How to Apply for Google Grants

Google grants

Are you aiming to enhance traffic to your nonprofit’s landing pages while keeping costs low? The Google Ad Grant program is designed to support you in achieving this goal! Upon successfully navigating the application process, your nonprofit can access a monthly budget of $10,000 for Google Ads.

Maximize Your Impact


Whether you represent an advocacy group seeking to gather more petition signatures or an animal shelter looking to recruit volunteers, the Google Grants program can significantly amplify your nonprofit’s visibility. This initiative enables you to expand your outreach, improve search engine visibility, and increase conversion rates effectively. As long as your organization meets the eligibility criteria and adheres to the guidelines, you’ll find the application process straightforward and efficient.

Steps to Get Started

  1. Verify Eligibility: Ensure your organization qualifies by confirming it is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a secure website that reflects your mission.
  2. Create a Google for Nonprofits Account: This account is essential for accessing the grant application and other valuable Google services.
  3. Prepare Your Website: Make sure your website complies with Google’s policies, featuring substantial content about your mission and secured with HTTPS.
  4. Submit Your Application: Follow the prompts in your Google for Nonprofits account to fill out and submit the Google Ad Grant application.

By taking these steps, you can unlock the potential of Google Ads to drive more traffic to your nonprofit’s initiatives without straining your budget. With proper planning and adherence to requirements, you’ll be on your way to making a significant impact in no time!

Google Grant Application FAQs

Before you embark on the journey of applying for Google Grants, let’s address some frequently asked questions that nonprofit professionals often have when exploring this program.What is the Google Grant?
The Google Ad Grants program provides nonprofits with the opportunity to secure valuable advertising space on search engines at no cost. Eligible organizations receive $10,000 in monthly Google Ad credits, which can be utilized to drive traffic to their most important web content.Given that Google accounts for over 80% of desktop search traffic in the United States, this program can significantly enhance your nonprofit’s visibility and support for your mission. Simply follow the necessary application process to get approved. Benefits of Google Grants for Nonprofits:

  • Boosting Conversion Rates: Increase the effectiveness of your outreach efforts.
  • Attracting New Supporters: Draw in potential donors, volunteers, and advocates.
  • Strengthening Relationships: Engage and nurture existing donor relationships.
  • Running Multiple Campaigns: Manage various ad campaigns simultaneously.
  • Performance Analysis: Track and analyze the effectiveness of your campaigns.
  • Understanding Online Supporters: Gain insights into how supporters prefer to engage with your organization.

For instance, Action Against Hunger leveraged this program to attract 158,000 visitors to its website and raised over $66,000 in just one year through Ad Grants. However, be aware that specific guidelines determine eligibility for participation in this program.How do I apply for a Google Grant?
The application process for Google Grants involves several steps, including verifying eligibility, creating necessary accounts, and launching your first ad campaign. The aim is to establish your nonprofit as a credible entity that will benefit from the program and provide valuable content to users. To streamline this process and enhance your chances of approval on the first attempt, consider collaborating with certified Google Grant professionals.How long does it take to apply for Google Grants?

While filling out the actual application is relatively quick, the pre-qualification steps can take some time. If you are already registered with Google for Nonprofits, expect the application process to take between 2 to 14 days. If you need to register first, additional time will be required for that approval.

Steps Overview:

  1. Google for Nonprofits Account Setup: 0-14 business days
  2. Nonprofit Verification: 2-14 business days
  3. Pre-Qualification for Google Ad Grants: 2-9 business days
  4. Account Setup for Google Ad Grants: 6-29 business days
  5. Application Review: Approximately 10 business days

If you haven’t prepared adequately, the entire process could extend up to two and a half months. While this may seem lengthy, taking the time to ensure everything is done correctly will help secure approval on your first try.

Meeting Google Grants Compliance Requirements

  • Account Activity.

  • Ad Relevance and Geotargeting. 

  • Monthly Keyword Evaluation. Google requires a Keyword Performance Report every month to ensure you’re optimizing your keywords for optimal performance.

  • Click-Through Rate (CTR) Requirement.

From applying to account management, Google Grant agencies such as Septembers Consulting, which are official Google partners, are dedicated to making sure you succeed the entire time. Here are a few specific areas in which they can be of use:

Complete Grant Agencies Support from Google Grant Agencies.


  • Application Assistance. Our agency will determine whether you qualify, help you sign up for Google for Nonprofits, and walk you through the application process for the Google Grant. There’s nothing you’ll have to know before applying; we’ll do the rest!

  • Ad Campaign Management. Depending on how much traffic you get, you require three to five campaigns. Our consultants will continuously keep track of how well they are performing and implement solutions to improve your results in the long run.

  • Website Content Optimization. We can keep your website running at optimal levels with regular keyword searches and content updates to keep it in line with best Google Grants practices.

  • Account Maintenance. In order to avoid having grants removed because you didn’t keep an account updated enough, we make sure that your organization is still in compliance with all Google Grant rules. Thanks to this preventive approach, you’ll never have to worry about getting the reactivation done.

If you want to know more about how an agency can help you run Google Grants, our team would be happy to answer your questions and discuss how we can help — from applying to keyword research for your campaign.

Final Thoughts on Google Grants

The Google Grants program is an amazing opportunity for nonprofits looking to boost their digital marketing strategy. If you know how to optimize and use your Google Ads account, you can make $10,000 a month with no advertising costs.
Although it may sound like a lot of information to digest, the benefits of making use of this large monthly chunk are worth the effort. Call us today for a free consultation, and let’s figure out how best to maximize your nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant success.

Additional Resources
For additional insights and ideas on how to optimize your ads, check out these resources:
Finding The Right Google Grant Agency: This post explains how you can choose the right partner to manage your Google Grants.

How To Make A Nonprofit Marketing Plan: A detailed overview of all the steps and free templates for making a marketing plan.
The Google for Nonprofits Program: A summary of all the resources that are made available to nonprofits through this program.
By leveraging these tools, you can ensure that your nonprofit is ready to fully embrace the Google Grants program.

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