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Introduction.
Google Ad Grants is a monthly, free Google search advertising budget of up to $10,000 for nonprofit organizations. It helps you attract donations, volunteers, and partners by increasing the visibility of your mission and projects. In this guide, you’ll learn who is eligible for a grant, how to apply, what the requirements are for your website and ads, and how to avoid common rejections.
What is Google Ad Grants and how it works
Google Ad Grants is a program that provides nonprofit organizations with up to $10,000 per month in loans to place text ads on Google search. You don’t pay for clicks, but you are required to adhere to special quality policies. The tool works through a separate Google Ads account for the grant.
Only search campaigns are launched - without display network, video, and remarketing. To show up for relevant queries, you create lists of keywords with a clear user intent (donations, volunteering, participation in events). Create ad groups with clear titles, extensions, and relevant landing pages.
The program sets quality thresholds: requirements for CTR, keyword relevance, and the prohibition of overly generic one-word phrases and commercial benefits. Success depends on analytics - in GA4, you mark conversions (donate, sign_up, volunteer) and import them into Google Ads. Later, you optimize semantics, texts, and pages for key actions.
For UNITY INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT, this is a tool for scaling awareness and steadily attracting donors and volunteers. The grant helps to systematically test messages, increase the visibility of current programs, and report on results. As a result, you get a managed growth channel without additional media costs.
Who can get a grant: eligibility criteria
Google Ad Grants are available to registered non-profit organizations that work in the public interest. You must confirm your status and mission, as well as have an active website with transparent information about your activities. The program is not intended for commercial initiatives or private gain.
There are exceptions: government agencies, hospitals and medical institutions, as well as educational institutions cannot participate in this program. For education, there is a separate initiative called Google for Education. It is also important that the organization does not engage in political campaigning or lobbying.
Your website should be of high quality: clear navigation, relevant sections on the mission, reports, contacts, privacy policy, and HTTPS security. Having clear pages for donations, volunteering, and events increases the chances of approval. Financial transparency and details of how contributions are used are essential.
For the International Unity Movement, the key is documented non-profitability and a focus on public benefit. Correct public reporting and the absence of commercial gain demonstrate compliance with policies. This creates a solid foundation for successful application and further work with the grant.
Preparing to apply: what to do in advance
First, define your goals: what actions are prioritized for you - donations, volunteer applications, event registrations, or newsletter subscriptions. Create measurable success indicators and expected results for each goal. This will help you structure your campaigns and landing pages properly.
Conduct a website audit: check speed, mobile adaptation, navigation logic, and content depth. Prepare separate pages for each goal with one main CTA and clear value. Ensure security through HTTPS and correct operation of forms.
Ensuretransparency: publish a section with reports, details, and an explanation of how donations are used. Add a privacy policy, terms of use, and a cookie banner. These elements reduce the risk of abandonment and increase user trust.
Set up analytics: install Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager, mark conversion events (donate, volunteer, sign_up). Check the correctness of data collection and prepare to import conversions to Google Ads.
Step-by-step application for Google Ad Grants
Sign up for Google for Nonprofits: create an account for your organization and verify your nonprofit status through an authorized partner. Prepare statutory documents, certificates, and a link to the official website. Make sure that the organization’s data on the website matches the registers.
Create a separate Google Ads account specifically for Grants and do not enable billing. Select the expert mode, country and time zone, and set up access for the team. Do not run paid campaigns before activating the grant to avoid confusion.
Apply for Ad Grants activation: fill out the form, specify the domain, confirm compliance with the policies, and add basic account settings. Wait for the initial verification, which may take several business days. In case of a request for clarification, promptly provide additional materials.
After approval , create your first search campaigns with clear goals: Donate, Volunteer, Events. Import conversions from GA4, add ad extensions and minus words, check the relevance of landing pages.
Website requirements: what Google checks
Your website should clearly explain your mission, programs, and results. Up-to-date "About Us" pages, contacts with full details, a section with reports and a transparent description of how donations are used are important. Avoid clickbait and vague wording - factuality increases trust and traffic quality.
