The Google Ad Grants program is designed to empower eligible nonprofits to get the online attention they deserve without straining their marketing budgets. Receiving a monthly grant of $10,000 to spend on Google Ads can allow your nonprofit to boost its web traffic via Google Search. But first, you’ll need to meet the necessary Google Grants eligibility criteria.

While Google Grants are a valuable resource for nonprofits, not all nonprofits are qualified to receive the funds. To facilitate the process of determining your Google Grants eligibility and applying for this program, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about verifying your Google Grants eligibility.

At Getting Attention, we’re devoted to helping nonprofits secure Google Grants and strategize how they’ll make the most of their funds. Since we’re always up-to-date on the latest Google Ad Grants requirements, we have all the necessary experience to help you understand how to maximize this marketing opportunity.

In this guide, we’ll cover the following points to assist your nonprofit in verifying its eligibility for the Google Ad Grants program:

1. What is the Google Grant?
2. Why are there Google Grants requirements?
3. Which nonprofits are eligible for Google Grants?
4. How do I start the Google Grants eligibility verification process?
5. Can my nonprofit lose its Google Grants eligibility status?
6. Are there experts that can verify my Google Grants eligibility?

Google Ad Grants are without a doubt one of the most beneficial marketing opportunities that nonprofits can leverage. In a rush? Watch this overview video to take you through everything you need to know about Google Grants eligibility:

Otherwise, read on to learn more about the program’s details, eligibility criteria, and the application process.

1. What is the Google Grant?

Google Grants, also called Ad Grants or AdWords Grants, is a Google-sponsored marketing grant program that awards eligible nonprofits with $10,000 in ad credits each month. Grant recipients can use these funds to bid on different cause-related keywords. When allocated effectively, these credits provide a cost-free way for nonprofits to advertise their most important web pages at the top of Google search results.

For instance, let’s say you’re a philanthropic individual with a strong passion for ending elephant endangerment. With this in mind, you might visit Google and search a query such as “end elephant endangerment” or “save the elephants.” To attract potential supporters like you, a wildlife rescue charity or world conservation organization might use their Google Ad Grant to bid on these terms and direct you toward their donation page.

Unlike most nonprofit grant programs, the Google Grants program is not constrained by available funds. In other words, all nonprofits that meet Google Ad Grants requirements can receive the $10,000 per month—there is no limit to the number of nonprofits who can participate.

What are the benefits of qualifying for Google Ad Grants?

Free advertising on the world’s largest and most popular search engine can revolutionize how your nonprofit reaches supporters online. When you confirm your Google Ad Grants eligibility, you’ll benefit from:

• Enhanced online visibility and reach
• More interactions with your nonprofit’s website, particularly with your most important content
• Complimentary analytics to measure campaign performance
• The ability to market multiple digital campaigns at once
• The potential to increase conversions, including online donations, event registrations, volunteer sign-ups, and advocacy participation

These five benefits add up to driving more awareness for your nonprofit, and in turn, achieving your conversion goals. All you have to do is confirm you’re eligible, apply for the program, and start creating your campaigns.

2. Why are there Google Grants requirements?

Most companies that offer corporate philanthropy programs aim to support organizations whose missions align with theirs. After all, their name is attached to however the nonprofit chooses to spend their funds. That’s why, just as with any other grant, there are several Google Grants eligibility rules you must meet before qualifying for ad credits.

While you might not have to compete for the funds, Google still wants to ensure that you’re promoting a legitimate cause and exercising proper security precautions online. Having Google Grants requirements in place prevents the following scenarios from occurring:

• Dishonest groups might gain access to ad funding and trick unsuspecting users into revealing sensitive information, such as credit card details or home addresses.
• An organization, even while pursuing an honest cause, may not have sufficient site security measures in place, so information provided by donors or volunteers can be intercepted by hackers.
• An organization might send users to a website without any valuable content, resulting in a poor user experience for those looking up certain terms on Google.

Google Ad Grants requirements proactively address these potential situations before they can occur, ensuring that the program delivers value to users, nonprofit grant recipients, charitable supporters, and Google itself.

3. Which nonprofits are eligible for Google Grants?

Fortunately, Google is very straightforward in its eligibility standards. While exact Google Grants requirements vary from country to country, they generally follow the same structure. To qualify for the program, your nonprofit must:

• Currently hold valid charity status in your country. In the U.S., that means being registered as a 501(c)(3) organization with the IRS.
• Be registered with TechSoup and Google for Nonprofits. If you’re not already registered, we’ll go over both of these processes later on.
• Agree to the application’s required certifications regarding nondiscrimination and donation receipt and use.
• Have a functioning website with substantial, valuable content. Read on to learn more about the program’s website quality requirements.

To help you better understand these requirements, let’s discuss some of the main criteria Google will look at when determining a nonprofit’s Google Grants eligibility:

Type of Nonprofit Organization

In the U.S., only 501(c)(3) nonprofits can receive ad funding through the Google Grants program. 501(c)(3) means that the Internal Revenue Service recognizes the nonprofit as an official charitable organization and thus exempts it from any federal tax obligations.

The Google Grants program factors in a nonprofit’s specific industry as well. Note that these three sectors are ineligible to participate:

• Government: Government-affiliated organizations and entities
• Healthcare: Hospitals and other healthcare organizations
• Education: Schools, academic institutions, and universities

However, these eligibility requirements are specific to Google Ad Grants. Google offers other programs, such as Google for Education, that ineligible organizations can take part in.

Website Quality

According to the official website policy for Google Ad Grants, Google also evaluates a nonprofit’s website to determine its eligibility for the program. Since ads purchased via Google Grants will direct search engine users to a nonprofit’s website, Google wants to be sure that the content is both valuable and fulfills users’ search intent.

When assessing a website, Google looks for:

• Website ownership. Your nonprofit must own the domain that users would be directed to when clicking on your Google ad.
• Clear and detailed descriptions of your organization, its mission, and its activities. Your website should have updated, high-quality content providing essential information to users about your nonprofit.
• Unique content. Your site should feature content that is exclusive to your nonprofit and not found elsewhere on the internet.
• No broken links. Broken links no longer lead to their intended destinations. Instead, they send users to a 404 error page. Be sure to frequently check your links and update them as necessary, such as implementing a redirect to a relevant piece of content.
• A quick load time. There are many ways to optimize your website’s load time. For instance, keep your site running quickly by using smaller, compressed images as opposed to larger ones.
• HTTPS security. An HTTPS-secured website is encrypted, offering users greater protection and privacy during their browsing.
• Noncommercial activity. Commercial activity, such as product sales or consultation offers, should not be the sole purpose of your website. If any commercial content appears on your website, you must clearly describe how it supports your mission. In certain cases, you must include an annual report detailing how your organization used commercially-obtained funds.
• Limited advertisements: All ads on your website must be relevant to your mission and unobtrusive to site visitors.

In short, your website simply needs to be a high-quality destination for search engine users. While all of these Google Grants requirements for your website might seem rigorous, a well-maintained website will already meet many of these qualifications without requiring substantial changes.

Compliance With Program Policies

To become and remain eligible for Google Ad Grants, your nonprofit must comply with various program policies set forth by Google. This includes following the Google Ad Grants terms and conditions, standard Google Ads policies, Google’s general terms and conditions, and account management policies. Some of these policies enforce:

• Not using ads, keywords, or landing page destinations that promote hatred, intolerance, discrimination, or violence.
• Not abusing the ad network. In other words, you cannot run ads, content, or destinations that attempt to trick the ad review processes.
• Handling collected data with care, such as full names, email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, sexual orientation, and race or ethnicity.

If you’re still unsure if your nonprofit qualifies for the Google Grants program, reach out to a professional who can verify your eligibility and keep your account up to compliance standards. As we’ll explore later, Google Ad Grants experts (like our team at Getting Attention) are dedicated to learning and staying informed on Google Grants eligibility and compliance rules, allowing you to devote your time to other priorities.

Takeaway: Google has quite a few eligibility requirements your organization must meet to qualify for the Google Grants program. However, amplifying your mission is well worth the time you’ll spend checking into your Google Grants eligibility!

4. How do I start the Google Grants eligibility verification process?

Once you’ve determined your organization’s Google Grants eligibility, it’s time to start the verification process. This is where you’ll set up the relevant accounts and actually fill out the program’s application.

Luckily, the application process is the easiest part of managing your Google Grant account. So long as you’ve got everything squared away with your eligibility, you can start the process as soon as you’re ready. Here are three easy steps you’ll need to follow:

1. Register with TechSoup. If you haven’t done so already, you’ll need to authenticate your nonprofit through TechSoup. TechSoup works with companies like Google to provide nonprofits with free and discounted software, hardware, and services to streamline their work. Verification typically takes 2-14 business days, so be sure to factor this into your timeline. Once you’re officially registered, they’ll give you a validation token to provide to Google.
2. Sign up for a Google for Nonprofits account. Before you apply, your nonprofit needs to create a Google for Nonprofits account, which involves providing your tax identification number, nondiscrimination policies, and general contact and organization information. This account offers many tools your nonprofit can take advantage of, like Google Workspace and the YouTube Nonprofit Program. However, account approval could take several days, so get started as soon as possible.
3. Apply for the Google Grant. Once your Google for Nonprofits application is approved, you can apply for the Google Ad Grants program. This is a multi-step process that includes: (1) signing into your Google for Nonprofits account, (2) clicking “Activate” under Google Ad Grants, (3) filling out the eligibility form, (4) returning to Google for Nonprofits, and (5) submitting your account for review.

Since both TechSoup and Google will have to manually review your applications and confirm your accounts, it’s best to start sooner rather than later. Once you’ve been approved, you can create your Google Ads account and configure your campaigns to best suit your goals.

If this process seems a bit intensive, consider turning to professional assistance. Getting Attention specializes in helping nonprofits apply for Google Ad Grants, so reach out for a free consultation! We’ll confirm your eligibility and take you through each of the steps above.

5. Can my nonprofit lose its Google Grant eligibility status?

Yes, it is definitely possible to lose your Google Grants eligibility. If your nonprofit doesn’t remain compliant with the program’s policies, Google will suspend your account. This, of course, can be easily avoided by following these best practices:

• Maintain an active account. Google wants to see that you’re making good use of the grant, so log in at least once a month and update your account at least every 90 days.
• Make your ads relevant to your specific audience. Create ads that target your desired audience by both topic and region. Your ads should accurately reflect your nonprofit’s mission as well as reach relevant users online.
• Evaluate keywords monthly. Check your keywords often to see what’s working and what isn’t, then restrategize as necessary. Additionally, it’s critical to avoid using single keywords, overly generic keywords, or keywords with a quality score of 1 or 2.
• Maintain a 5% click-through rate (CTR). Be sure to maintain a 5% click-through rate each month. Failing to meet this standard for two consecutive months can result in account deactivation.

When Google first established its program, there weren’t any formal requirements in place. This often led to nonprofits advertising unhelpful content on their website and targeting keywords that didn’t align with user intent, thus connecting them with unqualified prospects. Because of this, Google launched its official compliance rules in 2018 to encourage nonprofits to develop thoughtful ad strategies that drive meaningful conversions.

Luckily, Google provides a number of resources to help you meet Google Grants eligibility criteria. For example, to improve CTR, you can pause keywords that are generic or high impression, low CTR.

If you’ve lost your Google Grants eligibility, there’s no need to stress. Google has a clear process for requesting account reactivation and they’ll often indicate where you fell short of the account requirements. A Google Grants consultant can direct you through the reactivation process.

6. Are there experts that can verify my Google Grants eligibility?

Oftentimes, nonprofits will look to traditional marketing agencies for their Google Grants needs. However, the Google Grants program differs quite a bit from standard Google Ads. Therefore, it’s best to look for agencies that specialize in Google Grants.

Getting Attention is qualified to help you every step of the way. Here are just a few of the many services we can provide your nonprofit throughout your Google Grants journey:

 

• Google Grant Application: Our experts can efficiently and effectively complete the application for you with a high success rate for acceptance. We’ll check your Google Grants eligibility and walk through all of the essential steps so your account gets approved on the first try!
• Google Grant Hygiene: While you focus on your nonprofit’s mission, we’ll take care of maintaining your campaign data, tracking conversions, and conducting tests to determine which ads inspire conversions.
• Google Grant Reactivation: If your account is ever suspended, we can help get your account back up and running in no time.
• Keyword Research: Our research team can do the heavy lifting to make sure you’re using the most relevant and impactful keywords for your nonprofit.
• Grant Management:We’ll help you strategically allocate your funds and ensure you remain compliant with all program rules. We’ll also note valuable opportunities for improving your strategy based on our findings.

Our goal is to meet and beat your expectations with Google Ad Grants. If you’re interested in learning more, we’re happy to chat with you about your goals. Request a free consultation today and we’ll get to work on shaping up your Google Ad Grants strategy.

Wrapping Up

From improving your website to working with a specialized agency, we’ve covered the ins and outs of meeting the Google Grants eligibility requirements. Hopefully, you’re now able to assess your own nonprofit’s eligibility and get started on the application process. If not, our team is always here to help!

Remember, confirming your eligibility is only the beginning! There’s so much to optimize when it comes to managing a Google Ad Grants account, and the possibilities for inspiring new prospects through the program are endless.

If you’re interested in learning more about effective account management, review the following resources to take your nonprofit to the next level and meet your mission goals through Google Ad Grants:

• How to Optimize a Google Grant Account: 7 Top Tips. Once you’ve gained access to the program, configure powerful campaigns using the tips in this guide!
• Google Grants Agency: How To Hire an Expert & Our 5 Choices. If you’re thinking about outsourcing the work for confirming your Google Grants eligibility and managing your account to a professional, be sure to check out this guide from Re:Charity first.
• Why Are Google Ad Grants Confusing? And How to Simplify Them. There’s certainly a lot you need to know to leverage Google Ad Grants effectively. If you’re looking to understand more about the program, this guide offers some helpful advice.

 

As a nonprofit professional, you understand the importance of making the most of every dollar you spend on your mission. Nonprofits operate with limited budgets, so professionals in the sector constantly look for ways to maximize impact without overspending.

If you’ve encountered the Google Ad Grant program, you probably recognize that the program’s valuable. Free advertising money is a clear win for any organization. But what are the exact benefits? How can you calculate what the Google Ad Grant is actually worth to your nonprofit?

We’re here to help you answer those questions and more! That way, you can understand the tangible results the grant provides nonprofits. Then, you can communicate that to your organization’s leadership and get everyone on board. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Basic Benefits of the Google Ad Grant
• Factors that Impact the Google Ad Grant’s ROI
• Calculating ROI for Your Nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant Account
• When To Expect Results for Your Google Ads
• How to Achieve Results Quickly with the Google Ad Grant

At Getting Attention, we work with nonprofits to maximize the impact of the Google Ad Grant. We’ve seen it produce real results for nonprofits looking to amplify their missions online, and we think it’s a viable option for any organization.

