Google AdWords Grants for Nonprofits
If you run or work for a non-profit organization, Google has a program designed specifically for you. Here is what you should know about it.
About Google Grants
The program allows nonprofits that qualify to benefit from $10,000 a month on the AdWords platform by Google for no cost to the organization. It allows users of Google to see online campaigns in Google’s search results when they key in the right keywords.
There are simple rules to using the Google Grants program. However, the most important point to note is that the program gives you access to up to $120,000 a year of advertising on the most popular search engine on earth.
How to Get the Grant
This grant is only given to organizations that truly deserve it and that value the service provided by Google. Thus, if you are an NGO that is serious about getting free recognition online, you should try this program. Google offers you some instructions on how to get the grant. However, they are not doing too much handholding. With them contributing $10,000 to your NGO, the least you can do is put in some effort and research on it.
The first step you must take to become a member of the Google Grants program is to send an application to be a Google Nonprofit. The process is quite simple. You only need to provide the EIN of your NGO and certify that you will abide by the company’s policies. The application is sent to Google who responds to it within 24 to 48 hours. Even without the grant, Google Nonprofit has some great features, which will prove beneficial to you.
After you are accepted as a Google Nonprofit, you will now start the process of enrolling your NGO into the program. It takes quite a lot of work. You will have to explain how you will utilize the $10,000 monthly grant. Besides that, you will need an AdWords account configured to work with the grant. The account you create will have an ID number that has to be part of the grant submission. After that, you need to wait for about 24 hours or more for Google to respond to your request.
How can you tell if Your NGO is Eligible?
There are some basic requirements for you to be even considered for the grant. Ensure that you meet all of them.
- The nonprofit must have an Employer ID (EIN) from the IRS
- The nonprofit must be classified as a 501(c)(3) organization.
- The nonprofit should be based in the United States or one of the other qualifying countries as chosen by Google.
- The nonprofit must have a running website. If you do not, you should start crafting one now.
- The organization cannot be an academic institution, a government organization, a childcare center, a medical group, or a hospital.
Additionally, the nonprofit cannot be advocating for the discrimination of people or calling for violence or oppression of certain groups of people. In general, if your organization is anti a certain group of people, you should look elsewhere.
Where Should You Start
Before even thinking of asking Google for the grant, you should ask yourself whether you will be able to manage it. If you do not update or create new campaigns often, Google will cancel the grant or suspend it until you can make improvements. Running an AdWords campaign takes a lot of energy and time.
Tips for Using the Google Grant Effectively
• Combine it with a Paid Account
If you already have this awesome grant, you should think of running a parallel paid campaign. For instance, you can experiment with grant and optimize the paid campaign with the lessons that you learn there. You should also keep in mind that Grant ads do not reach the same level as the paid ads. In general, they will appear below the paid ad.
• Link Your Ads to Landing Pages
Unless your keyword is very general, the homepage is not always the right place to link the ad. When you choose a good landing page, the quality score of your ad receives a small boost. That means your ads will appear at a better position in future.
If your ad wanted visitors to do something specific, linking them to an appropriate landing page is likely to lead to more conversions. It is better than if they have to spend time navigating through your site to find the right place to take action. If you do not have pages on your site that have the attributes of a good landing page, consider talking to a webmaster. He or she can assist you to come up with a good landing page to make optimal use of the grant money.
• Hire an Expert
If your organization could benefit from the grant, consider contacting an AdWords expert. He or she will help to manage your campaign for you to ensure you make optimal use of the grant. If you try to wing it, it would be doing a disservice to the course in which you believe. A good manager can help you get all the financing that you need to advance your course.