Grants to create AdWords campaigns for BingeThink and Night Lights–two awesome organizations that definitely deserve a leg up. As we’ve seen with these organizations, using Google Ad Grants can help you get more website traffic, raise more money for your organization, and expand awareness of your cause.

There are of course restrictions that apply, but overall this is an excellent tool for any organization with a 501(c)3 status. (Detailed eligibility guidelines can be found here.)

The difference between a Google Ad Grants campaign and a traditional AdWords campaign relates primarily to the mission–you cannot use Ad Grants money for purely commercial purposes, and all of your keywords and ads must relate to the mission of your organization. For instance, where a traditional ad might say “Buy Gifts Online,” an Ad Grants ad would need to say something like “Shop and Fight Cancer.”

Even though the advertising is free, you want to make sure you aren’t just taking a “throw it and see what sticks” approach. Crafting relevant ads that are shaped to achieve your goals is still essential. If you currently own or work for an organization that has 501(c)3 status, we would be happy to help you navigate the ins and outs of getting a Google Ad Grants campaign up and running. Contact Niki at [email protected] to learn more.