Google Ad Grants allow you to run ads on Google’s search network free of charge. This way, you reach more people and give more visibility to the cause you’re defending. However, a number of criteria must be met in order to qualify for and retain the grant.

Keep reading to get all the information from Google in one place, and receive an exclusive checklist to test your eligibility. Are you ready to power your nonprofit?

How would you like to spend $10,000 (US) on paid advertising without having to take it out of your pocket? Thanks to this Google grant, it’s now possible!

The principle is simple: Google Ad Grants gives you a monthly budget to spend on Google Ads on the Google search network to promote your cause.

The goal is to offer greater visibility to nonprofits, enabling them to increase their number of members, donations, website visits, volunteers and much more! It’s a great way to stand out from the crowd and make your audience aware of the cause you’re defending. Most not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) can access it, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.

Interested in applying to Google Ad Grants? Make sure you meet the following criteria, as well as those for maintaining your subsidy.

Before you even register for the grant program, make sure you are registered as an NPO in your country.

Then you can register with TechSoup. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll have free access to a large number of platforms in their paid versions (Zoom, Adobe, Office, Asana, etc.). The TechSoup registration token will enable you to register with Google for Associations and apply for Google Ad Grants.

Google Ad Grants also requires a website that does not prioritize commercial activities such as product sales, paid advice, or product promotion for a fee. Commercial activities must be integrated into your mission, and any sale must explain the use of income, with a financial report for example. Your site should clearly reflect your nonprofit’s purpose and detail its objectives to increase your chances of obtaining a grant. The more you can say about your nonprofit and your cause, the better!

The website must also offer a good user experience, i.e., simple, intuitive ergonomics. In this way, the user has no difficulty in navigating and is satisfied with his experience on the website. It’s also important to ensure that the information available is updated frequently and that there are no broken links.

It is forbidden to have third-party advertisements on your website if they are not consistent with your mission or if they impact the user experience. However, we recommend not having ads on your website, as this has a negative impact on the user experience.

Also, the website must be secured by an SSL certificate , which proves that your site is secure and “trusted” by browsers. You can check this in your website URL. If it starts with “https”, you have an SSL certificate.

Special cases: Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for a subsidy. There are 3 categories of NPO that do not have access:

• Governmental organizations
• Hospitals and healthcare organizations
• Schools, educational establishments or universities

Are you eligible? Don’t wait, follow our guide to getting Google Ad Grants!

Once you have access to the grant and your Google Ads account is running ads, don’t give up! In fact, if you don’t meet the following criteria, your grant may be withdrawn:

• Your account’s overall click-through rate should remain above 5%;
• The keyword quality score must be greater than 2 out of 10;
• Create at least 2 ads per ad group;
• Define long-tail keywords and make sure they are always linked to search intent;
• Record at least one conversion per month.

Conversions are the goals you’ve set for your NPO. This can take the form of a contact, a donation, a call or a visit to a specific page on your site. To better define precise goals for your website and translate them into conversions, consult one of our data tracking experts.

Still a few details to work out? We have created a Google Ad Grants eligibility checklist so you can see where you stand at a glance!

Are you eligible? Great! You can start the great adventure!

Google Ad Grants are a great way to grow your business, achieve your goals and raise awareness of your cause. Managing a Google Ad Grants account can be complicated when you don’t have the technical knowledge or the time.

You may find the help of a professional helpful in this process. He’ll guide you through the various stages, and be at your side whenever you need him. What’s more, he’ll be able to give you valuable advice on the management and performance of your ads.

We are available to help you apply for the grant, but also to help you take advantage of its full potential.