To learn more about why so many organizations rely on Google Ad Grants, continue reading this impact report or chat with our experts.

Basic Benefits of the Google Ad Grant

Long story short, if your nonprofit has a website filled with valuable content about your mission, the Google Ad Grant can potentially transform your digital presence. Putting some thought behind your Google Ad Grant strategy means you can:

• Create awareness and buzz for your cause. Strengthen communication with existing supporters and connect with new prospects. You can deliver content to those who are most likely to support your cause, whether they’ve interacted with your team before or are new to your work.
• Boost site engagement. Through your Google Ads, you’ll direct readers to the pages they’ll find most valuable. For example, an ad targeting “animal shelter volunteering” can promote a volunteer page. This brings attention to your most insightful and helpful pages for individual users, thus improving the user experience.
• Increase online conversions. The goal of Google Ad Grant is to drive users to take meaningful actions to support your nonprofit. For our data-focused readers, this can be translated to mean “conversions.” Depending on your goals, you can aim to increase donations, volunteer registrations, email list sign-ups, event registrations, or something else.

There’s really no limit to what you can achieve with the Google Ad Grant. With an astounding $10,000 to spend each month, you can make powerful strides in strengthening your online presence.

Google Ads Statistics

“Engagement,” “awareness,” and “buzz” are all arbitrary. What are the real numbers tied to the impact that the Google Ad Grant has on nonprofits?

While results will vary based on organizations, some pretty impressive statistics communicate the impact the grant has on the industry as a whole:

• Google owns over 92% of the global search engine market, helping nonprofits connect with more prospects than ever before. (source: StatCounter)
• 98% of searchers click a result on page 1 of Google, making the Google Ad Grant a great way to drive more clicks. (source: Nonprofits Source)
• Nonprofit spending on digital ads increased by 19% in 2021, with organizations spending around $0.06 for every dollar raised online. (source: M+R Benchmarks)
• Compared to other platforms, search ads (like Google Ads) have the highest ROI for nonprofits using paid advertising, with an average ROI of $4.78. (source: Double the Donation)
• Google processes about 3.7 billion search queries every day. (source: Internet Live Stats)
• For Google Ads, advocacy groups and nonprofits have an average cost per click (CPC) of $1.43. (source: WordStream)
• View-through revenue (revenue from donors who saw but didn’t click on an ad) accounts for 35% of all giving sourced from digital ads. (source: M+R Benchmarks)

There’s no shortage of impressive statistics out there! Those are just a few of our favorites that speak to the value of the Google Ad Grant.

Factors that Impact the Google Ad Grant’s ROI

As an in-kind donation, the Google Ad Grant itself doesn’t take money out of your marketing budget. Google technically pays for the ads you create through the program.

At a glance, the Google Ad Grant is technically free, so it might seem like there’s no investment necessary. However, acquiring and retaining the grant takes time, expertise, and therefore money.

So, in terms of your investment, the real question you should ask is how much time or money you spend on grant management, rather than how much Google spends to display your ads.

Grant management costs are typically the only investment costs that you’ll have to worry about. Know that professional management can cost anywhere from $500 to over $1,000 per month. Some providers also offer add-on services that cost more but also boost the impact of your Google Ad Grant.

Getting Attention pairs expertise with affordability, keeping your grant management costs low. We charge $500 per month — and there aren’t any hidden add-on fees. We’ll handle every aspect of your Google Grant management, helping you to maximize your ROI at every turn.

Calculating ROI for Your Nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant Account

The struggle with calculating marketing ROI is that it’s hard to attach a dollar amount to your results. It’s one of the most elusive metrics for an organization.

What we’ve come to learn is that ROI varies from organization to organization. It depends on your specific goals for the program and what metrics you’re tracking.

Through Google Analytics, you’ll track conversions (or meaningful actions) for your ads. As a reminder, most organizations track:

• Monetary goals: online donations, member sales, event registrations
• Non-monetary goals: volunteer sign-ups, email sign-ups, time spent on site, clicks to call

These actions communicate how much each ad is worth to your organization.

For conversions that produce revenue (like donations), it’s easy to calculate ROI. You simply compare the money you generate from Google Ads with the amount you spend on Google Ad Grant management.

However, non-monetary goals (like volunteer sign-ups) are harder to put a price on. For these, you’ll need to chat with your team about how much each of these conversions is worth to you. You don’t necessarily have to attach a dollar amount, but you can set achievable goals for how many conversions you’d like your ads to produce.

Paid Advertising vs. The Google Ad Grant

When using paid advertising, you’ll pay for each ad yourself. You strive to keep costs down to maximize your ROI. To do this, you might omit competitive (and therefore expensive) keywords and instead focus on less popular queries.

With the Google Ad Grant, you can bid on the most expensive keywords without affecting your ROI.

Whether your Google Ads cost $10 or $10,000, your investment is only what you pay for grant management. Your out-of-pocket costs won’t change. So, if you pay a grant manager $500 per month, you’ll pay the same no matter how much of your grant you spend.

You’ll calculate your ROI based on the real money you spend ($500 in this case) and the results your ads generated (e.g. clicks, conversions, and revenue).

The Bottom Line: The only investment you’ll need to consider is how much you spend on grant management each month. For monetary conversions, you can compare how much you earn with how much you’re spending on grant management. For non-monetary conversions, how much the Google Ad Grant is “worth” fully depends on whether your ads are producing results for your team.

When To Expect Results for Your Google Ads

Applying and getting approved for the Google Ad Grant can take some time. If you’re not already set up with TechSoup or have a Google for Nonprofits account, it can take a month or two to get started.

Once you’re up and running, it takes a bit more time to see results from your campaigns. There’s no set guarantee, but generally, you can expect to see some traction a few weeks after launching a campaign.

Within your first month, you’ll start to see some measurable results. Take a look at your Ad Groups, and you’ll start to see clicks for your campaigns.

If you don’t have any conversions yet, don’t worry! The first few weeks can be slow. This time isn’t wasted time, though. Google needs time to gather information about your campaign. It takes a few weeks for Google to learn who to show your campaigns to in order to produce results. In other words, Google wants to serve your ads to the right audiences.

While it varies on a case-by-case basis, Google Ad Grant campaigns generally take 2-3 months to mature and then up to a year to develop into a strong campaign. In rare cases, Google Ads can deliver results overnight. But again, most campaigns won’t generate a positive ROI until a few months in.

Factors That Might Slow Down Results

A few factors might impact how quickly you see results, such as:

• No experience with Google Ads: It can be tempting to follow Google’s recommended settings. Google’s courses are full of reassuring messages about their smart settings, but leaving a new Google Ad Grants account to do whatever is risky. This is why we recommend working with an experienced professional who can actively monitor your campaigns.
• Advertising in low-volume niches: Slow-moving campaigns are completely normal for certain niches. If you work on a very specific cause, expect to wait a bit longer to see results.
• Brand new websites: If you just created your website, you’ll have very little (if any) site performance data. You’ll need a month or two to determine which pages on your site are valuable and which aren’t. In this scenario, work with your Google Ad Grants manager to test several approaches to find out what content generates positive campaign results.
• Poorly-designed websites: If your campaigns aren’t producing sufficient conversions, your website might be to blame. Bring your website up to code with the program’s website requirements, or rely on a professional to optimize your landing pages for you.

Help from a professional will help you see better results over time. Even from the get-go, a professional manager can help you overcome these challenges instead of waiting for you to learn the nuances of the program.

How To Achieve Results Quickly With the Google Ad Grant

The secret to effective Google Ad Grant management is research, research, research! The program has a lot of requirements, so you’ll need to study how to meet these requirements and explore how similar organizations create winning ad campaigns.  In many cases, perfecting your ads take a lot of trial and error, too.

Instead of devoting a staff member’s time to learning about the program, working with a professional is your best bet. A professional Google Grants manager will already have the necessary background knowledge regarding how the Google Ad Grants interface and the program as a whole works, so you’ll minimize your costs and maximize your ROI this way.

Here at Getting Attention, we strive to help nonprofits make the most of the Google Ad Grant budget. As a full-service Ad Grant consulting firm, we offer these services:

• Eligibility check and Google Ad Grant application
• Full account setup or existing account audit
• Ad creation and keyword research
• Ongoing account maintenance and reporting
• Landing page relaunch
• Account reactivation

Best of all, we aim to keep our costs low at $500 per month. With no hidden add-on fees, your nonprofit can maximize your Google Ad Grant results and generate meaningful conversions for your cause.

Additional Resources

The Google Ad Grant is a powerful resource for any nonprofit that wants to increase its online presence. With the right strategy for your organization, it can have an incredible impact on what you’re able to accomplish.

Marketing ROI can be tricky to calculate in some cases, so it’s important to have some idea of what goals your nonprofit is striving to achieve. Then, you can use that to estimate whether the Google Ad Grant is producing sufficient results.

Whether you’re boosting donations or volunteer sign-ups, you can maximize your ROI by investing in professional Google Grant management. Experts have the background experience necessary to overcome common challenges, write compelling ads, and adjust your campaigns based on results. If you’re ready to get started, reach out to our expert Google Grants management team.

In the meantime, remember that the secret to maximizing your Google Ad Grant ROI is research! Explore these resources to learn everything you need to know about the program:

• Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: The Complete Guide. Dive into everything there is to know about Google Ad Grants. From what the grant is to actionable tips for improving results, this ultimate guide covers what you need.
• Hiring A Google Grants Manager: A Guide & 9 Agencies. Learn what it’s like to hire and work one-on-one with a Google Ad Grants agency in this guide from Nonprofits Source.
• Google Grants Eligibility: Is Your Nonprofit Eligible? Before applying for the program and planning how you’ll maximize results, find out if your organization is eligible.

Google Ad Grants for nonprofits combine marketing and fundraising opportunities so that nonprofits can amplify their most important content and effectively reach larger pools of donors, volunteers, and advocates.

By equipping eligible organizations with $10,000 in ad credits per month, the Google Ad Grant program enables nonprofits worldwide to increase website activity and digital conversions. 

The program has been active for two decades now, but there are still plenty of nonprofits out there that aren’t taking advantage of it. If your nonprofit wants to leverage your website to push your mission forward, starting with Google Ad Grants will establish a dependable marketing foundation in which your organization can grow.

Whether you already have an account but need help leveraging all of its capabilities or you don’t have an account at all, you’re in the right place! This ultimate guide to Google Ad Grants for nonprofits will teach you about:

• The Basics of Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits
• How Nonprofits Can Use Google Ad Grants
• The Benefits of Effective Google Ad Grants for Management
• Google Ad Grant Eligibility Requirements
• Who Should Apply for Google Ad Grants?
• How to Apply for the Google Ad Grants Program
• Tips For Effective Google Ad Grants Management
• Maintaining A Nonprofit’s Google Ad Grants Eligibility
• Working With A Google Ad Grants Manager

Getting Attention specializes in Google Ad Grants management so nonprofits can take full advantage of the program. With professional guidance through the rules of the program and the latest best practices, nonprofits can amplify their work and connect with a larger pool of motivated prospects.

Let’s dive in!

Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: The Basics

To understand how the program will fit into your current strategic goals, make sure you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals. Once you know the basics of Google Ads, you can determine if Google Ad Grants are a smart investment of your time.

What Are Google Ads?

Google Ads is a digital marketing solution that businesses and nonprofits use to promote their products, services, and other content to web users. The platform strategically places ads on Google’s search engine results pages for the keywords advertisers bid on. Advertisers can choose specific goals for their ads, such as increasing website visits or phone calls.

The Google Ad Grant program is a free version of Google Ads for select charitable organizations. Since access is given as an in-kind donation, there are strict guidelines to be a part of this program.

What Are Google Ad Grants?

The Google Ad Grants program gives eligible nonprofits $10,000 in free advertising credits every month. So long as the organization complies with the program’s rules, the grant will automatically reactivate each month.

Organizations can use their grant money to bid on different keywords and promote specific pages on their website through text-based ads. Ads are then placed on the search engine results pages for those keywords. Most often, promoted pages include donation pages, service pages, and educational content that align with user intent for the search term.

For example, when you search for “ocean conservation” on Google, you’ll see advertisements at the top and bottom of the page that promote content from nonprofits dedicated to supporting this cause. Some of these are donation pages, whereas others are service pages that explain the organization’s work.

The program’s overall goal is to enable organizations to increase awareness of their causes in an effort to make a greater impact on the world. Think of it as your secret weapon for spreading awareness for your cause, expanding your donor and volunteer network, sharing essential updates with your supporters, and ranking higher on Google.

Bottom line: If you’re looking to increase marketing for your charitable organization, Google Ad Grants for nonprofits will allow you to do so without spending a single penny.

Are Google Ad Grants free for nonprofits?

Participating in the Google Ad Grants program is completely free to eligible organizations! All you have to do is meet the program’s eligibility criteria, apply, set up campaigns that align with the keyword requirements, and keep your account compliant with the Google Ad Grant rules.

While the program’s entirely free, creating and maintaining your account will take substantial time and effort. To truly be successful, you’ll need to either devote a staff member’s time to managing your ad campaigns or outsource the work to a Google Ad Grants manager.

If you do outsource, choose an agency that will handle the application process, ad campaign creation, account hygiene, and ongoing compliance. That way, you can sit back and focus on how you’ll engage the new prospects who find you through your ads.

How Nonprofits Can Use Google Ad Grants

The Google Ad Grant program does more than drive traffic to your website. It allows nonprofits to create carefully-targeted ads that promote events, inform people about a cause, and recruit passionate supporters.

Effective Google Ad Grants management empowers nonprofits to:

• Inform and educate the public by promoting educational content.
• Increase the visibility of their upcoming events like webinars, conferences, and 5Ks.
• Share volunteer registration forms and other volunteer-related content to boost recruitment.
• Promote advocacy activities like online petitions.
• Share donation and sponsorship opportunities to increase funding.
• Provide information about any of the organization’s services.

You can promote a wide range of content with Google Ad Grants. Just think carefully about how the pages you choose to amplify will support your nonprofit’s goals.

The Benefits of Effective Google Ad Grants Management

If your nonprofit has a website and is active online, applying for a Google Ad Grant is the natural next step for your marketing strategy. After all, current and prospective supporters are likely already looking up topics related to your mission.

While free funding and connecting with new supporters is undoubtedly a plus, what are the specific benefits of the Google Ad Grant program? Let’s dive into a few advantages that nonprofits experience when they invest time into effective Google Ad Grants management.

