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How to successfully apply for (and set up) Google Ad Grants for Charities in the UK

October 8, 2018

thegoogleadgrants 1It’s only fair that charities have a chance to compete when it comes to building their online profiles, and Google has leveled the playing field for non-profits through its Google Grants scheme.

Charities regularly come under scrutiny when it comes to where funds go and many donors prefer their funds to go directly to the cause rather than to advertising spend – even if that advertising spend has meant that their money goes five times further. This is what makes Google Grants so great, as without forking out any money yourself, you can access between $10,000-40,000 of ad spend each month just by applying. This can be used to attract more donations, recruit volunteers or share your story with audiences around the world.

To help you get to grips with the scheme, we’ve detailed some of the important bits to know that will help you get started.

 

What is the ‘Google Ad Grants’ scheme?

Essentially the Google Ad Grants scheme allows registered UK charities to apply for a monthly free advertising budget to use on Google. This means you can bid on certain keywords to appear in a top position. For example, if you are a charity for the homeless based in London looking for clothes donations, you could bid on phrases (and their variations) such as ‘donate clothes London’ or ‘donate to homeless London’.

Your maximum cost-per-click will be limited to $2, so consider carefully which keywords you would like to bid on and how much competition there is for these keywords.

If your application is successful, then you will receive $10,000 of in-kind Google Ads spend each month. You will need to manage this spend and each of your bids (unless you contract an agency to manage it on your behalf).

 

Who is eligible to apply?

Currently, more than 20,000 charities around the world are signed up to the scheme. To qualify for Google Ad Grants, your organisation must:

  • Begin by applying to Google for Non-Profits.
  • Hold valid charity status.
  • Acknowledge and agree to Google’s required certifications regarding non-discrimination and donation receipt and use.
  • Have a live website with substantial content.

 

Interested in getting started?

If you’re interested in applying for a Google Ad Grant, then get in touch with our team today. We have handled applications on behalf of several of our non-profit clients and have a 100% success rate when it comes to securing a Google Ad Grant for their organisation.

We can also either teach you how to manage your Google Ad spend and maximise the effectiveness of every bid, or, we can manage it on your behalf.

To find out more, get in touch with our team today.

Written by Andy

Andy is Venture Stream’s Chief Operating Officer and has over 15 years’ experience in ecommerce consultancy, design and retail marketing.

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