Unlock your nonprofit’s full potential
Get $10,000/Month in Free Google Ad Spend for Your Non-profit
Imagine appearing on Google right when someone is searching for help, support, or a way to give.The Google Ad Grant gives eligible nonprofits $10,000 every month in free search ads, helping organizations raise awareness, reach more people, and grow their impact.Whether you're just discovering the Grant or have had it for years, this page will walk you through how it works, what it can unlock, and how nonprofits make the most of it.
Understanding the Grant
How the Google Grant Works
The Google Ad Grant gives eligible nonprofits $10,000 USD per month in free search advertising.Instead of receiving cash, you get ad credits that allow your organization to appear at the top of Google when people search for services, support, or ways to give.
Google approves your nonprofit and activates a $10,000/month grant inside your Google Ads account.
Your ads appear when someone searches keywords related to your mission or offers (e.g. “youth mentorship programs near me” or “donate to Indigenous support services”).
You set goals (donations, sign-ups, contact form completions), and Google pays for the clicks that help make those actions happen, at no cost to you.
Why It’s Worth Getting
Why You Should Get The Google Grant
The Google Ad Grant is one of the highest-value marketing opportunities available to nonprofits, and it’s completely free.With $10,000/month in funded ads, you can reach supporters at the exact moment they’re searching for help or ways to give, without adding strain to your budget.
This is what makes the Google Grant worth getting:
Expanded Supporter Reach: Unlock visibility among people searching for help, programs, or ways to give, right now.
Higher Conversion Potential: Capture more donations, volunteer sign-ups, inquiries, and event registrations without increasing spend.
Free Monthly Budget You Can’t Afford to Ignore: Access up to $120,000/year in ad credits that often go unused by nonprofits who haven't applied.
Search Visibility You Aren’t Paying For: Appear on high-intent searches related to your mission without competing on paid media budgets.
A Channel That Reflects Your Real Impact: When optimized, campaigns can scale awareness and conversions in a way your current marketing mix may not be achieving.
The Cost of an Underused Ad Grant
The Real Cost of UnOptimized Google Grant Account
Each month the Google Grant goes underused, your organization misses opportunities. Fewer people discover your programs, fewer supporters engage, and fewer donations or inquiries come through, despite having up to $10,000/month available at no cost.
Signs your Google Ad Grant is underutilized:
A Large Portion of Your $10,000/Month Goes Unused: You are spending only $200–$2,000/month instead of the full grant.
Your Ads Rarely Show On Searches Related to Your Mission: Your ads have low impression share or low visibility on high-intent keywords.
Few People Are Taking Action After Clicking Your Ads: You have low conversions because people are not donating, signing up to volunteer, submitting contact forms, or registering for events.
Most Traffic is Low-Quality or Irrelevant: You have people who are clicking but not staying, bouncing, or never converting.
Your Campaigns Haven't Been Updated or Optimized in Months: You have set-and-forget campaigns that will slowly decay and lose eligibility.
No Conversion Tracking is Set Up: Your Google AI can't learn what success looks like, so it can't find the right supporters.
Your Google Ad Grant connects your mission with people who are actively searching for support or ways to get involved.When it’s not fully optimized, meaningful opportunities are lost.
Do You Qualify?
Google Ad Grant Eligibility Requirements
There are a few simple requirements to be eligible for the Google Ad Grants.Most likely, you already qualify because you need to be registered as a nonprofit to operate legally and have a website to broadcast your mission.All that’s left to do is agree to Google’s non-discrimination and donation policies.
To qualify for the Google Ad Grant, your organization must:
Be a registered nonprofit or charity (IRS 501(c)(3) in the U.S. or CRA-registered in Canada)
Have a live website that meets Google’s quality standards (secure, functional, and content-rich)
Agree to Google’s non-discrimination and donation policies
Some organizations are not eligible for the Google Ad Grant. Government agencies, hospitals, and schools are excluded, with only a few limited exceptions.One example of an exemption is the charitable arms of hospitals. Organizations like the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation can still qualify for the Google Ad Grant.
You are not eligible if you are:
A government entity or organization
A hospital or healthcare provider
A school, college, or university (these qualify for the Google Giving for Education program)
Performance Focused
Real Results for Nonprofits
We work closely with our clients and their organizations to help them increase brand awareness, generate donations, or motivate action with our Google Grant Ads strategies.
IRSSS
Mission: Support Indigenous communities through advocacy and healing services.
Challenge: Limited high-intent traffic even with a $10K/month Google Ads grant.
Website traffic up 61%
Ad traffic increased 20x
Donations increased 20x
Return-It
Mission: Encourage recycling behaviour with a focus on beverage containers.
Challenge: Needed better measurement of campaign impact and in-house capability building.