1. Boost Site Engagement.

You spend time creating valuable content on your nonprofit’s website because you want people to see important content that aligns with their goals. Google Ad Grants allow you to direct readers to the pages that they’ll find most valuable, thus improving the user experience.

By analyzing the search intent for different search terms, you can pinpoint what content they’ll find most valuable. For instance, someone who searches “animal shelter volunteering” will obviously be a strong prospect for your volunteer program. In that case, you’d want to use your Google Ad Grant money to promote your site’s ‘Volunteer’ page where they can explore upcoming volunteer events.

2. Increase Online Conversions.

The goal of Google Ad Grants for nonprofits is to amplify worthwhile causes on a larger scale and inspire more people to get involved. For data-focused nonprofits, this can be translated into tracking conversions. Backed by a strategic Google Ad Grants management plan, you can effectively create and promote forms and pages that help you boost conversions for different activities.

Nonprofits most commonly aim to increase online conversions like:

• Event registrations and ticket sales
• Donations
• Volunteer registrations
• Online petitions
• Email list signups

Whether you’re focused on becoming well-known in the event space or inciting political change, effective Google Ad Grants management can get you there. Think through the specific pages you promote and how they’ll help you meet your conversion goals.

3. Enhance Supporter Communications.

If you work in mission-driven marketing, you know your organization faces the ongoing challenge of increasing email open rates, boosting social media interactions, and generally keeping your supporters informed. This inhibits your ability to spread the word about important initiatives and share crucial updates regarding your work.

Google Ad Grants are a natural addition to your communication strategies. While they certainly don’t replace your need to email and call supporters, they can help increase your visibility online.

You can amplify your web content on Google so that it’s delivered directly to those most likely to support your cause, whether they’re existing supporters or brand new to your cause.

4. Learn What Inspires Supporters.

When you leverage Google Ad Grants, you’ll be able to track campaign performance through Google Analytics, view the exact actions users take once they enter your site, and draw conclusions about what inspires them to get involved.

Google Analytics will provide you with in-depth data regarding:

• The success of your ad campaigns
• The sources driving visitors to your site
• The actions users take on your website

In turn, you can optimize your site’s content that you’re promoting via Google Ad Grants, effectively inspiring more users to engage with your cause.

5. Receive Guaranteed Funds.

One of the best parts of the Google Ad Grants program is that it doesn’t limit its grants to one or a select few organizations. Traditional grants require eligible organizations to compete for the money, and whichever organizations demonstrate the highest need for funding are most likely to win the grant.

With Google Ad Grants for nonprofits, there’s no competition to win the grant money. Rather, any organization that meets the program’s requirements will be awarded $10,000 in ad credits each month.

Google Ad Grant Eligibility Requirements

Considering that $10,000 per month is a sizeable contribution, Google requires that nonprofits meet several requirements in order to be deemed eligible for the program. We have an entire article that walks through the program’s eligibility requirements, but let’s cover the highlights, as well as which organizations shouldn’t invest their time into the program.

What Do Nonprofits Need To Be Eligible?

To qualify for Google Ad Grants, nonprofits must meet a set of rigorous standards. It’s important to note that the program is available in over 50 countries, with each having its own requirements.

Here are the following requirements that all nonprofits must meet regardless of location:

• Hold current and valid charity status. For U.S.-based organizations, you must have current 501(c)(3) status, meaning that the IRS recognizes you as an official charitable organization and exempts you from tax obligations. Google requires organizations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand to be verified by Percent. Meanwhile, organizations in any other country must be registered with TechSoup or a local TechSoup partner.
• Acknowledge and agree to the Google Ad Grants program’s required certifications regarding how to receive and use donations obtained from the grant. You must also agree to the Google for Nonprofits and Google Ads terms of service.
• Have a functioning website that provides valuable content regarding your nonprofit and mission. Any pages you promote through Google Ad Grants will live on your nonprofit’s website. As part of their standard eligibility check, Google requires that you own the domain, include unique website content, and feature a detailed description of your organization’s mission and activities. These are just a few of their website quality guidelines.
• Have an SSL certificate. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is a security protocol between a web server and browser. This will look like a lock icon in the navigation bar in Google Chrome. If there is no lock and you see the words “not secure” next to your website’s URL, it means SSL is not installed or there is another issue.

If your nonprofit organization has a solid foundation in the digital space, it doesn’t take much to be eligible for the Google Ad Grant. However, Google Ad Grant managers can help with the eligibility check process. That way, you won’t waste your time applying just to get rejected.

What Organizations Are Not Eligible for Google Ad Grants?

While the Google Ad Grants program is widely available to many charitable organizations, there are a couple of exceptions.

Types of organizations that are not eligible to apply and use Google Ad Grants include:

1. Governmental entities and organizations
2. Hospitals and healthcare organizations
3. Schools, academic institutions, and universities — However, the philanthropic arms of educational organizations are eligible!

Know that the Google Ad Grants team implements these requirements to ensure that only organizations that will genuinely benefit from the program apply. Plus, Google has a similar grant program for educational institutions. If that applies to your organization, check it out!

Who Should Apply for Google Ad Grants?

The Google Ad Grants program was designed for any organization to promote its mission, regardless of its size. However, while all nonprofits are encouraged to apply for Google Ad Grants, that doesn’t mean every organization will find it beneficial to their mission.

The Google Grant is especially helpful for organizations that have relevant missions and topics — meaning many people are searching for them online — and have an established website with content that reflects and supports those topics. 

So, the main factors to bear in mind when determining the potential value of Google Ad Grants for your organization include:

• How many people are searching for the topics that are central to your organization’s mission
• Whether your website has valuable content that addresses those topics

If so, then the Google Ad Grant can be very beneficial. It doesn’t matter if your nonprofit is just getting started or if your work already spans multiple countries. Many small nonprofits have valuable website content that effectively serves their audience and promotes their mission— making them the perfect Google Ad Grants candidate.

In fact, careful Google Ad Grants management gives smaller nonprofits an even playing field compared to larger organizations. However, keep in mind that the program is a big undertaking. Consider outsourcing the work to a dedicated agency that can apply for you, create your ad campaigns, and make sure you comply with all Google Ad Grant rules.

How To Apply for the Google Ad Grants Program

To apply for the Google Ad Grants program, here are the basics steps you’ll need to follow:

1. Register Your Nonprofit with TechSoup.

TechSoup is a nonprofit that partners with corporations (like Google) to help provide technology and other resources to nonprofits at discounted rates.

To join TechSoup, you’ll need to:

1. Visit the TechSoup registration page to sign up for an account.
2. Choose your preferred language and the country in which your organization operates.
3. Click ‘New Member’, register, and agree to the terms.

Once TechSoup verifies your organization, you’ll receive a validation token to provide to Google.

2. Enroll in Google for Nonprofits.

You must have an active Google for Nonprofits account to apply for the Google Ad Grants program. If you already do, you can skip to Step 4. Otherwise, the application is available through Google for Nonprofits.

With a Google for Nonprofits account (for U.S. organizations), you’ll receive access to Google Ad Grants along with these additional services:

• Google Workspace for Nonprofits which includes free access to Google’s apps like Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Meet
• YouTube Nonprofit Program which provides you with special features on YouTube, like a donate button
• Google Earth and Maps which helps users locate community programs and resources in their area

To enroll in Google for Nonprofits, you’ll need to provide your tax ID number, contact information, and TechSoup validation code. It can take some time to get approved, so it’s best to get started as soon as possible.

3. Ensure Google Analytics Is Installed.

While Google Analytics is essential for your own data tracking purposes, it’s also a requirement that all websites need to have prior to applying for Google Ad Grants.

Install Google Tag Manager on your website and set up some conversion tracking goals for your site. These goals should be valuable actions that you want your audience to complete while on your site, like making an online gift or signing up for your email list.

These goals can guide your analytic strategies and help determine the content or pages that will best appeal to users and inspire them to complete that goal. Plus, this will allow you to effectively track your Google Ad Grant campaigns and tweak them as needed.

4. Submit Your Website and Account to the Google Ad Grants Team for Review.

After your Google for Nonprofits account is approved, you’re ready to apply for the Google Ad Grants program! You’ll need to submit your website for review to the Google Ad Grants team. They’ll certify whether you’re eligible by determining if your web presence and content are ready.

From here, Google will review your account and respond with further instructions, typically within 3 business days. Once you’re approved, you can then start building out a basic Google Ads account, and then submit that for review as well.

When you apply, you’ll be given the choice of a “Smart Campaign” or a “Classic” Google Ads account. To gain access to the full suite of tools and options, make sure you apply for the “Classic” account as the “Smart Campaign” is a much more basic version of Google Ad Grants. Then, you’re ready to start building out your Google Ad Grants management plan.

Bonus: If you want to dive further into the process, check out our ultimate guide to Google Ad Grants applications, where we explain each of these steps in more detail.

Tips for Effective Google Ad Grants Management

After setting up your Google Ad Grants account, you still need to allocate your $10,000 smartly, create targeted campaigns with carefully-chosen keywords, and track those campaigns. Here are twelve easy ways you can make the most of the program.

1. Develop Valuable and Promotable Website Content.

If you want your Google Ad Grants account to be successful and provide value to your supporters, you need to have valuable website content that will inspire your audience to take action. Your website pages should have:

• A high search volume topic. Sometimes you’re prioritizing content on a topic that very few people search for. To get a better idea of the terms and topics your audience is actively seeking out, check out Google Trends or other search engine optimization (SEO) tools like Moz.
• One single focus.Don’t lump your most searched questions into one page. The important, big topics should all have their own page or blog post on your website.
• Enough content. On the other hand, don’t make a different page for each topic just for the sake of doing so. Google won’t respond positively to a page with just a couple of sentences on it. Taking the time to develop researched and comprehensive pages will not only perform better with your Google Ad Grants campaigns, but it’ll increase your organic search engine rankings as well.
• Effective calls to action. Users should know the exact next step you want them to take. From filling out a form to signing up for text alerts, make this next step clear with a strategically-placed call to action in the form of a prominent button or link.
  
• Mobile responsiveness. Around half of all nonprofit website traffic comes from mobile devices. Ensuring that your content is mobile-accessible will encourage mobile users to stay on the site and continue exploring your content. Otherwise, they may have to pinch and zoom or rotate their devices to effectively interact with your site. Not to mention, Google also uses responsiveness as a ranking factor for organic traffic (AKA the traffic you receive from sources other than ads).

Valuable and promotable website content is not only critical to getting your account approved, but it also ensures that the Google Ad Grants for nonprofits program actually helps you gain meaningful conversions.

2. Measure Campaign Performance.

Google Ad Grants aren’t just about spending $10,000 a month — they’re about making meaningful and valuable conversions. Upkeep is vital to the success of your campaign performance. Similar to many tools, it all depends on your ability to monitor (and translate) performance data, then make adjustments as needed.

Managing your Google Ad Grant campaigns can be simple, but you do need to set up conversion tracking and data analytics in order to do so successfully. The best part is, you already have Google Analytics installed on your website— so use it! It’s important that you set up one or more “Goals” within Google Analytics so you can track valuable actions on your website.

To determine the best goals to track, explore your website and note the actions that you want users to take the most to push your mission forward. Common goals include:

• Monetary: donations, purchases, event ticket sales, and membership fees
• Non-monetary: volunteer registrations, email list sign-ups, contact form submissions, online petition signatures, time spend reading content, etc.

Set up conversion tracking for each of these actions using Google Analytics, then you can use them in your Google Ads. Monitoring performance on an ongoing basis is key to ensuring your nonprofit continues to comply with all Google Ad Grant rules and standards.

3. Understand Your Audience.

Google Ads provides several options when it comes to who ads will be shown to and when. That’s why you should take the time to define your target audience for each of your campaigns and the keywords you want to target. Then, you can leverage this information and configure your campaign settings accordingly to ensure ads show up for the intended audience.

Thorough keyword research also allows you to shape your content to meet users’ needs and make them more likely to convert. By understanding what your audience is searching for when Googling different terms, you can adjust your ads so that they’re more likely to show up whenever they’re searching online.

For example, when someone searches for “food drive volunteering,” they’ll expect to find volunteer opportunities at nearby food banks. Or, if someone searches “adopt a dog,” they’ll expect to find animal shelters with animals up for adoption. Knowing what your audience will search for allows you to promote the right content to meet their needs.

4. Focus on Quality Over Quantity.

While this may come as a surprise, the majority of nonprofits using Google Ad Grants actually do not spend the full $10,000. This could be for many reasons, like:

• Difficulty in management — Not every nonprofit has the resources and support to maintain multiple marketing campaigns, with a large chunk of money not being spent or put to use.
• Lack of high-quality online content — If your Google Ads aren’t performing well, it might be because your website and other online content are not meeting the needs of your audience.

However, just because you don’t spend $10,000 a month doesn’t mean you don’t have a fully functioning and successful Google Ads account. For instance, perhaps your audience is just narrow. If you’re promoting ads in one specific city, you don’t need to spend the full amount of money to target the audience you need.

Bottom line: It’s way more important to focus on the quality of your visitors and the number of online conversions than just maxing out your monetary quota.

5. Experiment With Your Ad Titles and Copy.

Each ad you create within your Google Ad Grant account will be made up of several components, including a headline and description. Think of your headlines as a way to grab users’ attention and your descriptions as a way to explain why they should click through to your site.

With Google’s responsive search ads feature, Google will automatically test different headlines and descriptions for you. You enter a variety of headlines and descriptions. Then, Google will algorithmically mix and match them to find the combinations that are most relevant to a user’s search term and drive more clicks.

This feature reduces the manual labor needed to manage your account. As an advertiser, you won’t have to craft multiple variations of your ads since Google automates the process for you.

6. Choose Your Keywords Carefully.

Your keywords — word combinations and phrases that users enter into Google — are a vital part of your Google Ad Grant campaigns.

Put yourself in your supporters’ shoes for a second. Ask yourself which keywords you’d type into Google to find your nonprofit’s programs, services, and engagement opportunities. Then, head to Keyword Planner to find related keywords that users also search for.

Further, you can use negative keywords to indicate which audiences you don’t want your ads shown to. Over time, you can monitor the search queries that lead people to your site and determine which terms aren’t related to your organization. This will allow you to continue refining your list of negative keywords and only show your ads to those who will be interested.

7. Pick The Right Landing Pages.

When choosing keywords for different ad campaigns, think carefully about what landing pages you’ll assign to them. Remember, your goal is to meet searchers’ needs with your ads.

It’s not enough to simply link to your homepage and expect users to click around your site to find what they need. You need to deliver the exact content they want.

