How To Promote Your Nonprofit
Unlock Free Marketing Potential with Google Ad Grants
So you have a nonprofit, now what? One of the most powerful yet often overlooked tools for nonprofit businesses to boost their visibility is Google Ad Grants. This isn't your traditional advertising route. Google Ad Grants offer nonprofits a unique opportunity to harness the power of Google Ads—but with a twist tailored just for them. Through this program, eligible organizations can access free text-based advertising on Google's search platform, turning visibility into actionable engagement and support for their missions.
First things first - What is Google Ad Grants?
Google Ad Grants is FREE advertising credit that can be used to promote your organization within Google search results. This powerful tool can be used to promote brand awareness, recruit more volunteers, drive donations and newsletter subscriptions, or promote anything else that showcases value for your organization. If your nonprofit needs to reach a wider audience and amplify its mission and cause, using this tool is a great component of your overall strategy.
Google Ad Grants are available to various nonprofit organizations, including:
Charitable Organizations: Food banks, homeless shelters, etc.
Educational Institutions: Schools, universities, etc.
Healthcare Organizations: Hospitals, clinics, etc.
Eligible nonprofits can receive up to $10,000 USD per month in ad credits to spend on text ads on Google Search. This generous grant allows you to promote your brand extensively, adding immense value and broadening the impact of your mission.
Let’s dive into the application process.
Eligibility Process: Follow These Simple Steps to Get Started.
Eligibility - A good place to start is to confirm that your organization registered as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS. Here is a link to register if you have not already - https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/
Register for a Google non-profits account - This account provides access to various Google products and resources specifically for nonprofits. Use this link to register - https://www.google.com/nonprofits/
Check your nonprofit’s website for Policy Compliance - Your website should be up-to-date on Google’s advertising compliance. This includes policies on prohibited content, misleading claims, and user experience. Check details here - https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6008942?hl=en
Approved! Let’s talk strategy.
Imagine a dance studio registered as a nonprofit, eager to expand its reach both locally and nationally. Upon securing a Google Ad Grant, the studio can utilize Google Search Ads to craft targeted campaigns aimed at increasing enrollment in their dance classes.
For local outreach, the studio can create campaigns specifically designed to attract nearby dancers by targeting search terms related to local dance opportunities. This local focus ensures the ads are seen by potential students in the area who are looking for dance classes.
Nationally, the studio can extend its reach by promoting its on-demand tutorials and virtual private classes. This broader campaign uses Google Ads’ powerful targeting tools, similar to those available in standard PPC advertising but tailored for the nonprofit's unique goals.
By leveraging Google Ad Grants, the dance studio not only gains visibility but can actively engage with a larger audience, enticing them to join virtual or local classes. This strategic use of the grants allows for ongoing optimization and refinement of ad campaigns, ensuring the dance studio can effectively attract new students and grow its community.
Tracking Success: Metrics and KPIs
Continuously monitoring a comprehensive set of metrics and KPIs is essential to ensuring that strategies are active and effective. Let’s explore the following KPIs you can use to measure the success of your campaigns.
Campaign Performance: Assess overall campaign health by tracking impressions, clicks, and engagement rates. This can help you understand your ads' visibility and the interest they generate among potential students.
Ad Groups and Keywords: You can refine targeting and bidding strategies by analyzing the performance of various ad groups and their keywords. This involves adjusting bids on high-performing keywords and pausing those that do not deliver results, ensuring optimal use of your Google Ad Grants.
Conversion Tracking: The ultimate indicator of success is the number of conversions—in this case, class enrollments. You can set up specific conversion actions within Google Ads to measure these outcomes directly attributed to the campaigns.
Quality of Ad Content: Beyond quantitative metrics, evaluate the resonance of ad content with the intended audience. This involves A/B testing various headlines and descriptions to determine which messages drive the most conversions and align best with the studio’s mission and offerings.
Remember, Google Ad Grants should be combined with a multi-channel approach, and we are here to help you along the way. We are excited to help you along your path to promote your mission and vision of your nonprofit. We know how much work you put into your organization, making the world a better place one community at a time. Reach out to discuss how we can help you further.