Fundraisers Can Advertise For Free With Google

Posted by Ben Crook on 12 March 2018

Google Ad Grants, is an initiative that gives $10,000 worth of advertising to non-profits, completely free (no strings attached) every month. When people search for non-profits or related keywords, the ad will appear first in the sponsored section in Google which increases awareness and donations.

You can use Googles analytical tools to help find out which keywords and descriptions are most effective. Every time someone clicks on the ad, it will cost anything up to $2. Once you reach the $10,000 cap, your ad will be removed until next month, so there’s no way that you’ll end up being charged anything.

There are two options to chose from to get your campaign started:

1. Automated advertising

You simply need to pick your audience, write a few lines about your non-profit and AdWords Express will do everything else for you. This is great if you don’t have a lot of time to set-up and monitor the campaign. You can also set a daily cap, to stop your budget being eaten up in a short time frame and this way you can ensure your charity is promoted every day of the month, which may not necessarily increase your reach, but will ensure a steady flow of traffic to your website.

2. Manage your own campaigns

If you’re feeling a little more confident and have the time to get your digital marketing hat on, choose AdWords. You’ll be able to create, target, and optimise your campaigns yourself, which will give you more control to chop and change your campaign if you want to shake things up mid month, and it will enable you to get more skilled at creating advertising campaigns.

Things to note:

• Your advert will be made up of text only, unfortunately you cannot include videos or images.
• Your advert will only appear in Google’s search results and will always be below the adverts of organisations that are paying.
• All campaigns must be keyword-targeted.
• Your advert’s maximum cost-per-click (CPC) will be $2.00 USD.
• You’ll receive $10,000 USD of in kind AdWords advertising each month.

To be eligible you’ll need to be a registered charity, have a live website and not be heavily supported by government funding (unfortunately the likes of hospitals and universities are not eligible). For more info head to google.com/grants.

For more ideas and information on how best to market your online fundraising campaign with minimal spend, watch this webinar:

Ben Crook

Chief Operating Officer

Ben is at the forefront of every project in Givergy, listing and actioning constant improvements across the business. With over a decade of experience in the charity and events sector he brings a deep understanding of what the fundraising industry needs to operate effectively and efficiently.