Let’s say you’re looking to boost registrations for an upcoming 5K fundraiser for your nonprofit. When users search terms like “upcoming races near me,” they expect to find information and registration pages for 5Ks, 10Ks, and other races. In this case, it doesn’t make sense to promote your ‘About Us’ page or a page about one of your programs. Rather, you’ll want to promote your 5K race information and signup page.

8. Strengthen Your Ads with Geotargeting.

Google requires all Ad Grant accounts to have proper location settings enabled. This allows you to use geotargeting to show ads in locations where users will find your programs and services useful.

Here are a few common tips for making the most of geotargeting:

1. If you primarily serve your local community, show your ads in your town and nearby communities. Examples might include food banks and animal shelters.
2. If your nonprofit works in one area but primarily fundraises in another, adjust your ads to target users who are likely to donate. For instance, a humanitarian relief program that serves Indonesia but fundraises in the United States could use geotargeting to promote its fundraising activities to U.S. users.
3. If you offer different services locally and nationally, create separate campaigns that target different geographic areas to ensure the right content is delivered to different users.

In the example below, Google delivered a specific ad to the user based on location. Without geotargeting enabled, ads like these would be delivered to people who aren’t geographically close enough to benefit, negatively impacting the user experience.

Targeting by location like this allows you to deliver content to your unique audience, meeting their needs and driving greater value for your cause!

9. Run 3-5 Ad Campaigns.

Within your Google Ad Grant account, you’ll have separate campaigns composed of ad groups. These ad groups host individual ads.

Too few campaigns won’t cast a wide enough net, whereas too many campaigns will become difficult to manage. For the best results, create your campaigns based on 3-5 core goals you want to reach. Choose your campaigns based on the content and opportunities you want to advertise.

For instance, you might create separate campaigns that promote:

• Volunteer opportunities
• Fundraising activities
• Educational content about your cause

Creating separate campaigns like this allows you to allocate your budget to the topics that are imperative to your mission. Then, you can create ad groups that target specific keywords related to each primary goal.

10. Focus Each Ad Group on a Central Topic.

Within each ad group, you’ll have a cluster of related keywords and ads that target an array of related phrases. These phrases and topics should be specific to your cause.

For instance, let’s say your organization provides at-risk youth with mentoring services. Within your ‘Volunteer’ campaign, you’ll want a series of related keywords and ads that promote volunteer opportunities.

For instance, your campaign and ads might target keywords like:

• Volunteer to teach kids
• Mentoring opportunities for underprivileged youth
• Teach underprivileged kids

Targeting specific topics with your ad groups will keep your Google Ad Grants account organized and structured properly. That way, you can see what goals the program is helping you to achieve.

11. Use a Liberal Amount of Ad Extensions.

Ad extensions are a feature that allows you to expand your ads with additional information and provide people with more reasons to click through to your online content.

In our Google Ad Grants account optimization guide, we dive into what these extensions are, and while there are several ad extensions to choose from, here are the most commonly used ones:

• Callout extensions: Add short bullet point phrases beneath your ads to emphasize key information.
• Sitelink extensions: Append links to other pages on your website.
• Call extensions: Enable mobile users to call your organization by tapping a button.
• Lead form extensions: Add a lead form directly to your ad.

Ad extensions encourage more users to engage with your Google Ads. Plus, more robust ads will naturally draw readers’ eyes, giving you a competitive edge over other nonprofits’ ads.

12. Use Google Ad Grants in Conjunction With Other Marketing Efforts.

At this point, it’s clear that Google Ad Grants are a great addition to your nonprofit’s overall fundraising and communications strategy. You can leverage Google Ad Grants to drive people to sign up for your mailing list, follow your social media accounts, or sign up to receive texts from your nonprofit.

Not to mention, you’ll gather a lot of useful data through your Google Ad Grants campaigns, which will be applicable to the other advertising methods. By applying for Google for Nonprofits, you also have access to a suite of other specialized marketing tools designed to amplify your cause.

You can also extend your Google Ad Grants management skills to the Microsoft Ad Grant program. This program allows you to create ads across the Microsoft Search Network, so you can tap into a new audience that doesn’t use Google. Carefully consider how your Microsoft and Google ads can complement one another, rather than simply replicating ads on both platforms.

Maintaining a Nonprofit’s Google Ad Grants Eligibility

These tips are easier said than implemented, especially when fundraising leaders already have to juggle so many different tasks. Also, noncompliance with the Google Ad Grants policies will lead to your entire account being suspended, so you’ll want to make sure you do everything right.

While visiting the official compliance page will be your best bet for up-to-date policies, here are the most important requirements to remember as you develop your campaigns:

• Do not use single-word keywords unless it is one of the approved exceptions.
• Avoid overly generic keywords that don’t indicate the intent of the person searching, for example: ‘”free videos”, “e-books,” or “today’s news.”
• Ensure your keyword quality has a score higher than 1 or 2. You can determine keyword quality with expected clickthrough rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
• Maintain a 5% clickthrough rate (CTR) each month. CTR is the number of clicks that your ad receives divided by the number of times your ad is shown. For example, if you had 5 clicks and 100 impressions, then your CTR would be 5%.
• Have valid conversion tracking set up through Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager.
• Have at least 1 responsive search ad per ad group.
• Have at least 2 sitelink ad extensions which link to additional pages on your site.
• Respond to the annual program survey sent to the login email addresses on each Ad Grants account.

Frequently check (even bookmark!) the Google Ad Grants compliance page to keep up-to-date, as the rules sometimes do change. If you have any questions, your best bet is to rely on a dedicated Google Ad Grants management team that spends its time familiarizing itself with the program rules.

Google Ad Grant Account Suspension

Your Google Ad Grant will renew monthly unless your account is suspended because you don’t intentionally maintain compliance. Here are the most common reasons that your Google Ad Grant account could be suspended:

• Losing your 501(c)(3) status
• Failing to meet the eligibility criteria
• Abusing the ad network
• Failing to reverify your account
• Repeatedly violating the program’s terms and policies
• Misrepresenting your organization

Similar to maintaining compliance, a Google Ad Grants manager can help you get back up and running in the event that your account gets suspended. For instance, the experts here at Getting Attention offer reactivation services, where we work with Google to resolve any issues with your account.

Working with A Google Ad Grants Manager

Google Ad Grants management is a full-time job. Oftentimes, nonprofits will turn to professional consulting agencies to manage their Google Ad Grants accounts. With as many compliance rules in place, that’s the best approach you can take!

You might be tempted to turn to a traditional marketing agency to handle your account. However, this is actually not the best approach. Traditional nonprofit marketing agencies don’t specialize in Google Ad Grants. Instead, they offer it alongside other services.

You’ll want to invest in an agency that devotes its time solely to Google Ad Grants. These professionals know what it takes to meet eligibility requirements, select the right keywords for your cause, write ads to stand out among search results, and continually monitor campaign performance.

Ultimately, the price you pay to outsource the work to a professional will pale in comparison to the $10,000 you’ll receive in free funding. Not to mention, you’ll also generate revenue from your ad campaigns as well!

How Getting Attention Handles Google Ad Grant Management

Here at Getting Attention, we specialize in Google Ad Grants management, with the intention of handling every aspect of the process for you. We’re prepared to help you every step of the way, no matter if you’re learning about the program for the first time or need help getting your existing Google Ad Grant account off the ground.

Some of our core services include:

• Google Ad Grant Applications: Our team of experts will verify your eligibility and can walk you through every step of the application process to ensure that your nonprofit is accepted.
• Account Hygiene: Maintaining your data and keeping it clean can be a pain point for many nonprofits. We’re here to ensure you never have to worry about outdated or duplicate data bogging down your processes.
• Google Ad Grants Reactivation: Has your account lapsed or been suspended? We can help get your account reactivated, so you can continue doing the work that matters to your cause.
• Keyword Research: Through thorough keyword research, we’ll make sure that you’re targeting the most relevant and useful keywords for your cause. That way, you can connect with the most valuable prospects who are likely to convert.
• Landing Page Optimizations: High-quality and valuable website content is one of the most important components of a successful Google Ad Grants campaign. We’ll relaunch the landing pages you want to promote and even handle the design work!

Even if you need help in areas that don’t appear on our website, we’re open to chatting about our experience with the additional services you need. If you’re interested in a free consultation, contact us to learn more about how Getting Attention’s services can help your nonprofit grow!

Additional Resources for Better Google Ad Grants Management

The Google Ad Grants program is an obvious opportunity for nonprofit organizations looking to take control of their digital marketing and expand their audience effectively. However, getting started and maintaining your account isn’t a simple walk in the park.

Between developing high-performing landing pages and pinpointing the keywords that matter most for your work, there’s a lot of work that goes into effectively managing your account. That’s why we highly recommend that one of your staff members devotes part of their time to managing your campaigns or that you outsource the work to a professional agency.

Ultimately, understanding all the Google Ad Grant rules in addition to best practices is your best bet when it comes to making the most of your account. By spending time reading this guide, you’re off to a fantastic start! If you want to continue your research on Google Ad Grants management and learn how to market your mission effectively, explore these additional resources:

• Google Grants Agency: Picking the Best Partner & 12 Firms. Looking to hire a Google Ad Grants agency? We’ve got you covered with this ultimate guide and our top recommendations!
• Why Are Google Ad Grants Confusing? And How to Simplify Them. The Google Ad Grants program is an incredible opportunity but can wind up confusing. In this guide, you’ll learn about some of the challenges to expect and how you can improve your Google Ad Grants management!
• How to Optimize A Google Grant Account: 8 Mistakes & 9 Tips. If you need help creating high-converting campaigns, check out this guide. We explore some of the top mistakes nonprofits make with Google Ad Grants and how you can make the most of your $10,000.

Whether you’re still debating whether to apply or have already created several ad campaigns, many nonprofit professionals are naturally curious about optimizing a Google Grant account and maximizing their campaigns’ results.

By not understanding Google Grant optimization, many nonprofits miss out on the incredible opportunities the Google Ad Grants program provides every day.

After receiving a Google Ad Grant, the steps taken are just as important as the application process. Managing and maintaining an optimized account is essential to ensure your account is not suspended or revoked. Proper management also helps you maximize your $10,000 budget and the number of conversions made in response to your ads.

At Getting Attention, we specialize in helping nonprofits optimize their Google Grant accounts. To help, we’ve compiled our knowledge of Google Grant optimization into these core topics:

• Avoid These 8 Google Ad Grant Management Mistakes.
• Follow the Appropriate Google Grant Account Structure.
• Choose the Right Keywords for Your Google Grant Account.
• Optimize Your Google Grant Account’s Ads.
• Track Your Google Grant Account’s Conversions and Other Metrics.
• Use Manual Bidding for Your Google Grant Account.
• Use Targeting and Extensions To Improve Response to Your Ads.
• Maintain The Website Associated with Your Google Grant Account.
• Let A Google Grants Professional Optimize Your Google Grant Account.
• Look into Google Ad Grants Training.
• Google Grant Optimization Checklist

Using the tips we share, you’ll be several steps closer to optimizing your Google Grant account and connecting with more prospects. Let’s get started.

Avoid These 8 Google Ad Grant Management Mistakes.

Mistakes can happen, especially in the confusing world of Google Grant management.

Whether you’re a seasoned Google Grant user or a beginner, many factors can contribute to the mismanagement of your funds. Confusion or unfamiliarity with Google’s Ad Grant policies can result in an unintentional violation of Google’s guidelines. Conversely, you may not be up to speed on the current, rapidly-evolving Google landscape.

Whatever the reason, management mistakes are bound to happen and can drastically impact your ability to optimize your Google Grant account. What matters is that you are aware of them and strive to avoid them. With that in mind, let’s cover the top management mistakes that you should aim to avoid, and note that a Google Grants expert can drastically simplify this.

Mistake #1) Failing to Follow The Google Ad Grants Management Policy

Several years after its inception, the Google Ad Grant program created a set of compliance policies that nonprofits must follow to maintain their status in the Google Ad Grant program. These policies include guidelines for your account and the ads you run. Following these rules is imperative, as failing to do so can result in suspension or loss of the grant.

Some of these requirements include:

• Having at least 2 ads per ad group
• Having at least 2 ad groups per campaign
• Maintaining a 5% CTR each month
• Not using single-word or generic keywords
• Having a minimum keyword quality score of 2
• Enabling at least 2 sitelink ad extensions

The goal of these rules isn’t to deter nonprofits from using the program. Instead, they’re intended to ensure nonprofits benefit from the program and enhance the search experience for users. Ultimately, following the compliance guidelines is a significant part of optimizing a Google Grant account.

Mistake #2) Using Broad Keywords

Another mistake in Google Grant management is relying on broad or generic keywords. A common misconception is that tracking broad keywords will yield better results. However, short, generic keywords like “fundraising” lack the specificity your ads need to be effective.

For one, using broad keywords is a violation of Google’s Ad Grants policies. The guidelines specifically ban the use of single-word keywords and overly generic keywords, primarily because they won’t connect you with qualified prospects. Not to mention, larger organizations and companies bid on these terms, making it less likely for your ads to be shown over theirs.

Instead, look for more specific long-tail keywords. For instance, you might bid on terms like “animal shelter volunteer opportunities” rather than “volunteer opportunities.” These will connect you with more qualified users, and they’re also typically cheaper to bid on.

While it may be tempting to capitalize on a broad search term, the consequences of violating Google’s guidelines far outweigh the benefits of those keywords.

Mistake #3) Using Dirty Keyword Data

Any nonprofit professional who deals with metrics understands the importance of data hygiene. In terms of Google Grant management, cleaning your keyword data is a process that involves pausing or removing irrelevant or low-quality keywords.

Some nonprofits fail to clean their keyword data. However, cluttered or dirty keyword data can limit the efficiency and accuracy of your ad campaigns and hold you back from making important discoveries. Here are some of the key reasons you’ll need to optimize your keyword data:

• Keyword traffic may fluctuate over time. Some of the keywords you target will not be relevant year-round. For example, seasonal keywords or those related to specific events do not need to be tracked outside of those time frames.
• Low-quality keywords can clutter your data. Google assigns a quality score to keywords, calculated based on expected CTR, landing page experience, and ad relevance. Scores below 3 are considered poor quality. Using low-quality keywords is against Google’s policies, and targeting these terms is a waste of your ad budget.

As we’ll explore later, keywords are a vital part of optimizing a Google Grant account. Not to mention, it plays an essential part in your nonprofit’s organic SEO strategy. Meeting Google’s keyword requirements is a great start, so start your account optimization process by using search terms with a quality score of at least 3 and removing irrelevant ones. We’ll explore keyword optimization tips that will help your ads efficiently target supporters later on.