Collection site locator use up +107%
Cost per locator use down -22%
Google Grant spend increased +151%
Your Mission Deserves More Than Clicks
How to Turn the Google Grant Into Real Impact
Your mission deserves more than just website traffic.It deserves real engagement, support, and action. When managed well, the Google Ad Grant becomes a tool that helps the right people find you when they’re actively searching to give, volunteer, or seek help.Here at Able & Howe, we provide full Google Grant management, helping nonprofits fully use their $10,000/month, drive meaningful engagement, and turn search intent into measurable impact.Why Us:
Proven Results: We have successfully maximized Google Grant ad spend for multiple nonprofit organizations.
Performance-Driven Strategy: Our team focuses on meaningful outcomes, not vanity metrics.
Impact-Focused Campaigns: We build campaigns that drive real support for your mission and community.
We will develop a Google Ad strategy that enables you to fully maximize your $10,000 grant to generate more traffic and donations to your cause.
Full Campaign Setup: We will manage conversion tracking, keyword research, ad creative, and ongoing optimization.
Conversion Tracking: We will add micro and macro-conversions that train Google’s AI to find the right people.
Account Compliance: We will make sure your account stays in compliance according to Google Ad Grant guidelines.
Ongoing Optimization: We will continuously refine campaigns to improve reach, ROAS, and meaningful impact.
Reporting: We will deliver a custom dashboard that gives your team clear transparency and visibility.
Simple Pricing
Google Ad Grant Management Pricing
We value long-term relationships and offer affordable pricing tailored for non-profit organizations. Our reduced agency fees provide savings of up to 75% compared to standard campaign management rates.
One-time campaign setup fee: $1,000
Monthly management fee: $350/month
No long-term contracts
Free Google Analytics Dashboard for clear, at-a-glance insights, no need to dig through GA4 manually.
Partner With Us
Why Work With Us
Ready to work together with Able & Howe to maximize your Google Ad Grant? We take a performance-focused approach designed to drive real, measurable impact.Our team focuses on reaching people actively searching for help, services, or ways to give, while ensuring your Grant is fully utilized and compliant.From strategic campaign structure to ongoing optimization and clear reporting, we help turn free ad spend into meaningful outcomes for your organization.Ready to see what your Grant can do?Schedule a free discovery call to discover how we can help you improve your Google Ad Grant performance.
From Setup to Optimization
Our Onboarding Process
1. Grant Setup & Strategy
We guide you through Grant setup or review your existing account, then develop a tailored Google Ads strategy aligned with your mission and goals.2. Research & Campaign Build
We conduct high-intent keyword research, write and test ad copy, and launch campaigns with conversion tracking to measure real impact beyond clicks.3. Launch & Optimize
Campaigns go live with ongoing optimization in the first 90 days, refining targeting, creative, and spend to improve efficiency and performance.4. Scale & Grow
With a strong foundation in place, we scale strategically by expanding successful campaigns, reallocating budget, and maximizing visibility and impact over time.
Get Your Questions Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Thinking of getting the Google Ad Grant or improving your current utilization of the Google Ad Grant? Here are answers to the most common questions businesses ask us.
Q. How long does it take to get set up with the Google Ad Grant?
A. In practice, the average total time (from start to finish) is often around 3 weeks (≈ 21 days).
Q. What’s your approach to campaign strategy and optimization?
A. We begin by understanding your organization’s goals and the journey of its potential contributors. Then we build a campaign that aligns with their intent. Further optimization includes testing keywords, adjusting bids, refining targeting to improve the chance of finding a contributor.
Q. What kind of results can I expect, and how soon?
A. Results from Google Ads depend on your industry, budget, competition, and how optimized your campaigns are. Some businesses see results within days; others need weeks of testing and refinement. You can typically expect early data in the first 4 weeks, with more stable performance around the 6–8 week mark.
Q. Does Google Ads help with SEO?
A. Google Ads does not directly improve organic search rankings. However, it can complement SEO by driving brand awareness, providing keyword insights, and generating engagement data that helps refine organic strategies. Running paid campaigns alongside SEO often results in stronger overall visibility and growth.
Q. How much do Google Ads cost for nonprofits?
A. These ads are free because the grant allows nonprofits to spend up to $10,000 per month in Google Ads.
Q. Why hire a Google Ad Grant agency?
A. Hiring a Google Ads management company gives you access to certified specialists who know how to improve your online visibility through smart targeting, bidding strategies, and ongoing optimization. Instead of spending time and money learning the platform yourself, you benefit from proven strategies, advanced tools, and data-driven insights that improve performance. A professional agency helps your organization scale faster while allowing your team to focus on core operations.
Q. Is Google Adwords the same as Google Ads?
A. Yes, they are the same. Google rebranded Google Adwords to Google Ads in 2018 to reflect their advertising. Their scope has expanded beyond showing only words to include Display, YouTube, Shopping, App, and Discovery ads.