How to Leverage Google Ads for Nonprofits: A Comprehensive Campaign Management Guide

So, you are a Non-Profit Organization in a country that aims to ensure every child has a pair of shoes to walk into school and gets a free mid-day meal. 

But you need patronage, and for that, you need people to know about the cause you are striving for!

Google has done its bit to help you achieve just that and a little more with its Google Ad Grants program. 

This program allows eligible nonprofits to access up to $10,000 monthly in free Google Ads. However, this generous offer comes with specific rules and requirements that must be met to maximize its benefits.

We at Mavlers have helped many nonprofits leverage their Google Ad Grants account. 

In today’s blog, you seek to gain clarity on:

• Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits
• Setting up your campaign
• Optimizing campaign performance
• Ensuring compliance with Google Ads for Nonprofits rules

By the end of this piece, you will know your eligibility for the program, the rules you must abide by to qualify for its benefits, and how to set up and optimize your free Google for Nonprofits account. 

Let’s dive right in, beautiful people! 

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Understanding Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits

Google Ad Grants is a powerful tool that allows non-profit organizations to run free Google Ads campaigns and generate donations. However, to make the most of this opportunity, it’s crucial to understand the program’s specifics.

Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits requirements

To be eligible for Google Ad Grants, your non-profit organization must meet certain criteria. Also, your organization must agree to Google’s non-discrimination and donation receipt policies.

Once approved, your organization must adhere to ongoing requirements, such as:

• Maintaining a minimum 5% click-through rate (CTR) each month: Falling below this threshold can result in account suspension.

• Using at least two ads per ad group and two sitelink extensions: This ensures your ads are varied and optimized.

• Enabling geotargeting: This feature helps target ads to specific locations, ensuring relevance to users.

• Implementing conversion tracking: Non-profits must track and report their campaign’s performance to maintain eligibility.

Understanding and adhering to these Google Ads for Nonprofits rules is critical to maintaining your Google Ad Grants account. Let’s now get down to the details of actually setting uup your campaign.

Setting up your campaign

Here’s a detailed guide on how to go about setting up your campaign.

Define your goals

Before creating any ads, it’s essential to establish clear goals. Whether you aim to drive donations or recruit volunteers, defining objectives will guide your campaign strategy.

Conduct keyword research

Effective keyword research is the foundation of a successful Google Ads campaign. Non-profits should focus on keywords that align with their mission and goals. Google Ad Grants campaigns can only use keywords with a Quality Score of 3 or higher, so selecting high-quality, relevant keywords is crucial.

The keywords should not be overly generic or single-word.

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find terms that resonate with your audience. Consider including both branded and non-branded keywords in your strategy to cover a broader spectrum of search intents.

Craft compelling ad copy

Your ad copy must be compelling and compliant with Google’s rules. Focus on creating clear, concise, and action-oriented text that speaks directly to the needs and emotions of your target audience.

For example, if your goal is to increase donations, your ad might read:

“Help us fight hunger in our community. Donate today and make a difference!”

Ensure your ads meet Google Ads’ specific requirements for nonprofits, such as avoiding overly generic terms or low-quality ads that could lower your Quality Score.

Optimizing campaign performance

Once you have obtained the approvals and set up the account, you can try the following best practices to optimize your campaigns’ performance. 

Monitor and adjust bids

While Google Ad Grants campaigns have a $2 max CPC (Cost-Per-Click) limit, it’s important to monitor and adjust your bids regularly. Focus on bidding for high-intent keywords that are more likely to convert. Consider using automated bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions to help manage your bids more effectively within the program’s constraints.

Leverage ad extensions

Ad extensions are a crucial aspect of optimizing your Google Ads campaigns. These extensions provide additional information and links in your ads, which can improve visibility and CTR. Sitelink extensions, callout extensions, and structured snippets are particularly effective for non-profits.

For example, a sitelink extension might include links to your “Donate Now,” “Volunteer Opportunities,” and “Learn More” pages, offering users multiple pathways to engage with your organization.

Focus on geotargeting

Geotargeting allows you to focus your ads on specific geographic locations, ensuring your message reaches the right audience. For non-profits operating in specific regions, this feature is invaluable. By narrowing your target area, you can improve ad relevance and efficiency, ultimately leading to better results.

Implement conversion tracking

Conversion tracking is not only a Google Ad Grants requirement but also a best practice for any Google Ads campaign. By setting up conversion tracking, you can measure the effectiveness of your ads in driving key actions, such as donations, sign-ups, or event registrations.

Google Ads for nonprofits allows you to track conversions like form submissions, phone calls, and purchases, giving you valuable insights into your campaign’s performance. Use these insights to refine your strategy over time, focusing on the keywords, ads, and audiences that drive the most significant impact.

Ensuring compliance with Google Ads for Nonprofits rules

Non-profit organizations must adhere to specific rules to maintain their Google Ad Grants status. Regularly review your account to ensure compliance with Google’s policies.

Stay above the 5% CTR threshold

Maintaining a minimum 5% CTR is mandatory. If your CTR drops below this threshold for two consecutive months, your account could be suspended. To avoid this, regularly review and optimize your ad copy, keywords, and targeting to ensure they resonate with your audience.

Avoid single-word keywords and low-quality scores

Google Ad Grants prohibits the use of single-word keywords unless they are part of a recognized brand name. Additionally, avoid keywords with a Quality Score below 3, as these can negatively impact your campaign performance and compliance.

Follow the website policy

Your organization can only use website domains that have been approved during the Ad Grants enrollment process or by submitting an additional domain request form. These approved domains must meet specific criteria:

Owned website

• Your organization must own the domain where users land after clicking your ad. If you want users to land on a donation page, the page should be hosted by a verified donation processor.

High-quality website

• Your website should clearly describe your organization, mission, and activities. It should have plenty of updated content, easy navigation, and clear calls to action for a good user experience.

• The content on your site must be original to your organization.

• Your website should load quickly, have no broken links, and be secured with HTTPS (for new domains).

Commercial activity

• Your website’s primary purpose should not be commercial activities such as selling products or services, offering consultations, generating leads, or providing referrals.

• Websites that look like businesses or for-profit blogs/vlogs are not allowed.

• If your site does involve commercial activities, you must explain how these activities support your mission. For example, if you charge for products or services, you should explain how the funds are used, such as by sharing an annual report.

• Your website must not promise results only after a service, consultation, or purchase.

• Your organization should serve the public, not just those who pay for services.

Limited ads on the website

• Ads on your website must be relevant to your mission and should not disrupt the user experience.

• Your site cannot host Google AdSense ads or affiliate links. However, if you need to link to an AdSense account to receive Android market payments, you are eligible if you don’t display AdSense ads on your site.

Media & press inquiries

You are not permitted to issue press releases or conduct press outreach when accepted into the Ad Grants program.

However, you can mention your participation in the program on your social media, newsletters, or on the in-kind donation page of your website, using the specific language provided on our Google Press page. Please note that you cannot display the Google Ad Grants logo on your in-kind donation page. If this policy is violated, your account could be suspended.

The road ahead

We now suggest reading Best B2B Google Ads Strategies We Have Successfully Used at Mavlers.