Mistake #4) Featuring Just 1 Ad Per Group

Nonprofits often make the mistake of featuring only one ad in each ad group, resulting in account suspension. Within Google Grants, individual ads are organized into groups that fall under broader campaigns.

Let’s say your nonprofit is running an ad campaign focused on increasing sign-ups for a newsletter. You target relevant keywords, follow all Google Grant policies, and create multiple ad groups, but the ad’s performance falls flat.

Even if you follow every other compliance step, using only one ad per group is not viable for optimizing a Google Grant account. For one, using one ad violates Google Grant guidelines, so your account could be suspended or removed. Plus, single ads also don’t allow nonprofits to analyze performance across different ads. This can result in missing opportunities for growth and learning what works.

Instead, include multiple ads per group. Differentiate your ads by including different ad copy to determine what drives users to click through to your site. Then, a week or so later, look at campaign results and see which ad had a higher click-through rate, more conversions, and higher site engagement. Finally, swap out the losing ad with new copy and refine your ads to drive better results and maximize your Google Grants conversions!

Mistake #5) Providing a Poor User Experience

We have all had poor user experiences, so it’s easy to know firsthand how frustrating they can be. In the context of Google Ad Grants, a poor user experience is most often linked to your ad copy, call to action, and linked landing page being misaligned. It can be confusing for viewers when they click on an ad urging them to join an email list but instead are directed to an online donation page.

This mistake can frustrate potential supporters, deter them from taking the action you want them to, and ultimately impact your ability to optimize your Google Grant account. Your supporters shouldn’t have a hard time doing what you are asking of them, so think critically about the user experience you’re providing with your Google Ads.

Mistake #6) Neglecting Your Landing Pages

Your nonprofit’s website plays a crucial role in marketing your mission. It empowers you to store all of your resources, content, and marketing material in one convenient location. Plus, any ads you create using your Google Grant account will direct users straight to your website. In that sense, a neglected website and poorly designed landing pages could do more harm than good.

A poor or irrelevant landing page can negatively impact your keyword quality score. What’s more, higher quality scores often lead to a lower cost-per-click rate, so you’ll receive more traffic for the same price.

Here are a few of the most common landing page issues that nonprofits encounter:

• Keywords featured in your ads are not included on the landing page.
• The overall website is challenging to navigate.
• There is a lack of rich, engaging content.
• The branding is inconsistent and makes the site appear untrustworthy.
• There are technological issues like broken links.

Issues like these can repel potential supporters by making it hard for them to figure out how to answer your call to action. For example, if users follow your ad and have a bad site experience, the ad does not result in conversions. Your nonprofit also loses a potential supporter to poor website performance.

Not to mention, there are also rules in place regarding website quality. For instance, you’ll need to include a clear description of your organization, have an adequate load speed, and feature unique content. Failure to meet these regulations will heavily impact your ability to optimize a Google Grant account and maximize your website’s performance. Conversely, optimizing your landing pages will keep your quality score up and maximize your chances of reaching and converting qualified users.

Mistake #7) Forgetting About Geography

Some organizations forget to enable geotargeting for their ads, but this tool is a big help when optimizing your Google Grant account. This feature allows you to limit who your ads are displayed to based on their location, rather than displaying your ads to a broad audience who might not find them relevant. Typically, the location you choose depends on where supporters likely reside or where your nonprofit operates.

Failing to target ads geographically can reduce the effectiveness of Google Grant Ads. Targeting large areas that may or may not contain potential supporters is not the best way to optimize your $10,000 budget. There is no point in targeting people who live in Texas if your organization serves only Oregon. Even when leveraging geotargeting, many nonprofits fail to realize they can select more targeted keywords and develop ad copy that speaks to a specific region.

Overall, selecting a geographically-relevant area to target your ads will boost meaningful conversions and increase local supporters, especially if you target the ad copy to speak to that audience.

Mistake #8) Ignoring Seasonal Keyword Adjustments

When optimizing a Google Grant account, many nonprofit professionals aren’t aware that timing is one of the most significant variables that influence conversions. To put it simply, specific times of year lead to increased traffic for specific keywords.

Inexperienced nonprofit marketers might take a set-it-and-forget-it approach and won’t adjust their Google Grant account’s campaigns to include seasonal keywords influenced by weather, holidays, and cause-related events. However, an optimized Google Grant account will include ad campaigns that target seasonal terms related to the organization’s cause.

For example, as the end of the year approaches, you’ll naturally see keywords relating to Giving Tuesday increase in traffic. As another example, there may be a shift in traffic for keywords related to world conservation around Earth Day or after a natural disaster since those events will naturally spark prospects’ curiosity.

Overall, ignoring seasonal behavior in your Google Grant account strategy is a huge missed opportunity. Failing to account for the rise and fall in traffic for different keywords will ultimately lead to less traffic, fewer conversions, and wasted grant money.

As you revisit your keywords throughout the year, we also suggest that you revisit your keywords whenever the season changes. Use it as an opportunity to get rid of any that have a quality score of under 3, so you can keep your keyword strategy fresh and optimized.

Follow the Appropriate Google Grant Account Structure.

After you apply for Google Ad Grants and are approved for the program, you’ll set up your first ad campaign. Before creating your ads, it’s vital that you understand the structure of your Google Ad Grant account. That way, you can get a feel for how you’ll need to set up your campaigns for the best results.

Your Google Grant account is broken down into the following:

• Campaigns: These are the largest building blocks of your Google Ads account. They contain multiple ad groups and even more ads. To optimize your Google Ad Grant account, we recommend assigning a theme to each campaign. For instance, if you work for an animal shelter, you might create a ‘Volunteer’ campaign with keywords related to animal shelter volunteer opportunities in your area. You might have another campaign for “Donations,” “Adoptions,” etc. Themes allow for easy organization of your ads within campaigns.
• Ad Groups: Think of these as clusters of ads within your campaigns. Ad groups are associated with specific keywords that someone might search related to your cause. Note that Google requires you to have at least two ad groups per campaign.
• Ads: This is the smallest element of your Google Grant account but is arguably the most important. Google requires you to have at least two ads per ad group. Google will automatically rotate between these ads and provide you with performance data. For instance, if ad A performs significantly better than ad B, you’ll know to tweak ad B to improve its performance.

One important thing to remember when optimizing your account is not to spread your budget too thin across several ad groups and keywords. Instead, you’ll have more success if you allocate more funds to a core group of services or resources related to your mission.

While this structure is required for your nonprofit’s Google Grant account, following it will provide you with insightful performance data you can then use to produce better ads over time.

Choose the Right Keywords for Your Google Grant Account.

Another crucial component of optimizing your Google Grant account is the keywords you select for your ad campaigns. While you might know what keywords are related to your cause, choosing the right keywords requires research into monthly traffic, the user’s intent behind searching the term, and other factors.

When someone searches a term or phrase on Google and scans through the results, your ad will stand out more if it’s relevant to what they’re looking for. Relevance directly impacts whether they’ll click through to your site or even read your ad in the first place. That’s why effective keyword research comes in handy.

Choosing Your Google Ad Grant Campaigns’ Keywords

One of the first steps you’ll take when setting up your first campaign is choosing the keywords you want to target. Start by asking yourself which phrases and word combinations you’d type into Google to find your organization’s services and programs. For instance, an organization that raises awareness for Alzheimer’s might target variations like:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Alzheimer’s research
• Donate to Alzheimer’s research
• Fund Alzheimer’s research
• Alzheimer’s treatment
• Alzheimer’s vs. dementia

Instead of blindly guessing what you think people are searching for and will drive conversions, we’ve created a checklist you can follow to come up with educated keyword choices. As you start optimizing your Google Grant account, here are some tips to help you choose the best keywords for your cause:

• Create a list of keywords that you want to target. Using keywords relevant and specific to your organization is an excellent place to start. Leverage Google Keyword Planner to get helpful metrics regarding different keywords, such as search volume trends, average monthly searches per keyword, and bid estimates. It’ll also provide you with keyword suggestions. You can also leverage Google Trends to explore what people are searching for related to your mission and expand your keyword ideas list.
• Avoid generic and single-word keywords. Examples of this include “volunteers” and “animal shelter.” Not only does Google ban the use of these keywords, but your nonprofit will probably be outbid for broad search terms like these. Instead, try using long-tail keywords such as “animal shelter volunteer opportunities near me.” Long-tail keywords like this involve multi-word phrases and are more specific than vague, single-word keywords.
• Target keywords based on time and geography. These keywords could relate to holidays like “Christmas gift drive” or location-specific events like “clothing donation centers in Boston.” Some keywords are seasonal, so focus more attention on them when relevant. When dealing with different locations, try picking out regional differences in your keywords and target them accordingly.
• Separate branded and nonbranded keywords into separate campaigns. You’ll likely rank organically for branded terms, allowing you to allocate more of your grant money to run ads for nonbranded search terms.
• Bid lower on upper-funnel keywords and vice versa. Upper funnel keywords are general search queries that someone higher in the search conversion funnel might search. On the other hand, lower-funnel keywords usually are longer, more specific keywords that people who are likely to convert might search.

Note that a healthy Google Grant account will have around 25 keywords per group. However, having enough time to conduct keyword research could help you uncover dozens more valuable keywords. You can easily have ad groups targeting dozens of keywords, but including around 25 keywords per group is a good rule.

Refining Your Google Grant Keyword Strategy

While initially picking effective keywords will set your ads up for success, you’ll need to continuously revisit your campaigns and targeted keywords to optimize your Google Grant account fully.

Here are a few actionable strategies to help clean up your campaigns:

• Clean up your keyword list regularly. Pause any seasonal terms like “Thanksgiving food donations” when they are not relevant, and remove low-quality keywords that do not serve your account. Keeping your keyword lists free of clutter is a great way to ensure a faster and easier analysis.
• Avoid keywords with a quality score lower than 3. Google scores keywords on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their quality. Keywords that receive a score of 1 or 2 are considered very low quality and are not permitted for targeting. These keywords must be removed or paused until their score increases.
• Stay on top of industry trends and search terms. Look at your keyword list if you’re struggling to maximize spending on your Grant account. What keywords could you add? When was the last time you looked at Keyword Planner for new ideas? What are your competitors ranking for?
• Use negative keywords to exclude your ads from specific search queries. More than likely, there are search terms you don’t want your ads to display for. Add negative keywords to your ad groups to avoid ranking for those terms. You might also leverage a strategy called “traffic sculpting,” in which you add negative keywords to an ad group to avoid competing with your ads in other ad groups.

You should regularly check up on your keywords and adjust your account to ensure you’re making the most of your grant. If you’re struggling to locate valuable keywords or stay on top of monthly maintenance, an expert Google Grant consultant will know how to optimize a Google Grant account, choose the right keywords, and ultimately create effective Google ads.

Optimize Your Google Grant Account’s Ads.

It can be easy to get lost in all account optimization needs. But don’t forget the reason behind all of it— the ads!

There are several best practices to keep in mind when creating your Google Grant account ads. Here are a few to get you started:

• Create compelling ad copy. It should go without saying that your ad copy is one of the most crucial components of your ads. It’s what will drive readers to click through. This is primarily why Google requires you to have multiple ads per ad group — it allows you to see what resonates with people and encourages them to click through. We suggest that you leverage keywords in the ad copy to parrot back similar phrases to what users are searching for, include a specific call to action, and use short sentences to keep your ads scannable.
• Choose the right landing pages. As we’ll explore later, your landing pages are just as important as your ad copy. It’s where you’ll drive users when they come across your ads and will ultimately determine whether they get involved. To optimize a Google Grant account’s ads, make sure you choose the most relevant landing pages for each ad, whether it’s a digital donation page, volunteer registration form, or email newsletter signup form.
• Have 3 to 5 ads per group. While Google only requires 2 ads per ad group, we recommend using at least 3. Try to create variety in these ads so that you can experiment with different targeting approaches. The ads within each group will rotate, and Google will prioritize the ads that perform the best.
• Highlight what’s unique about your nonprofit. Try to stand out in the sea of ads your viewers see each day. Avoid blending in, and instead, say what is interesting about your organization.
• Don’t immediately optimize ad rotation for your campaigns. No more than one ad from an ad group can show at a time. The “ad rotation” setting allows you to specify how often Google will serve your ads relative to one another. Within your Search and Display campaign settings, you can choose “Optimize” or “Do not optimize” for this setting. If you’re starting a new campaign, we suggest that you don’t optimize your ad rotation. Instead, keep ads rotating indefinitely to see which messaging works best and optimize rotation manually on your end.

Producing high-quality ads can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. So keep these tips in mind to steer your nonprofit’s choices when creating ads.

Track Your Google Grant Account’s Conversions and Other Metrics.

As you initially set up your Google Ads account, you should set up Google Analytics and connect it with your Ad Grant account. The metrics you gather from Google Analytics will help you refine your ads, improve your landing pages, and ultimately optimize your Google Grant account.

For one, Google requires you to track and report on conversions, click-through rate, and similar nonprofit performance metrics. What’s more, tracking performance through Google Analytics will let you know how many people clicked on your ads and what actions they took after clicking an ad, such as browsing your website, signing up for a newsletter, or making a donation.

Conversions

For many nonprofits, conversions are the goal of their ads. Conversions measure how many people take the desired action after seeing your ad, such as making a donation, registering for an event, or signing up to volunteer.

Here are a few best practices for conversion tracking:

• Track conversions that are meaningful to your organization. While Google analytics offers different options for conversion tracking, focus on those that meet your goals as a nonprofit. For example, you might track registrations for your upcoming annual gala or donations made during your year-end giving campaign.
• Set up goals in Google Analytics. Setting up goals in Google Analytics can help you see what impacts the conversion performance of your ads. In addition to enhancing conversion performance, Google Grants requires accounts to set up goals.
• Take note of which ads are best at leading to conversions. Experiment with the style and wording of your ads to analyze which ones yield the most conversions. From there, you can improve future ads to ensure the best performance from your campaigns.

Google requires Google Ad Grants accounts to track their conversions if applicable. To do so, set up an account within Google Analytics by using these account setup instructions.

Click-Through Rate

The Google Ad Grant team uses click-through rate (CTR) to indicate ad quality. Google interprets a high CTR for an ad as the ad being very relevant and valuable to users. While Google Analytics will automatically calculate each ad’s CTR for you, it can be helpful to understand how it’s calculated manually.

Our article on why Google Ad Grants are confusing explains that you can calculate CTR by dividing the number of people who click your ad’s link by the number of impressions the ad receives. For example, if your ad is shown to 100 people, but only 5 people click the link, your CTR will be 5% for that ad.

