If you’ve ever wished your nonprofit had more budget to promote its events, attract volunteers, or share its mission online, here’s some good news: Google Ad Grants offers up to US$10,000 per month in free Google Search advertising for eligible nonprofits.
What Google Ad Grants Is & How It Helps
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Free Search Ads: Nonprofits can run text-based ads on Google search results—at no cost—using up to $10,000 per month in credit.
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Reach People Searching for You: These ads are shown to people who are already searching for causes, services, or programs like yours. This boosts your visibility when it matters most.
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Attract Donors, Volunteers & Awareness: Many nonprofits use Ad Grants to promote specific events, recruit volunteers, share information about their work, and drive traffic to donation pages.
Who Can Qualify?
To be eligible, nonprofits usually need to:
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Be a registered nonprofit (charitable status) in their country.
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Have a functioning website with good content, SSL (secure/encrypted) connection, and clear mission/purpose.
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Agree to Google’s nonprofit terms, maintain ad policies, comply with program rules.
How to Get Started
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Join Google for Nonprofits — This is the gateway to Ad Grants.
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Verify your eligible status — Provide your nonprofit documents, make sure your website meets the requirements.
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Set up Your Ad Grant Account — Create campaigns, choose keywords relevant to your mission, build ads that connect with people who are interested in your cause.
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Measure & Optimize — Use Google Analytics or similar tools to see how people respond, what works, and what doesn’t; adjust accordingly.
Tips to Make the Most of the Grant
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Focus on high-intent keywords — e.g. “volunteer in [your city]”, “donate to [cause]”, etc.
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Create clear, compelling ad copy that matches what people are searching for.
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Link ads to landing pages (on your site) that are easy to navigate and clearly call people to action (donate, sign up, volunteer).
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Stay compliant with Google’s rules (keyword quality, ad groups, etc.) so you keep your grant active.
Why Heartfelt IT Cares & How We Can Help
At Heartfelt IT, we believe nonprofits deserve to be seen and heard—and digital tools like Google Ad Grants can be a powerful amplifier. But having access isn’t enough: you need technology, strategy, and support to make it work.
We help nonprofits by:
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Guiding eligibility checks and applications
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Setting up campaigns and teaching best practices
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Ensuring your website and tech infrastructure (e.g. laptop quality, website performance, security) are ready so you get the most value out of free ads
Final Thought
Google Ad Grants is more than just “free ads”—it’s an opportunity for nonprofits to multiply their reach without multiplying costs. When used strategically and supported with solid technology, it can help you get more donors, more volunteers, and more impact.