Google Ad Grants

What you can do with it

Launch a focused Search campaign with one useful action to measure: a donation, volunteer application, or program inquiry.

Before you start

• Your organization's registration information and an administrator for Google for Nonprofits.
• An organization-owned website with a clear mission, working HTTPS, useful content, and a working destination for the action you want people to take.
• A person responsible for the account and a weekly review slot. The grant covers eligible advertising, not staff or agency time.

Put it to work

A suggested workflow from Coach House.

1. 1

   Confirm eligibility and activate the grant

   Apply through Google for Nonprofits. After verification, select Ad Grants in the product activation area and submit the requested website information. Once approved, accept Google's invitation to the Ad Grants account using the same login.

   Follow Google's activation steps
2. 2

   Choose one audience and one action

   Start with people already searching for something your organization provides. Write down the search intent, relevant location, destination page, and action. A local volunteer recruitment campaign is easier to diagnose than one campaign covering every part of your mission.

3. 3

   Make the destination useful

   Send visitors to the relevant program, volunteer, or fundraising page. Explain who it is for, what happens next, and how to act. Test the form on a phone. For donations handled on another domain, plan tracking across the handoff with your donation provider.

4. 4

   Track completed actions before launching

   Use Google's conversion guide to set up and test a meaningful completion event. Submit a test application or donation through the full journey and confirm it is recorded correctly. Avoid treating every page view as a successful donation or application.

   Set up conversion tracking
5. 5

   Build a small Search campaign

   Group closely related searches together. Write ads that match the promise of the destination page, choose locations you can actually serve, and follow the current Ad Grants campaign and keyword policies. Use negative keywords to exclude clearly irrelevant searches.

   Open Google's campaign learning resources
6. 6

   Review the journey every week

   Compare search terms, visits, completed actions, and the quality of the inquiries. Fix an irrelevant search, unclear page, or broken form before expanding. Record one change and review its effect next week. Judge the campaign by useful outcomes rather than how much of the grant it spends.

Ways to use it

Know before you commit

• The current offer is up to $10,000 USD per month in in-kind Search advertising. Available spending and fundraising results vary; the credit cannot be withdrawn as cash.
• Grant credit does not pay for display ads, social ads, or a separate paid Google Ads account. Check which account you are using before launching.
• Google requires ongoing policy compliance and accurate conversion tracking. Read the current rules in your account; eligible status alone does not keep an unmanaged campaign compliant.
• Do not send names, emails, or sensitive participant details in URLs or analytics events. Apply the consent requirements relevant to your visitors and tracking setup.