If you notice that your CTR is lower than you’d like, here are some ways you can boost that metric and directly optimize your Google Grant account:

• Pause keywords with a low CTR. Take a look at your keywords that receive the most impressions and pause any with a low CTR. While a keyword may be relevant to your mission, you should focus on keywords that yield results for your work.
• Improve your ads. Do your ads inspire readers to click through to your website to get involved or learn more about your mission? Think critically about your ad copy and whether you’re pointing users to a relevant landing page.
• Use A/B testing. One of the great things about Google Ads is that you can rotate between multiple ads for the same keywords. This makes it incredibly easy to see which ad copy performs the best, so you can boost your CTR with each rendition of your ads.

Google requires you to have a 5% click-through rate for each ad. Otherwise, your account will be at risk of being temporarily suspended. Note that an optimized Google Grant account will easily meet that minimum threshold.

Use Manual Bidding for Your Google Grant Account.

Google recommends that nonprofits automate their bids with Google Ads to save time managing their accounts. Maximize conversions is a Smart Bidding strategy designed to help you increase conversions and spend more of your budget. Google’s intention behind this strategy is to identify which keywords are most likely to result in a desired action, increase bidding for it, and reduce spending on others.

However, we suggest that you start with manual bidding. That way, you’ll have more control over your budget. 

If you want to go with automated bidding, we suggest that you don’t use the maximize clicks automated bidding strategy, even though it’s Google’s default option. That bidding strategy focuses on clicks rather than conversions (your ultimate goal for your ads). Instead, select the maximize conversions bidding strategy. This will allow you to be more competitive with bidding and effectively spend more of your ad budget.

Use Targeting and Extensions To Improve Response to Your Ads.

Naturally, you want your ads to reach their intended audience and maximize the likelihood of conversions. To help, Google offers targeting settings and extensions that you work into your marketing plan to improve your ads’ performance and optimize your Google Grant account.

Targeting

Targeting ads based on location, time of day, and device type help you streamline your message to address smaller audiences likely to support your cause. Let’s take a look at these three different ways you can target your ads:

• Geotargeting. Begin by narrowing down your target audience. Leverage the geotargeting feature to focus on areas that your nonprofit serves. For example, if your nonprofit operates out of New York, ads that appear in Atlanta won’t be very effective. However, if many of your donors reside in another area (say Chicago), you can target users in that area
• Ad scheduling. Create an Ad Schedule for all of your campaigns —- even those you’re planning on running 24/7. This will help you pinpoint specific times when your ads perform well, so you can adjust your schedule moving forward. To create a schedule, go to one of your campaigns, click on “More” under Settings, hit “Schedule,” select a campaign, choose “All Days,” and save it.
• Device type. If you’re working with a limited budget, it’s smart to exclude tablets from receiving your ads. Tablets tend to have a lower conversion rate than desktops and mobile devices. To exclude a device from receiving your ads, go to the “Devices” tab, choose a device type, change the bid adjustment to “Decrease” by 100%, and apply the changes.

While on the topic of location-based targeting, if you know your competitors’ IP addresses or physical locations, you can exclude them to prevent unwanted impressions and spending your grant on inadvertent clicks. The same goes for your employees.

You only want your ads to display to those who are likely to convert, so you don’t waste your grant money or negatively impact your ads’ performance. These targeting features will help you connect with likely prospects.

Ad Extensions

Ad extensions provide users with more information about a nonprofit’s services, programs, and mission. They help expand the ad listing, ensure it’s as useful as possible to users, and take up more ad space on the search engine results page.

By providing specific information that matches the user’s intent, ad extensions directly impact your ads’ click-through rate.

Some of the most commonly used ad extensions include the following:

• Sitelinks: Create mini-ads within your ads that link to other pages on your site.
• Callout Extensions and Structured Snippets: Include additional plain text within your ads to emphasize key points (great for including extra detail that wouldn’t fit in the main ad’s text).
• Price: Quantify the donation amount or cost of services that a prospect would need to know (e.g., veterinary services, event ticketing price, and so on).
• Location and Call: Display your organization’s address and phone number. Users will be able to click the number and call you directly.

Ad extensions provide users with more ways to interact with your cause, so use them for your ads. Note that your ad extensions won’t always show up with your ads. Instead, Google will show them when the extension (or combination of extensions) is expected to improve the ad’s performance and when your ad’s position and Ad Rank are high enough to show extensions. Your best bet is to include the most relevant ones for your ads, increasing the likelihood that they’ll be displayed.

Maintain The Website Associated with Your Google Grant Account.

Because your Google Ads will direct visitors to your nonprofit’s website, it’s essential to make it easy to use and valuable to users. While first and foremost a rule of the Google Ad Grants program, maintaining a sufficient website will directly impact the performance of your ads and determine whether users become supporters.

Let’s start by looking at the basic compliance requirements before jumping into tips that will help optimize a Google Grant account further.

Compliance Rules

Like with most other aspects of the Google Ad Grants program, there are specific rules you should follow when running your website. An insufficient, unprotected, or otherwise useless website can lead to temporary suspension of your Google Grant account.

Here are the basic rules you’ll need to follow to ensure your website adheres to Google’s basic eligibility guidelines:

• Your nonprofit must own the domain. Your nonprofit must own the rights to landing pages linked in your ads. If this landing page is a donation-hosting service, it must belong to one of these pre-approved sites.
• Your nonprofit must add any additional domains to your account. If you plan to link to other owned domains with Google Grant ads, add them to your account first. This way, Google is aware that your nonprofit owns these domains.
• Your organization must maintain the account. Any domains used must be high-quality web pages. Valuable web pages have several important factors that we’ll cover in the next section.
• Your organization should avoid any commercial activity that does not align with your mission. Commercial activity like selling products, services, or consultations can’t be the sole purpose of your website. Limited commercial activity is allowed, provided it aligns with your mission. Acceptable forms of commercial activity include selling a product as a fundraising tool for a specific purpose.

Following these basic compliance regulations will help keep your Google Grant account compliant. However, there’s much more your nonprofit should do to optimize your Google Grant account fully.

Optimizing Your Site

Beyond those guidelines required by Google, you also want to ensure your web pages are valuable for the end-user. Otherwise, they may quickly exit your site if they can’t find what they’re looking for:

Here are a few optimization tips that will help you enhance your nonprofit’s website:

• Include high search volume keywords on relevant pages. Search volume is used to measure how many searches specific keywords received. Those with a high volume are searched often. According to this SEO for nonprofits guide, you’ll want to feature these keywords on your important web pages to boost their SEO performance.
• Use only one focus per page. Avoid including multiple concepts on one page of your website. For example, there should be two separate pages for your nonprofit’s services and your volunteer opportunities.
• Feature content that is interesting and engaging. Highlight the most exciting aspects of your organization on its website. Interesting content makes users more inclined to stick around and explore other pages on the site.
• Demonstrate clear calls to action. Showcase clear calls to action throughout your website. Whether you want users to donate or sign up to volunteer at an event, make the request loud and clear with buttons that stand out and use straightforward language. Additionally, ensure that any calls to action align with the ad the page is linked to.
• Make the website accessible for different devices. Your website should be both desktop and mobile-friendly. Especially considering that mobile users make up 33% of online donations, you want users to be able to navigate your website no matter how they access it. You never know when someone may click an ad, and having a webpage that doesn’t function on a cell phone could be a turn-off.

These tips can be helpful as you begin your journey to maintaining a functional, updated website. Make sure to follow Google’s guidelines along with our top tips for a marketable website.

Let A Google Grants Professional Optimize Your Google Grant Account.

Working with a professional agency can take the weight off your shoulders when it comes to optimizing a Google Grant account. Professionals provide tailored services that help you set up and actively manage your Google Ad Grants account as efficiently as possible.

Here at Getting Attention, we strive to help nonprofits make the most of their grant money every month. We make the process simple and easy to understand from completing your application to tracking your data. Our services include:

• Google Grant Applications: The Google Grant application process can be intimidating. The experts at Getting Attention are here to help guide you through the process and make sure your account is accepted on the first try.
• Google Grant Hygiene: Data is crucial for optimizing your Google Grant account. Getting Attention is fully equipped to help you clean up your data and make analysis more efficient. Whether you need to remove irrelevant keywords or outdated information, our experts are ready to step in.
• Google Grant Account Reactivation: With so many compliance rules, suspension can happen, and our team is the best resource for getting your account back up and running.
• Keyword Research: If you’re feeling lost when choosing keywords, let our agency handle the research for you. We fully understand how to ensure that your account tracks the most relevant and effective keywords to extend your ads’ reach.

Our goal is to optimize Google Grant accounts so that nonprofits like yours can reinvest focus into their worthwhile missions. To learn more, contact our team to request a free consultation today. Plus, we’re happy to discuss our expertise in other areas. That way, you’re receiving the most comprehensive support possible.

Look into Google Ad Grants Training.

Even if you outsource work to a professional Google Grants manager, it never hurts to look into training. Google has plenty of free training resources that can help you optimize your Google Grant account and maximize ad performance. Not to mention, third-party sites also provide resources and advice based on their experience.

Here are some great resources that will help you get more out of your Google Grant account:

• Watch Google’s overview video about Google Ad Grants.
• Browse the Ad Grants Help Center, where you can explore Google’s support pages.
• Watch videos on and subscribe to the Google Ad Grants YouTube channel.
• Check out the informational resources on our up-to-date blog or work with our team of professionals.
• Ask other nonprofits questions on the Google Ad Grants Community Forum.
• Opt into “Customized Performance & Suggestions” and “Special Offers” emails to get tailored tips and invitations to events with Ad Grants team members.
• Explore the top FAQs about Google Ad Grants to see if the team has already answered a question you have.

There are plenty of resources available that you can leverage — it’s just a matter of finding them. If you have any unanswered questions about managing your Google Grant account, our team of professionals is here to help. Reach out and request a free consultation where we can discuss your needs.

Google Grant Optimization Checklist

Now that you’ve learned some helpful tips for optimization, it’s time to put them to use. So we’ve created a checklist to help narrow down the essentials to successful account optimization.

Use our checklist below to make sure you don’t overlook anything when optimizing your Google Grant account:

Account Structure

• Center campaigns around themes
• Include 3-5 ad groups per campaign
• Have 3-5 ads per ad group

Keywords

• Include approximately 25 keywords per ad group
• Choose keywords relevant to your mission
• No generic or single-word keywords
• Target keywords based on time and geography
• Separate branded and nonbranded keywords into different campaigns
• No keywords with quality scores below 3
• Use negative keywords to avoid ranking for those terms

Conversions

• Track conversions in Google Analytics
• Set up conversion goals in Google Analytics
• Track conversions that are meaningful to your organization
• Adjust ads based on which ones increase conversions

Ads

• Use keywords in the ad copy
• Include specific calls to action in the ad copy
• Highlight your mission
• Manually rotate your ads for new campaigns

Metrics

• Track meaningful conversions for your nonprofit
• Use A/B testing to determine what drives conversions and clicks
• Have at least 1 conversion per month
• Maintain a 5% CTR each month

Bidding

• Use manual bidding when possible
• If you set up automated bidding, select the Maximize Conversions option

Targeting

• Narrow down your target audience with geotargeting
• Pinpoint specific times when ads perform well with ad scheduling
• Adjust which devices your ads can be viewed on
• Link to other pages within your ads by using sitelinks
• Include additional plain text with callout extensions and structured snippets
• Include the cost of services with the price extension
• Display your address and phone number with the location and call extensions
• Capture leads with the lead form extension

Website Maintenance

• Ensure you own your nonprofit’s domain
• Include one focus per page
• No commercial activity that’s related to your mission
• Include ad keywords on your landing pages
• Create clear calls to action
• Ensure the site is mobile accessible

Partnering with a Google Ad Grants agency

• Google Grant applications
• Account hygiene
• Keyword research
• Account reactivation

Training Resources

• Google’s overview video about Google Ad Grants
• Ad Grants Help Center
• The Google Ad Grants YouTube channel
• Getting Attention’s blog
• Google Ad Grants Community Forum
• “Customized Performance & Suggestions” and “Special Offers” emails
• The top FAQs about Google Ad Grants

Getting accepted into the Google Ad Grants program is an exciting moment. Keeping up with the ins and outs of account management can be a challenge, but this streamlined checklist should help. Download a PDF version of this checklist for quick access in the future.

Final Thoughts on Optimizing A Google Grant Account

Optimizing a Google Grant account isn’t a one-and-done sort of deal. Rather, someone will need to actively manage your account, watch keyword data, refine your ads, and more. Otherwise, your account will underperform and may even be temporarily deactivated if it goes against Google’s regulations.

To start making the most of your account, implement the tips covered in this ultimate guide. If you’re seeking more assistance with optimizing your Google Ad Grant account, reach out to the team at Getting Attention to set up a free consultation today. We’re happy to discuss your needs so that you can get more out of the program each month.

In the meantime, explore the following additional resources to continue learning about Google Ad Grants:

• The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Grants for Nonprofits: This resource contains anything you need to know about marketing grants for nonprofits. The guide discusses everything from why marketing grants are important to how you can find them.
• Take Your Nonprofit Branding Strategy to the Next Level: This is a great place to start if you want to know more about nonprofit branding. This guide explains nonprofit branding and its key components and offers six branding best practices.
• Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: Everything You Need to Know: Do you want to know more about Google Ad Grants? This comprehensive guide has everything from confirming your nonprofit’s eligibility to working with an agency.

Since 2003, Google has offered the Google Ad Grant program to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and empowered them to take their digital marketing to the next level. Eligible organizations receive $10,000 in the form of ad credits every month to host advertising campaigns on Google. So, if you’re looking to get your nonprofit content in front of the right eyes, the Google Ad Grant is perfect for you, and a professional Google Grants agency can help you make the most of your free funding.

When first encountering the program, many nonprofits don’t realize that just because the Google Grant board approved their website and account, it doesn’t mean that the program will automatically bring meaningful results. Ad campaigns require consistent upkeep, performance tracking, and compliance with Google’s official account requirements. Not complying can even result in your account being suspended.

That’s why we recommend working with a Google Grants agency. Professional Google Ad Grant agencies devote their time to researching the program’s compliance requirements, mastering the application process, proactively researching the best keywords, and making the most of each nonprofit’s grant money.

However, you need to put thought behind the Google Grants agency you hire to make sure you agree with their approach. To help start your search and ensure you partner with the right professional, this guide will walk through:

1. What Is A Google Grants Agency?
2. Common Services That A Google Grants Agency Will Offer
3. The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Google Ad Grant Manager
4. What To Look For in a Google Ad Grant Agency
5. 5 Key Questions To Ask Your Google Grants Agency
6. 12 Best Google Ad Grant Agencies
7. Next Steps for Your Google Grants Strategy

Here at Getting Attention, we work side-by-side with nonprofits to get their accounts approved and maximize their campaigns’ performance. As a Google Grants agency ourselves, we believe in the power that effective Google Ad Grant management holds for nonprofits. The program can truly take your nonprofit marketing to the next level. Don’t let this opportunity go to waste! Let’s get started so you can partner with the right Google Ad Grant manager.

