GOOGLE FOR NONPROFITS PROGRAM
Google Ad Grants Management: Claim $120,000 a year in free Google ads.
Most nonprofits qualify. We help you claim it, then put it to work.That’s the Google Ad Grant: $10,000 a month in free Google Search advertising, part of a bigger Google for Nonprofits program that also includes free Workspace and Gemini AI, YouTube fundraising tools, mapping credits, and more. Access isn’t a strategy — we are.
Google Workspace · Google Ad Grants · YouTube Fundraising · Google Maps Platform · Google Sites · Gemini AI
New to This? Start Here
What is Google for Nonprofits, in plain English?
If you’ve never heard of any of this before, this section is for you. Here’s the whole idea, in under a minute.
You get verified
A one-time application confirms your 501(c)(3) status and signs you up for Google for Nonprofits — free, and separate from the Ad Grant itself.
You activate the grant
Once verified, you apply for the Ad Grant specifically. Approval unlocks a monthly search advertising budget — no cost to your organization.
We build & connect it
We plan the campaign structure and copy, connect tracking for donations and sign-ups, build the paid search campaigns, and manage compliance so it all delivers.
Your ads start appearing
When someone searches something related to your mission, an ad for your nonprofit can appear in Google’s results — funded entirely by the grant.
What the Google Ad Grant covers — and what it doesn't
What the ad grant covers
- Search ads on Google — Responsive Search, Dynamic Search, or Performance Max campaigns, in the same space paid advertisers compete for
- Up to $10,000/month, renewing every month your account stays eligible
- Completely free — it never touches your organization's own budget
What it doesn't cover
- Not display, banner, or YouTube video ads — those are separate Google programs
- Not a stockpile — unused monthly dollars don't roll over to the next month
- Not guaranteed to stay active — falling below Google's rules can suspend it
Program Eligibility
Do you qualify for the Google Ad Grant?
Most registered 501(c)(3) organizations qualify once they’re verified through Google for Nonprofits. A few categories are carved out, and a handful of technical requirements trip people up — but confirming eligibility is the first thing we do, and it costs nothing.
Usually qualifies
- Registered 501(c)(3) charitable organizations
- The philanthropic or foundation arm of a hospital or university
- Organizations with a live website on their own domain and a valid SSL certificate
Usually Doesn't
- Hospitals, schools, and academic institutions — though their foundations often still qualify
- Government entities and organizations
- Sites without their own domain, or with content that doesn't clearly describe the mission
Not sure where you land? That’s the free review — tell us about your organization and we’ll confirm it before you spend a minute on paperwork.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why most nonprofits never use their Google Ad.
The tools are free. Making them work takes real effort.
Most nonprofits qualify for a $10,000/month ad budget plus a full suite of free Google software — and most never see the benefit of either.
Nobody Has Time to Manage It
Nonprofit staff wear many hats, so campaign management gets pushed to the back burner.
Being Approved Doesn't Mean It's Working
Access alone doesn’t build a campaign — or keep an account in compliance.
the grant math
What a fully-used Google Ad Grant is actually worth: $120,000 a year
Most unmanaged nonprofit accounts fall short of Google’s compliance rules, like the 5% click-through-rate minimum, and get suspended before spending anywhere near that amount. A suspended account stops spending immediately, and unused monthly dollars never roll over. That gap between what’s available and what’s actually spent is where we go to work.
The full program
Google for Nonprofits: six free tools, one login.
Google for Nonprofits is bigger than the Ad Grant. Most agencies stop at search ads — we activate the whole program, because most of it is sitting unused.
Google Ad Grants
Google gives: A recurring search advertising budget, up to $10K/month, that never touches your own funds.
We apply, build compliant search campaigns, and optimize weekly so the budget actually spends — and keeps spending.
YouTube Fundraising
Google gives: "Link Anywhere" clickable video cards and in-video Giving buttons.
Most nonprofits get views with zero website traffic. We audit your channel, add Link Anywhere cards pointing at the right pages on your site, and turn strong videos into donation moments — the same way we approach video and social campaigns for every client.
Google Maps Platform
Google gives: $250/month in credit for Google Maps APIs — rarely touched without dev resources.
We help you build the interactive map smaller teams never get around to, covering service areas, distribution sites, and impact locations, which keeps people on your site longer.
Workspace + Gemini AI
Google gives: Business-grade email, 100TB shared storage, Meet, and Gemini AI at nonprofit pricing.
We help move a team off a patchwork of personal Gmail accounts and show them how to put Gemini to work drafting grant proposals and donor emails.
GA4 & Looker Studio
Google gives: Native analytics and data visualization, free with any website.
We set up tracking for donations, volunteer forms, and sign-ups, then route it into an automated report leadership can actually bring to the board.
Google Sites
Google gives: A free website builder, removing one of the biggest cost barriers for smaller nonprofits.
Where it fits, we help you set it up as a fast, no-cost site for your Ad Grant campaigns to stay compliant and convert.
How WE work
How our Google Ad Grant management works.
The Marshall Google Growth Suite. Ad Grant management is one piece of it. Every account moves through two phases, so the foundation is right before a single ad ever goes live.