Technical criteria include fast loading, correct mobile version, and HTTPS security. The navigation structure should be intuitive: the user finds a way to help in 1-2 clicks, learns about projects and conditions of participation. All forms should work stably, with submission confirmation and error messages.
Landing pages should match the search intent and the ad text. Separate landing pages for donations, volunteering, and events with one main CTA, proof of trust (reports, reviews, partners), and a minimum of distractions. Add a privacy policy, a cookie banner, and clear terms of data processing.
Requirements for ads and campaigns
Build your account structure by purpose: separate campaigns for Donate, Volunteer, and Events, each with narrow groups of ads by topic. Choose keywords with a clear intent and geo-modifiers, avoiding generic one-word phrases. Use appropriate match types and regularly add negative keywords.
Ads should be specific and relevant to landing pages. Headlines should reflect the key intent, descriptions should show the value of the action and evidence of trust. Use extensions: grid, clarifications, structured descriptions, phone number or location (if necessary).
Follow the quality indicators: maintain a sufficient CTR, remove ineffective keys, optimize texts and pages. Set up conversions in GA4 (donate, sign_up, volunteer) and import them into Google Ads to evaluate performance. Avoid commercial benefits and incorrect wording - this is a key requirement of the program.
Common bounces and how to avoid them
The most common reason for rejection is a mismatch of legal status or an incomplete package of documents. Make sure that you are listed as a non-profit organization in the registers and that your website has official details. Check the name, address, and domain with the data in the application.
The second reason is a weak or outdated website: lack of HTTPS, outdated content, errors in forms, lack of transparency pages and reports. Fix technical issues, update materials, add a privacy policy and clear program descriptions. Create separate landing pages for donations, volunteering, and events.
Ads are also rejected due to violations of ad policies: common one-word words, irrelevant keywords, low CTR, commercial messages. Narrow down the semantics, add minus words, rewrite titles and descriptions for specific intentions. Set up GA4 conversions, import them into Google Ads, and prove that your campaigns are focused on social benefit.
How to maintain compliance after approval
Schedule regular account monitoring: review your CTR, keyword quality, and impression share on a weekly basis. Remove or suspend low-performing requests, update ad copy. Make sure that each group leads to the most relevant landing page.
Work with search queries: add negative keywords, expand the semantics by conversion phrases, and specify the geography. Test A/B titles and descriptions, and periodically refresh the extensions. Update messages for seasonal campaigns and new initiatives.
Keep your website in top condition: publish fresh reports, case studies, photo and video evidence of impact. Provide fast loading, HTTPS security, and clear confirmation forms. Financial transparency and clear CTAs help maintain traffic quality and conversion rates.
Analytics is the foundation of stability: track donate, sign_up, volunteer, and micro conversions (scroll, video_view) with GA4. Import key events into Google Ads and optimize according to the data.
List of necessary pages and documents on the website
Create an "About Us" section with the mission, team, legal details, and contacts. Add a separate page with partners and media publications to build trust. Ensure that the data is up-to-date and consistent with the registry records.
Describe the areas of activity with clear goals, geography, and expected impact. Include case studies and results in the form of numbers, photos, and videos. Provide a logical navigation between programs and assistance scenarios.
Publish reports: financial, operational, and audit reports for periods. Show the structure of donation use and collection dynamics. Add downloadable files and brief explanations to each document.
Prepare a "How to help" section: donations, volunteering, partnerships, and corporate support. Place clear CTAs, details, and convenient payment methods, including local ones. Provide confirmation of successful submission of forms and further instructions.
Conclusion.
Focus on the quality of the website, clear goals, and discipline in optimization - this is the basis for successful use of Google Ad Grants. Adherence to policies and consistent optimization ensure stability and efficiency. Relevant keywords, consistent messaging, and relevant landing pages create a predictable flow of quality traffic.
This approach creates the foundation for sustainable growth and greater social impact.