What Is A Google Grants Agency?

A Google Grants agency is a business composed of experts that help nonprofits manage their Google Ads accounts. A professional agency will handle many aspects of Google Grant management, including eligibility confirmation, program applications, keyword research, ad creation, compliance with the program’s rules, and account reactivation if needed. Their goal is to help nonprofits build awareness for their cause and create high-converting campaigns that are meaningful to their work.

Many nonprofits turn to general marketing professionals to help set up, develop, and maintain their Google Ad campaigns. However, the Google Ad Grant program is not like other Google Ads accounts.

For one thing, the Google Ad Grant program has extremely specific requirements and guidelines that organizations must meet. Failing to comply will result in account suspension. Additionally, regular Google Ad accounts actually have to pay per ad-click, whereas Google Grant participants can display their advertisements for free (up to $10,000/month).

A dedicated Google Grants agency spends its time understanding these compliance requirements and learning how to leverage the program’s tools.

Common Services That A Google Grants Agency Will Offer

A Google Ad Grant agency can do more than just set your Google Grant account up. In fact, professional agencies can work side-by-side with you every step of the way, resulting in stronger marketing campaigns and more meaningful results.

Before speaking with or even researching specific agencies, you should understand common services that nonprofits find useful. That way, you can determine the areas in which you need help and enter your conversations with Google Grants agencies with confidence.

Google Grant Application

Are you looking to get started with the Google Ad Grant for the first time? If you don’t already have your account set up, a Google Grants agency can help you get started. They’ll help you check your eligibility first. Then, they’ll guide you through the application process, ensuring that your website and accounts get approved on the first try.

These are the application requirements they can help with:

• Creating a Google for Nonprofits account — This account is not only necessary for Google Grants, but can also provide access to services like Google Workspace for Nonprofits, YouTube Nonprofit Program, and Google Earth and Maps. The application is available through Google for Nonprofits, and the right Google Grants agency can fill it out for you.
• Registering with TechSoup.org — To verify your Google for Nonprofits account, you’ll need to register your organization with TechSoup.org. TechSoup provides a Validation Token that Google uses to verify your eligibility and confirm your Google for Nonprofits account. If you’ve never registered your organization with TechSoup, a Google Grants agency can help you sign up for an account.
• Installing Google Analytics on your website — Google Analytics is essential for not only your own data tracking purposes, but it is also a requirement that all websites need prior to applying.
• Ensuring your website has valuable and promotable content — To get the grant, you’ll need to submit your website for review to the Google Ad Grants team. To ensure you remain eligible, a Google Grants agency can assist in optimizing your web presence and online content.
• Holding current and valid charity status — You’ll need a current 501(c)(3) status to receive the Google Grant. The right Google Ad Grant agency can make sure that your documents and registrations are all up to date.
• Obtaining a valid SSL certificate — A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate authenticates a website’s identity and enables an encrypted connection. You’ll need an SSL certificate on your nonprofit website to move forward.
• Agreeing to Google Nonprofit Terms – To apply for a Google Grant, nonprofits need to agree and comply with Google’s Nonprofit Terms of Service. Google Grants agencies can walk through the terms and ensure that their clients know exactly what they’re signing up for.

It’s simple — if your nonprofit organization holds valid charity status and your website is well-developed and promotable, then you’ll most likely get the Google Grant. Partner with a Google Grants agency to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks and that the application process goes smoothly.

Google Grant Account Management

Once you’re approved for the Google Ad Grant program, the real work begins. Managing your campaigns can be difficult, especially when you have other projects to juggle and events to plan for your organization.

To help you make the most of your allotted $10,000 each month and drive meaningful conversions, a Google Grants agency will offer the following account management services:

• Create, maintain, and optimize ad campaigns — Ideally, a healthy Google Grant account has 3-5 ongoing campaigns to drive results. A Google Grants agency can keep track of these campaigns, report on performance, and refine your online content to continuously improve your ads. They can even provide a live dashboard and reporting with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager so that you can get a sense of your goal progress in real-time.
• Maintain account hygiene — Don’t worry about having to maintain your data! A Google Grants agency can eliminate outdated and unnecessary data hindering your work.
• Optimize online website content — As your Google Grants account matures, you’ll find that certain content will need updating or that you’ll need to create whole new pages just to serve your audience’s needs. A Google Grants agency can help with researching keywords that are relevant to your mission and assist with any landing page relaunches or redesigns to drive online traffic and conversions.
• Consistently check up on your account — Working on your account is an ongoing process. A Google Ad Grant agency will consistently check in with your account and campaigns to ensure that they are doing all they can to promote your mission and increase target actions.
• Get your account reactivated and compliant — Managing a Google Ad Grants account can be confusing, and account suspensions do happen. Suspension is often due to poor account maintenance or a failure to comply with Google Grant guidelines. If your account is suspended, getting it reactivated can be a somewhat painstaking process. Partnering with a professional who knows the ins and outs of the Google Grant compliance rules is your smartest option.

Don’t worry if you don’t spend the full $10,000 each month. Your Google Ad Grant manager knows the ultimate goal isn’t to spend the entire grant, but rather, it’s to use what you can to drive conversions and see measurable results for your organization. It’s much more valuable to spend fewer ad credits and focus on smaller campaigns for a targeted audience than scrambling to spend the entire amount.

Google Grant Compliance

One of the most prominent roles of a Google Grants agency is to keep nonprofits’ accounts in compliance with the program’s guidelines. Otherwise, without full compliance, your account is at risk of being deactivated.

Google revisits and updates its policies from time to time, so the official compliance page will be your best bet if you want to check up on the rules. Here are some of the most important requirements that a Google Ad Grant manager will handle for you:

Keywords

A Google Grants agency will research and choose the best keywords related to your mission. Some of the rules they’ll ensure your campaigns adhere to include:

• Do not use single-word keywords unless it is one of the approved exceptions.
• Avoid overly generic keywords that don’t indicate the searcher’s intent. For example, this might include ‘“free videos”, “e-books”, or “today’s news”.
• Ensure your keyword quality has a score higher than 2. Google calculates keyword quality scores based on expected clickthrough rate, how closely your ad matches the intent behind a user’s search, and landing page experience. A Google Grants agency will check your quality score on a regular basis to pause non-permitted keywords. Explore these qualities more on Google’s Quality Score page.

Data

A Google Ad Grant manager will help you manage your data and make adjustments in compliance with the program’s rules. Some of the data regulations they’ll follow include:

• Maintain a 5% clickthrough rate (CTR) each month. CTR is the number of clicks that your ad receives divided by the number of times your ad is shown. For example, if you had 5 clicks and 100 impressions, then your CTR would be 5%. A Google Grants agency will keep an eye on your CTR and make adjustments to the ads and landing pages if your campaigns are underperforming.
• Have valid conversion tracking set up through Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager. A Google Grants agency will set up conversion tracking, monitor your performance, and make adjustments to ensure you’re meeting the minimum of one conversion per month.

Account Structure

Google employs rules regarding the structure your account must follow. A Google Grants agency will understand the required structure, including rules such as:

• Have at least 2 ads per ad group, with at least 2 ad groups per campaign.
• Have at least 2 sitelink ad extensions.
• Respond to the annual program survey sent to the login email addresses on each Ad Grants account.

Bottom line: A Google Grants agency will keep your Ad Grant account in check and ensure that it’s fully compliant with all of the rules, even as Google updates them. Make sure that the Google Ad Grant manager you partner with is able to support your needs as your account grows and evolves.

The Benefits of Hiring a Google Grants Agency

Partnering with a professional will drastically enhance your Google Ad capabilities. Especially when you hire an agency that’s solely focused on Google Grants, you can rely on them to fully understand how to stay compliant, pick the best keywords for your cause, and generate high-converting ads. Ultimately, they’ll empower you to get the absolute most out of your grant money and put your ads in front of likely prospects.

Here are some of the core benefits you should expect:

• • Fast setup. The application process for the Ad Grants program is pretty lengthy. A Google Grants agency will handle the entire application process for you, then get your ads up and running as soon as your account is approved.
  • Consistent optimization. A key reason for nonprofits to outsource work to an agency is their insight into campaign creation and maintenance. After your ads have been up and running for awhile, they’ll review the data, determine if any improvements can be made, and then implement those optimizations.
  • Clear reporting. Even if you work with data on a daily basis, understanding your ad campaigns’ performance data can be tricky. A Google Ad Grant manager will interpret this data for you, making sure you understand what’s going well and what can be improved.

These professionals have in-depth knowledge of the program’s requirements, features, and tools, so you can spend all of your time focusing on other areas of your organization. All in all, partnering with a Google Ad Grant agency can be incredibly beneficial — so long as you spend time choosing the right one for your team. This brings us to our next topic!

What To Look For in a Google Ad Grant Agency

Picking the right Google Ad Grant agency primarily means finding a knowledgeable professional who offers the services you need. Thousands of agencies will say that they can help with the Google Ad Grant, but only a few dozen spend their time fully understanding compliance rules and best practices for ad creation.

You don’t want to partner with a poorly-managed agency and get your account suspended just because they do not fully understand Google’s compliance requirements. To avoid having to go through the process of reactivating your account, a knowledgeable Google Grant agency is essential.

Look for these particular qualities:

• A focus on Google Ad Grants — Many marketing agencies offer a variety of different services, with the Google Ad Grant being just one of them. More often than not, an agency dedicated to Google Grants or with a core focus on it is your best bet. With a team that focuses solely on the program, you’re sure to know when new features are available or compliance guidelines change.
• A fair pricing model — The prices that agencies charge can span quite a bit, so make sure you’re understanding the full pricing model before you make any major decisions. For instance, inquire if they have a set-up fee (which is not standard) or if they charge you for an audit (which is often free).
• Agency case studies — Oftentimes, established agencies will feature case studies depicting how they’ve helped nonprofit clients increase online conversions with Google Ad Grants. It can be helpful to specifically find case studies with organizations similar to yours in size and goals.
• Reviews and testimonials — Along with case studies, make sure to look up reviews and testimonials. While the agency likely boasts positive reviews on their website, it can also be worth looking into Google reviews and Facebook reviews.

It’s important to prioritize a Google Grants agency’s Ad Grant program knowledge, services, and professionalism above anything else. In turn, you’ll wind up with a professional who acts as an extension of your team.

5 Key Questions To Ask Your Google Ad Grant Agency

As you explore different Google Ad Grant managers, you’ll naturally narrow down your options and create a shortlist of potential agencies. Before lining up consultations with these prospective agencies, sit down with your team to determine what questions you’ll ask. That way, you can enter your conversations with potential agencies and better understand if they’ll be a good fit for your team.

Here are the five essential questions that we recommend you ask:

1. What services are included in your fees? It’s vital that you understand what’s included in an agency’s management fees. Otherwise, you may wind up spending too much and still not receive the services you need. Some Google Ad Grant managers offer an all-inclusive package that covers every aspect of account management, whereas others will offer packages with different combinations of services.
2. Do you offer landing page consultation? When someone clicks your ad on Google, they’ll be met with your landing page. Your landing page is what will ultimately drive them to donate, volunteer, register for an event, or do whatever you’re asking them to do. Make sure your Google Grants agency will review your landing pages, pick the ones that will help you reach your goals, and optimize the layout and content for you.
3. How frequently can we expect to hear from you? Clear communication is an essential part of your relationship with your Google Grants agency. Ideally, your agency will assign a dedicated account manager who will meet with you once a month, share results, be willing to openly discuss your account’s performance, and take your input seriously.
4. Is your Google Ad Grant agency certified? Google’s team created a Directory of Certified Professional Agencies to help nonprofits kickstart their search. Any agencies listed went through an extensive vetting process. However, don’t rule out any Google Grants agencies that aren’t certified yet! Chances are, they just haven’t been through the process yet. What truly matters is if they offer the services you need.
5. What if we have Google Grants needs outside of your traditional offerings? If your team determines you have needs that fall outside of an agency’s offerings, discuss that with potential agencies. Your Google Grants agency should be willing to chat about their experience in other areas, so you can get the most out of your digital strategies.

Hiring a Google Grants agency is a big decision, so don’t skimp on your research! The one you choose will ultimately impact the performance of your campaigns. By asking these essential questions upfront, nothing will come as a surprise since you’ll understand each Google Grants agency’s approach.  Otherwise, you risk not receiving the services you need, paying too much out of pocket, and ultimately throwing away your grant money.

12 Best Google Ad Grant Agencies

Whenever you outsource work to an agency, it’s important that you explore your options before signing a contract. That way, you’ll wind up with one that’s the best possible fit for your organization and needs.

While you can certainly do the digging on your own, we actually have several Google Grants agencies that we’d recommend to kickstart your search. Bear in mind that there are very few professionals that solely focus on Google Ad Grants, so the vast majority of the ones listed here offer other digital marketing and development services. However, we fully recommend going with one that specializes in Google Grants.

1. Getting Attention | Best All-Around Google Grants Agency

Here at Getting Attention, we specialize in Google Ad Grants. Our team is made up of professionals who know what it takes to develop campaigns that drive real results for your cause — no matter if you’re just getting started or already have active campaigns.

We don’t just quickly review your account and offer some tips. Our team partners closely with yours to fully understand your mission, who your organization serves, and how you can drive meaningful conversions.

Here’s how we can help you make the most of your grant money:

• Google Grant application. Don’t worry about forgetting something in your application. Our experts are here to manage every step to ensure that your account is reviewed and accepted.
• Google Grant hygiene. When it comes to your Google Grant account, data is everything. With our Google Grant agency’s help, you’ll never have to deal with duplicate or outdated data bogging down your processes.
• Keyword research. A big part of a healthy Google Ads account is determining what your users are searching online. That’s why keyword research is one of our main skills. We’ll make sure your website content effectively serves your audience’s needs and inspires them to take action.
• Campaign creation and landing page optimization. Our Google Grants agency will develop ads that target the right audience, inspire users to click through, and point them to the best-fitting landing pages. We’ll even redesign and relaunch your landing pages for you!
• Reporting and goal tracking. Tracking conversions and campaign performance is an ongoing process for Google Grant account holders. Not only can we assist in staying on top of reporting, but we can also pinpoint the most useful opportunities and goals for your nonprofit.
• Google Grant reactivation. We know that getting your Google Grant account suspended isn’t ideal. If your account was deactivated, we can help you get it up to code and make sure it stays that way.