Foundation & Setup
Gets the account, the data, and the team ready.
- Grant application, or a compliance audit of an existing account
- Tracking for donations, volunteer signups & forms
- A custom Looker Studio report built for your board
- Google Workspace domain & email alignment
- YouTube Link Anywhere card enablement
Growth & Optimization
Where the grant starts compounding.
- Full Ad Grant campaign management, keeping the account above Google's 5% click-through minimum
- Weekly compliance monitoring so the grant never lapses
- Quarterly strategy review with your Executive Director and board, run by our media buying team.
Per Nonprofit, Per Year
We Put to Work
Agency-Wide
Media Buying Expertise
Why nonprofits choose Marshall Advertising.
“We want nonprofits to feel like they’ve found a partner — someone who cheers them on.”
Rebecca Boothe — Marshall Advertising
We Know the Technicalities
Hard-won knowledge of Google Ads, the Ad Grant’s limitations, and the rest of Google for Nonprofits, built over years of media buying.
One Team, Every Tool
We work directly with your web person to wire up tracking for donations and signups, so the grant, the analytics, and the tools around it all move together.
A Reason, Not Just a Program
Built on Marshall’s own time, talents, and treasures — helping organizations doing great work.
We’re a Tampa Bay media buying agency, and we’ve spent 25+ years placing media for Florida organizations and national brands alike. Nonprofits we work with get the same team behind programmatic, streaming and CTV, and broadcast campaigns. When the grant maxes out at $10,000 a month and your mission needs more reach than that, you already have the bench to go further.
Common Questions
Google Ad Grant FAQs
What nonprofits usually ask us. Straight answers from the team that runs this program day to day.
Is the Ad Grant the same thing as regular Google Ads?
They run in the same type of account, but the money is different. A regular Google Ads account spends an organization’s own budget; an Ad Grants account spends Google’s donated $10,000/month instead, and follows a stricter set of rules to keep it that way.
Kevin Marshall
Which nonprofits actually qualify?
Most registered 501(c)(3) organizations qualify once they’re verified through Google for Nonprofits. Hospitals, schools, and government entities are generally excluded from the Ad Grant itself, though their philanthropic or foundation arms often still qualify — we’ll confirm eligibility as the first step, at no cost.
Jordana Clark
Is a $10,000-a-month ad grant too good to be true?
No. It’s a real, recurring grant, not a one-time gift — and it comes with some limitations, but no tricks or hidden agendas. We’ve helped nonprofits use it for years and seen the results firsthand.
Kevin Marshall
Do you only manage the Ad Grant, or the rest of Google for Nonprofits too?
The whole program, not just search ads. We help you activate and get value from YouTube’s Link Anywhere and Giving tools, the Maps Platform credit, Workspace and Gemini AI, and GA4 and Looker Studio — because that’s usually the part sitting untouched.
Veronica Garcia
Why can't we just log in and run this ourselves?
Because access isn’t a strategy. Running effective campaigns takes real knowledge of Google Ads and the Grant program’s rules — plus regular monitoring for compliance and ongoing optimization to make the most of the dollars.
Rebecca Boothe
What's a Google Workspace tool most nonprofits don't know they have?
Beyond the ad grant, nonprofits get discounted Gmail, Chat, and the full Google suite, now with Gemini AI for internal workflows. They can also build a free website on Google Sites and add donation call-to-actions to YouTube videos — a feature only nonprofits can access.
Veronica Garcia
Why do nonprofits struggle to use these tools, even once they have access?
Usually a lack of time and staff. Nonprofits run lean, and the people on staff aren’t always marketing, web, or IT people — so it’s hard to know what to prioritize or how to use what’s available.
Veronica Garcia
Will this fix everything that's broken about our website or process?
No — think of it more like a magnifying glass than a fix. It helps surface what to work on next, whether that’s a confusing donation path or an unclear website, but it won’t repair a broken process on its own. That’s where strategy comes in.
Veronica Garcia
What are GA4 and Looker Studio, in plain English?
GA4 (Google Analytics 4) is Google’s free tool for tracking what happens on your site — donations, volunteer signups, page visits. Looker Studio turns that data into a visual report. Neither costs anything, and neither needs to already be set up — we build both from the ground up during onboarding.
Veronica Garcia
How will we know if the program is actually working?
When the technology fades into the background and just works — the traffic you already get and paid campaigns moving together toward real donations, sign-ups, or ticket sales.
Veronica Garcia
Who We Serve
Who we work with: nonprofits at every stage of the grant.
Whether you’re new to the grant or have an account sitting unused, there’s a place to start.
New to the Grant Program
Skeptical it’s real, or unsure where to begin. We handle the application and setup.
Underusing the Program
Already approved, but the account sits idle, and the rest of Google for Nonprofits was never touched.
Ready to Reach More People
Combining the traffic you already get with paid search to drive donations or sign-ups.
Not a nonprofit? We work with many industries, including credit unions, healthcare, entertainment, retail, home improvement, franchises, and more.
LET’S TALK
Get a free Google Ad Grant eligibility review
Tell us about your organization, and we’ll review what you qualify for across the Ad Grant and the rest of Google for Nonprofits, at no cost.