Google Ad Grants for Charities & Nonprofits

Google's Ad Grants program has empowered over 1 million global nonprofits to create campaigns that reach their target audience, raise awareness about important issues, and raise funds for their causes. But what does this mean for your nonprofit or charity? It means that you can get your ad campaign started for free. Check out some of our Google Grant customer success stories and learn how you can do the same for your organisation.

What is a Google Ad Grant account?

The Google Ad Grants is a program by Google that offers free advertising credits to eligible charities and nonprofits. The program aims to help these organisations reach a wider audience, promote their causes, and increase online donations, volunteer sign-ups, and overall engagement.

Are you eligible for a Google Grant account?

To be eligible for the Goog le Ad Grants program, an organisation must be a registered charity or nonprofit with a valid website, and must hold valid charitable status in their respective countries.

Here in the UK that means your charity or non-profit must be registered with the Charity Commission, NICC, OSCR, or be registered as tax-exempt and Gift Aid eligible with HMRC in the UK.Additionally, organisations must agree to Google's program policies and follow the guidelines for creating and managing Ad Grants campaigns.

How to apply for a Google Grant account?

To apply for Google Ads for free, you'll need to go to https://www.google.com/grants/. Then click on "Apply for Free Ad Grant."Next, enter your charity's name and country in the appropriate fields.From there, select the type of campaign that would benefit your organisation most: website clicks or mobile app installs (or both).

You'll also be asked to provide some information about who will manage the account and any other relevant details about your organisation or campaign goals--such as why this particular type of advertising will help reach those goals better than traditional media channels like radio ads or billboards could do alone.The application form is pretty straightforward; just fill out all relevant sections as best as possible before submitting it by clicking "Submit Application".

Start with a free campaign

Once an organisation is approved for the program, it receives a monthly advertising budget of £7,000 ($10,000) USD in Google Ads advertising credits. These credits can be used to create text ads that appear in Google search results when users search for specific keywords related to the organisation's mission, services, or products. organisations can also use the credits to advertise on Google's Display Network, which includes millions of websites, blogs, and apps that partner with Google to display ads.

Account management

Google Ad Grant accounts can be managed by anyone within the nonprofit organisation who has experience with online advertising and digital marketing. However, it's recommended that the account is managed by someone with a good understanding of Google Ads and the best practices for optimising campaigns.

Some nonprofits may choose to manage their Ad Grant accounts in-house, while others may outsource the task to a digital marketing agency. There are also nonprofit-specific digital marketing agencies that specialise in managing Ad Grants accounts for charities and nonprofits.

Regardless of who manages the Ad Grant account, it's important to ensure that the account is actively monitored and optimised on a regular basis to maximise the effectiveness of the advertising credits. Nonprofits should also make sure that their Google Ads campaigns align with their organisation's goals and mission, and that their ad messaging is compelling and relevant to their target audience.

Ask other nonprofits in your area who they use to manage their grant account. If possible, talk directly with the nonprofit's current Google Ads strategist. Look at reviews by past clients. Check out his/her website; does it seem professional? Do they offer additional services beyond just managing paid advertising campaigns like consulting, or digital strategy?

In the UK most charities and nonprofits face the primary challenges of securing funding and dealing with limited resources. Many of these organisations are also struggling to adapt to the digital age, with outdated IT systems and limited resources for investing in new technology and digital marketing. This means many simply don’t have the time or resources to properly manage their Google Grant account, or even get started.

Google Ads Grants success stories

See how some of our clients and other nonprofits around the world use Google Ad Grants to drive awareness, attract donations, recruit volunteers and much more.

The Lyric Theatre

Our client The Lyric Theatre wanted their Google Ads Grant account to fulfil the following goals:

• Sell tickets to their theatre shows and events in Belfast
• Build awareness and drive traffic to their new website from Northern Ireland, Ireland, and mainland UK.
• Promote their charity events and fundraisers.
• Promote their award-winning creative learning department - a feature in the local community that helps nurture new talent.
• Drive donations.

Lyric recognises theatre has the power to transform people and local communities. As a not-for-profit theatre, each ticket sale and donation helps them create new productions, employ hundreds of theatre workers, and run initiatives that make an impact on the lives of young people in the local community.

Every year Lyric's work engages with almost 15,000 children and young people. Among countless other schemes, generous support from audiences has enabled the theatre to:

• Fund over 25 exceptional Drama Studio participants in their pursuit of professional theatre training.
• Provide hundreds of free theatre tickets to underprivileged school children.
• Grant internships for their award-winning Creative Learning department.
• Bring their Blackout tour (a progressive show aimed at reducing crime and antisocial behaviour) to over 12,074 young people in Schools across Northern Ireland.
• Launch their Schools Affiliation Scheme to connect with teachers and support drama departments.

Since September 2021, the Google Ads grant has given Lyric:

• 480,000 impressions
• 57,100 clicks
• 1,730 conversions
• $121,000 of "free" Google Ads spend.

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Our client Orpheus Chamber Orchestra had multiple objectives for their Google Ad Grants account, including:

• Sell tickets for upcoming events and tour dates across the US and the world.
• Promote their Education and Community initiatives - including Access Orpheus, Orpheus Reflections, and the Orpheus Leadership Institute.
• Drive donations in key target audiences to raise funds for Orpheus.

Orpheus runs a range of charitable initiatives. Access Orpheus provides learning opportunities with Orpheus musicians and collaborators to over 2000 public school students annually in New York City.

Orpheus Reflections promotes the healing and therapeutic benefits of classical music for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.

Orpheus Music Academy offers workshops, masterclasses and fellowships to music students.

Finally, their Leadership Institute works with corporations and educational institutions to share their unique leadership model and provide new tools for collaboration.

Since beginning in 2017, the Google Ad Grants account has given Orpheus:

• 1,700,000 impressions.
• 88,570 clicks
• 725 conversions
• $381,000 of “free” Google Ads spend.

World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund used Google Ads to promote its "Adopt a Polar Bear" campaign, which encourages donors to support the organisation's conservation efforts. The campaign's ads resulted in a 77% increase in donations and a 38% increase in click-through rates.

The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project used Google Ad Grants to promote its crisis intervention services for LGBTQ+ youth. The organisation's Google Ads campaign resulted in a 27% increase in calls to its hotline and a 23% increase in online chat sessions.

How can Eyekiller help?

We’re a full service digital agency that builds websites for many different industries, but have extensive experience in the the Arts and nonprofit sector. Alongside our web design services, we also have a team of digital marketers who, among a range of other services, manage Google Ad accounts for our amazing clients.

Our marketing team is well-versed in the intricacies of Google Ads and can help maximise your $10,000 ad allowance through the Google Ad Grants program. We have experience managing these accounts for several clients and are adept at navigating the program's limitations, such as setting up conversion tracking for smart bidding and exceeding the $2 maximum CPC (cost per click) limit.

If you’re a charity or nonprofit and want guidance with your Grant account, or are interested in supplementing an Ad Grants account with a paid Google Ads account get in touch with our team.