Getting Started with This Google Grants Agency

Our experts are fully committed to helping you develop inspiring ad campaigns. Plus, we aim to be fully transparent in our pricing, which is why we don’t charge any upfront fees and will help you manage your Google Ad Grants account for only $499 per month.

Get a free consultation, so we can chat about how we can help your nonprofit grow through powerful Google Ad Grant management. Don’t see a Google Grants service on our website that you need? We’re open to chatting about our experience in other areas to help you make the most of your campaigns!

2. DNL OmniMedia | Best Google Grants Agency for Nonprofit Technology

DNL OmniMedia is a well-known nonprofit technology consultant. Their team of professionals strives to empower nonprofits to better leverage their technology and amplify their causes, which is why we highly recommend them for your technological needs!

As part of their offerings, they offer Google Grant services. While it’s not their sole purpose, they’re a solid choice for any nonprofit that wants to get more out of the program. They’ll help you with the following:

• Keyword strategy development. This Google Grants agency will work with you to understand your priorities. Then, they’ll develop a keyword strategy to help you target terms that are central to your mission, connect with likely prospects, and ultimately achieve your goals.
• Analytic management. DNL OmniMedia fully understands the importance of effective data management. Their team is experienced with Google Analytics and can create custom reports that make sense for your campaigns’ priorities.
• Website development. A big part of your Google Ad campaigns’ performance is the content you promote. Powered by skilled developers, DNL OmniMedia can help you create a powerful website that communicates your cause and drives conversions.

Getting Started with This Google Ad Grant Manager

DNL OmniMedia will serve as an effective Google Ad Grant manager for your cause. Start by researching their other offerings to see how they can help optimize other areas of your nonprofit’s technology strategy!

3. RKD Digital | Best Google Ad Grant Agency for Digital Marketing

As the first full-service direct-response company to be added to the Google Grant Certified Professional Community, RKD Digital is a Google Grants agency that works with nonprofits to produce effective marketing strategies. Since 2004, they’ve empowered their nonprofit clients to spark meaningful relationships in the digital world. They’ll help you craft campaign strategies and messaging, helping you harness the power of available online marketing opportunities like the Ad Grants program.

Backed by deep experience in the nonprofit industry, they’ll help you reimagine what marketing looks like with Google Grants services, such as:

• Account activation. Rest assured that this Google Ad Grant agency will handle every part of the application process, from securing validation tokens to filling out relevant applications.
• Campaign and ad creation. This Google Grants agency will build high-level campaigns that follow the appropriate account structure. They’ll even write the ad copy for you!
• Holistic strategy development. They’ll help you determine how Google Ad Grants fit into your multichannel marketing strategy, so you can intertwine your efforts and achieve your conversion goals.

 Getting Started with This Google Grants Agency

If this agency sounds like a good fit, check out their website to learn more about their approach to Google Ad Grant management. You can also dive into some of their other digital marketing services before contacting their team!

4. Allegiance Group | Best Google Grants Agency for Fundraising

Allegiance Group is an experienced Google Grants agency that works exclusively with nonprofits and associations to grow their online footprint. They’re a full-service firm that intertwines fundraising, marketing, and technology, so their nonprofit clients can inspire action and make an impact. Their approach to marketing is to build story arcs that blend stewardship, engagement, advocacy, and fundraising communications, so you can effectively bring your mission to life through your digital content.

They’ll help you harness the power of the Google Ad Grant to share your powerful content and drive conversions with the following services:

• Ad creation. Allegiance Group will craft the copy for your Google Ad campaigns, ensuring it fits your nonprofit’s voice. Then, they’ll monitor your ad campaigns and make adjustments based on the metrics it generates.
• Form optimization. Thanks to their experience with form creation tools like EveryAction and Salesforce, Allegiance Group can optimize your landing pages. Using your preferred platform, they’ll develop custom forms and surveys that you can promote with Google Ads and drive more conversions.
• Custom reporting. Allegiance Group will develop custom implementations of Google Analytics for your team. They’ll deliver insightful reports and grant you access to real-time dashboards, so you can check in on your ads’ performance whenever you want. They’ll share critical metrics, interpret your data, and even give recommendations for your next Google Ad Grant campaign.

Getting Started with This Google Ad Grant Agency

Allegiance Group will enable you to intertwine your digital fundraising and marketing efforts. Explore their website to learn more about how they can leverage your Google Ad Grant money to grow your fundraising and connect with likely prospects.

5. WebFX | Best Google Grants Agency for NGOs

WebFX prides itself on driving qualified traffic, converting visitors, and leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver real results to their clients. While their primary focus is on businesses, they also empower NGOs to take advantage of Google Ad Grants and are even part of the Certified Partner Directory.

As a leader in SEO, PPC, social, and web design services, this Google Grants agency can empower you with offerings like:

• Industry analysis. They’ll analyze the current SEO landscape of your industry, so you can determine what your prospects are searching for online and what content they’ll interact with.
• Ad copy and performance testing. They’ll handle the copywriting for you. Then, they’ll monitor your campaigns’ performance to determine what drives users to engage with those ads.
• Google Analytics tracking. WebFX has plenty of experience with Google Analytics, so they’ll make sure you set up goal tracking in compliance with the program’s guidelines.

Getting Started with This Google Grants Agency

WebFX is backed by a team of experts to help you make the most of your SEO strategy. Take a look at their website to learn more about their digital marketing services to make sure they align with your nonprofit’s needs.

6. TrueSense Marketing | Best Google Grants Agency with SEM Experience

Composed of more than 200 professionals with search engine marketing (SEM) experience, TrueSense Marketing is a reliable Google Grants agency. Their team of specialists will handle every step of the process, from your initial application to ongoing maintenance. They know what it takes to create marketing materials that will stand out on search engine results pages and can make sure your ads are put in front of the right audience.

They’ll work alongside your team and create powerful Google Ad campaigns through services like:

• Keyword research. They’ll do plenty of research to determine what your most likely prospects are searching for online. Then, they’ll make sure your ads point them to landing pages that match their needs.
• A/B testing. By tweaking elements like the ad copy, title, and landing page, they’ll create multiple versions of your ads to find out which elements drive users to convert. Then, they’ll make adjustments to create the best possible ads for your nonprofit.
• Campaign optimization. After your ads are pushed live, they’ll run search query reports to determine anything that’s not working. Then, they’ll make adjustments accordingly.

Getting Started with This Google Ad Grant Manager

TrueSense marketing knows what it takes to meet your digital supporters’ needs. Take a look at their website to learn more about their approach to Google Ad Grant management.

7. Digital Ninjas | Best Google Grants Agency for Advocacy Organizations

Based in Australia, Digital Ninjas is a professional consulting firm that helps nonprofits drive greater fundraising and advocacy results through digital campaigns. With services dedicated to Google Ad Grant management and organic search, they’re a trusted source for all aspects of your SEO strategy.

Here are some of their core Google Grants services that will help you stick out online:

• Google Analytics. The experts at Digital Ninjas will help you measure the metrics that matter most to your organization within Google Analytics. Whether it’s fundraising results or engagement with your advocacy work, they’ll help you track it.
• Ad copy development. Trust that this Google Grants agency knows how to develop high-quality ads. They’ll make sure they understand your organization’s brand voice and goals, so they get the ad copy right the first time!
• Account development. Once they’ve pinpointed the right keywords and gotten the ad copy approved, they’ll build out your account and make sure everything’s ready to go.

Getting Started with This Google Grants Agency

Operating at Ninja-like speed, Digital Ninjas is prepared to make your SEM endeavors a breeze. Check out their website to learn more about their approach to Google Ad Grants and other paid search ads.

8. Uprise Up | Best Google Grants Agencies for UK-Based Organizations

Located in the United Kingdom, Uprise Up is a data-driven digital media agency. They strive to help mission-driven organizations make a positive difference in the world by enabling laser-focused marketing strategies. As part of their relentless endeavor to further social good, they offer Google Ad Grant management services to nonprofits.

They’ve honed their tactics to help nonprofits extract maximum value from the Google Ad Grant and offer services such as:

• Account testing. Uprise Up will run your account through its Ad Grant policy checker to make sure you’re always adhering to the rules. They’ll also continually test your campaigns’ results to make sure they’re driving qualified prospects to your site.
• Future-proofing. As a certified partner, Uprise Up is on top of the program’s requirements and will respond to any new algorithm changes as soon as they hear about them.
• Compliance. This agency uses automated scripts to continually check that your account adheres to the policies. If anything is flagged, they’ll make the necessary adjustments to your account.

Getting Started with This Google Ad Grant Manager

As one of the few UK-based Google Grants agencies, Uprise Up is a great choice for UK organizations. Although, they are certified, so they receive advice from the Google Grants team located in California as well. Before reaching out, take a look at their website to learn more about their work.

9. Koios | Best Google Grants Agency for Libraries

With a sole focus on libraries, Koios empowers its clients to make their library’s resources more discoverable online. The agency’s goal is to enable libraries to reach beyond their existing patron base to bring in new supporters through effective Google Ad Grant management.

Trusted by dozens of clients, they help libraries around the country take advantage of the program through helpful services such as:

• Google Grant application. Their team will help you get your verification token from TechSoup, set up your Google for Nonprofits account, and configure your Google Ads account. If Google turns down your application, they’ll follow the instructions provided to reapply.
• Ad optimization. Koios will monitor your campaigns and make sure you’re driving meaningful conversions. They even boast an average 12.8% CTR, which is well above the industry average of 3%.
• Catalog awareness. This is the bedrock of Koios’ service. You simply provide their team with a complete set of MARC records, and they’ll put the entire thing online. Doing so helps expose catalog records through your ads that would otherwise be invisible to Google.

Getting Started with This Google Grants Agency

If you work for a library and see your organization benefitting from the program, Koios will be a great addition to your team! They offer a 60-day free trial, so you can see what it’s like working with their experts. Before reaching out, explore their website to learn more about what they can do for you.

10. INTK | Best Google Grants Agency for Cultural Organizations

Trusted by more than 30 organizations, INTK is a great choice for your Google Ad Grant management needs. They work exclusively with cultural organizations, so if you work for museum, performing arts center, or another type of cultural organization, they can help you generate awareness through targeted ads on relevant search results pages.

Here are some of the core services they offer to help you make the most of the opportunity:

• Google Grant application. With a 99% success rate, they can help you apply for the program. In the off chance that your account isn’t approved, they’ll take the appropriate steps to ensure it is.
• Campaign creation and maintenance. They’ll help you get your campaigns up and running. Then, they’ll perform monthly maintenance to ensure everything’s in line.
• Website design. While separate from their Google Ad Grant management services, INTK also offers web design and development. They’ll create a website unique to your industry with the features you need. That way, you can develop valuable content to promote through your Google Ads.

Getting Started with This Google Ad Grant Agency

Bear in mind that INTK is based in the Netherlands. However, they’re also certified by Google and have direct access to the Google Ad Grants team, which means their in the loop with the latest changes in the program’s compliance requirements. Take a look at their website to learn more about their approach.

11. Platypus Digital | Best Google Grants Agency for Multichannel Strategies

Platypus Digital is a leading digital marketing agency for charities. Whether you need them to set up your Google Ads account from scratch or optimize your existing account, their team of experts is there to help every step of the way. With expert Google Ad Grant management, they’ll help you make the best use of your grant to increase brand awareness, connect with motivated supporters, and increase donations.

Here’s how they help you maximize the return on your efforts:

• Compliance audit. Request a one-off compliance audit where they’ll analyze your account and walk you through the exact changes you need to make to be in line with Google’s requirements.
• Up-to-date reporting. They’ll keep you updated on your performance through Google Data Studio dashboards by objective. They’ll also send you regular emails and scheduled reporting calls where they walk you through results.
• Multichannel strategy development. In addition to managing your Google Ad Grants, they’ll also manage paid Google Ads and GrantsPro accounts. Plus, they’ll run search, display, YouTube, and shopping ads. In turn, you’ll have a more holistic marketing strategy backed by certified Google Ads strategists.

Getting Started with This Google Grants Agency

Since 2014, they’ve worked with more than 160 nonprofits to enhance their digital marketing and fundraising efforts. If you think they’d be a good fit for your organization, explore their website to learn more about their Google Grant services.

12. Farrer Digital | Best Google Grants Agency for Maximizing Conversions

As one of seven certified Google Ad Grants professionals in the United Kingdom, Farrer Digital is a reliable choice for any size nonprofit. The agency was established in 2012 and founded on the principle that business should be transparent and direct. The agency’s sights are set on the long-term success of each client, so you know your account is in capable hands.

Here are their core Google Grants services:

• Google Grant application. Simply provide them with your registered charity number and TechSoup validation token, and they’ll apply for the grant for you within 10 minutes.
• Strategy development. Once your account is approved, they’ll meet with your team to discuss your account strategy. They’ll help you determine the best way to allocate your $10,000 each month and drive higher traffic to your site.
• Conversion rate optimization. They’ll take the time to understand the source of your website traffic and how users interact with your site. Based on this, they’ll design a digital strategy and optimize your landing pages to deliver the best user experience, thus maximizing each ad’s conversion rate.

Getting Started with This Google Ad Grant Manager

Farrer Digital is a solid choice for any nonprofit looking to maximize its ROI with more intentional digital marketing solutions. If you’re looking for a Google Grants agency that strives to drive long-term growth, this firm might be the right choice for you. Before reaching out, take a look at the other digital marketing services they offer.

Next Steps for Your Google Grants Strategy

When it comes to starting your nonprofit online marketing on the right foot, the Google Ad Grant is your answer. However, applying and maintaining your account is no walk in the park. Whether you’re having trouble proving your website is valuable or can’t keep up with Google’s compliance guidelines, turning to a professional Google Grants agency, like Getting Attention, is your best bet.

While we shared several recommendations, Getting Attention is the only full-service agency that focuses solely on Google Ad Grants above. We’ll handle every aspect of your account, starting with eligibility confirmation through ongoing maintenance. In no time, you’ll start driving more conversions, connecting with more prospects, and generating great results for your cause! If you’re interested, reach out for a free consultation. Like we mentioned, we’re happy to discuss our experience in other areas that aren’t listed on our site.

In the meantime, are you interested in learning more about Google Ad Grants or marketing your mission effectively? Explore these great additional resources:

• Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: The Complete Guide. Curious about all the good that Google Ad Grants can do for your organization? Check out our complete guide where we cover everything from eligibility requirements to insider tips.
• The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Marketing. Google Grants are just one part of a holistic marketing strategy. Learn more about the different components in this complete guide.
• Hiring a Google Grants Agency: A Guide and 5 Expert Agencies. Want to learn more about outsourcing grant management to an expert? Take a look at Double the Donation’s complete guide and recommendations!