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Grant programs are generally synonymous with long, complicated applications that are constantly in need of revision and that often require all-nighters of tedious work before pressing deadlines, but this isn’t the case with Google Grants. Google has truly simplified the application process to make the grant easy and accessible for all 501(c)(3) organizations that want to apply. Read on to learn more about how you can apply for a Google Grant and possibly give your nonprofit the boost it needs to succeed.
What are Google Grants?
Google Grants is a donation program that awards nonprofit organizations up to $10,000 per month for advertising within the Google AdWords marketing platform. Recipients can use the money from this in-kind advertising to increase donations, recruit more volunteers, expand their brand awareness, and more. Google states that they hope organizations use the extra funds to “extend their public service messages to a global audience to make a greater impact on the world.” Whatever you choose to use it for, Google Grants could have a significant effect on your nonprofit, and it’s surprisingly simple to apply. Just follow these few easy steps!
How to Apply to Google Grants
Determine if You’re Eligible
Unfortunately not all nonprofits are eligible for Google Grants, so the first thing you’ll want to do is check to make sure your organization meets the requirements. In order to be eligible, you must have a current 501(c)(3) status, have a live website with a significant amount of content on it, and agree to Google’s terms for nondiscrimination and donation receipt and use. Some of the organizations that are not qualified to receive the grant are any government entities, any healthcare or hospital organizations, and no schools, universities, or other academic institutions. Here are the specific eligibility requirements as put forth by Google. This article also goes more into detail on who exactly is and isn’t eligible to apply as well as what to do after you’ve been chosen.
Apply for Google for Nonprofits
If you don’t already have a Google account, you’ll definitely want to start by creating one. Once you’ve created your account, make sure your organization is registered with GuideStar.org (or TechSoup if you’re international) prior to applying to Google for Nonprofits. Then, make sure your EIN, company mission statement, and other pertinent business information is available and easy to access. Now you’re ready to go to the Google Nonprofit site, fill out the information about your organization, provide your contact information (including a valid email address that you check regularly), and wait for your approval! This typically takes 2-3 days, and you’ll receive an email once you’ve been approved.
Choose the Ad program That’s Right for Your Organization
Now that you’re approved for Google for Nonprofits, it’s time to start thinking about what version of Google AdWords is right for your nonprofit. AdWords Express is great if you don’t have a ton of time or aren’t interested in personally managing every aspect of your account. All you have to do is choose your audience, set your budget, write a few lines about your business and let Google take care of the rest. Regular AdWords has a lot more tools, options, and resources and is geared towards someone who wants to be actively involved in all the components of their campaign. Think about which option best suits your needs and the needs of your nonprofit, and go from there. Once you’ve made your decision it’s time to apply for the grant and set up your account.
Apply for the Google AdWords Grant Program and Setup your AdWords Account
First, log in and create your AdWords account based on whichever option you chose from the step above. Definitely use the same email address you used when applying to Google for Nonprofits in order to streamline the process and keep yourself organized. Then, skip the billing process! This is extremely important. Do not provide any type of credit card information even though the application asks for it. If you do, you’ll be creating a paid account instead of applying for a grant account. Next, create a very basic AdWords account. You’re probably new at this, so it doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Keep it simple; they’ll be plenty of time to learn about AdWords and perfect your campaign later on. Here’s a great article from NoRiskSEO all about how to optimize AdWords for beginners.
Submit Your Account to Be Reviewed
After you’ve created your first AdWords campaign, all you have to do is submit your account to be reviewed by Google! They have up to 30 days to do this, but generally it gets done quicker. Just keep an eye on the email account you provided in your application. They’ll notify you once you’ve been approved.
Once You’ve Been Approved for Google Grants
You can earn up to $329 a day in free advertising through AdWords! But you’ll definitely want to make sure you’re complying with grant best practices. Make sure you’re following through with all the Google Grant requirements. You’ll need to login to your account and make changes at least once every 2 months, but in theory you should be doing this much more often if you truly want to take advantage of everything AdWords has to offer. You’ll also need to set up at least one goal in Google Analytics in order to track your progress (though we encourage you to create more), and Google will ask you to periodically complete surveys on the program. You’ll also definitely want to spend all the money awarded to you each month per the “use it or lose it” motto.
So, is your business eligible for a Google Grant? How do you plan to optimize the funds if awarded them for your nonprofit? Hopefully this article has made an easy application process even more streamlined and accessible and you’ll be creating a free AdWords account in no time! Comment in the section below and let us know how Google Grants is working for your organization.