Google Ad Grants for charities: a plain guide

What Google Ad Grants is

Google Ad Grants gives eligible charities free advertising on Google Search, worth up to $10,000 a month in ad spend. The ads appear when people search for causes, services and ways to help, so the grant suits awareness, volunteering and information as much as donations.

Who can apply

You need registered charity status in your country and a Google for Nonprofits account, and your website has to meet Google’s quality rules: secure, clear, useful and about your mission. Some kinds of organisation, such as government bodies and hospitals, are not eligible.

The rules that keep an account active

• Ads run on Google Search only.
• Keywords have to be relevant to your mission; very broad single words are not allowed.
• Accounts need a reasonable click-through rate, at least 5% across the account each month.
• Conversion tracking must be set up and working.
• You need to log in and manage the account regularly.

Google updates these rules from time to time, so check the current policy before you apply.

How to use it well

Use the grant for searches where people are looking to learn or help, such as “how to calculate Zakat” or “clean water charity”, and send them to pages that answer the question and offer a way to give. Keep paid search for competitive, high-intent terms during appeals, so the two never bid against each other.

Measure what matters

Track completed gifts, sign-ups and volunteer enquiries, not just clicks. A grant account that brings in steady new supporters all year is worth far more than its traffic numbers suggest.