How the Google Ad Grant Works in 2020

As a nonprofit, you’re probably familiar with the Google Ad Grant to some degree, but may not understand all the details surrounding it. Today, we’ll break down what the Google Ad Grant is, how it works, and how to get started. 

What is the Google Ad Grant?

The Google Ad Grant provides $10,000 of in-kind advertising every single month from Google Ads. Google has been providing the Ad Grant for about 17 years to nonprofits all over the world. Today, there are currently over 45,000 nonprofits utilizing the grant and Google Ads as part of their marketing strategy. With over 5.5 billion searches happening on the Google search engine every single day, Google search ads bring thousands of new and qualified website visitors to nonprofit websites that can lead to donor, volunteer and supporter acquisition, increased event ticket sales, and increased awareness and support for missions and causes everywhere.

It may sound too good to be true, but It’s not! Here’s some more good news. The Google Ad Grant is not your typical grant. 80% of organizations are eligible for the grant and although approval times may vary, once you apply, the average approval time is about two short weeks. Once your organization is approved, you are then credited $10,000 towards your Google Ads platform to spend on search text ads every single month. If you don’t have the Ad Grant yet, learn how you can apply today. 

Where are my ads shown?

Now let’s talk about search text ads and where your ads would be shown with your Google Ad Grant. With 93% of internet sessions starting with some type of search and 80% of those searches happening on the Google search engine, nonprofits and for-profits alike understand the value of advertising on Google Search.  When performing a search, Google provides search results accordingly and as users, we are drawn to the top search results. These top results will be ads, which are signified by the black Ad logo.

Google studies have shown that close to 80% of first clicks that take place when returning search results happen on the first four listings, demonstrating that this space, which Google calls their “Golden Triangle,” is the area of greatest promise for users to find what they’re looking for. And it’s where your organization can now be found anytime someone is searching for anything related to who you are, what you provide, and your mission by using the Google Ad Grant. 

Using the Google Ad Grant can put your organization in front of the right people at the right time. And if managed correctly, the Ad Grant can bring upwards of 5,000 new, highly targeted and qualified users to your website every single month. 

How is the $10,000 used?

Now that you understand the value of Google Ads and the amazing opportunity that you as a nonprofit have to grow and scale your impact with the Google Ad Grant, you’re probably wondering how your $10,000 gets used. Here’s how it works. 

There is a cost associated with every single keyword that gets typed into the Google Search Bar.  Your ad will show for related keyword searches and only when the user clicks on your ad, also known as a cost per click, is money deducted from your grant. As a nonprofit, you must maintain a 5% click-through rate on all of your running ads.

Another thing to note is that Google doesn’t provide all $10,000 in one day. They allocate it to you with a budget of $329 per day. This is important because whatever you don’t use in one day, doesn’t roll over to the next, so every day is a new opportunity to fully leverage your grant. Some nonprofits don’t use all $10,000, which is completely fine. Organizations differ in their location, their size and their resources offered so it doesn’t matter how much of the grant money you use, but how you use it to strategically generate high-quality website visitors to accomplish your ultimate goals. 

How can I keep the Ad Grant?

Once you have the Google Ad Grant, it’s yours to keep indefinitely. In order to maintain the grant and avoid suspension, you’ll have to make sure your grant is in compliance with Google’s parameters of quality. Ultimately, there are many different factors that play into having a successful Google Ad Grant account and keeping your grant in compliance, but the most important aspect is building a strong and sustainable account from the start. Building and managing your account takes time and know-how, maybe you’ve worked with Google Ads in the past or maybe you’re learning about this for the first time. Either way, here at Community Boost, we specialize in getting organizations of every size connected to the Google Ad Grant and help them to leverage their grant each month. We support organizations with this in various ways according to their goals and specific needs.

Janaye Perry and Jordan Shuler