| Does your nonprofit organization or charity have a | | | | application because part of the application process |
| website? Would you like to bring more visitors to your | | | | involves setting up a sample advertising campaign. |
| website so you can raise awareness for your cause | | | | However, if you are awarded a grant you will be |
| or program? | | | | assigned to a Google Grants specialist who will help |
| One way to bring visitors to a website is to use the | | | | your organization set up an effective advertising |
| Google AdWords advertising program. Most nonprofit | | | | campaign. |
| organizations have a limited advertising budget and in | | | | The AdWords grants are awarded on a quarterly |
| response to this Google has a grant award program | | | | basis and organizations receive a minimum of three |
| called Google Grants. The Google Grant is an in-kind | | | | months worth of free advertising. AdWords |
| award of free AdWords advertising credits. | | | | advertising involves bidding money on keywords that |
| You may not be familiar with AdWords but, if you | | | | people use when they perform searches on Google. |
| have ever done a search on Google you have seen | | | | Then, you write a short advertisement for your charity |
| the AdWords advertisements. The advertisements | | | | using the keyword. When people search on Google |
| that appear above the search results and on the | | | | using the keyword you have chosen, your |
| right-hand side of the search results page are | | | | advertisement will appear on the search results page. |
| AdWords advertisements. These are paid | | | | If this sounds complicated, it is. That is why it is |
| advertisements and this is the advertising space that | | | | extremely advantageous to have the help of the |
| Google awards to nonprofit organizations to help them | | | | grants specialist that Google provides. |
| increase traffic to their websites. | | | | The in-kind awards have a monthly cap of $10,000 |
| Google has donated over 30 million dollars worth of | | | | worth of free advertising credits for three months. |
| free advertising to nonprofit organizations throughout | | | | That is $30,000 worth of free advertising for your |
| the world over the past several years. The grants are | | | | charity or nonprofit organization. Google will also allow |
| awarded every quarter to organizations meeting the | | | | you to raise your spending cap to $40,000 per month |
| eligibility requirements that Google has specified. Grants | | | | if you pay 5% of the cost. In addition, awards are |
| are awarded to organizations that have a mission to | | | | commonly extended beyond the three month period. |
| help the world in the areas of science, education, | | | | Grants are awarded to small local nonprofit |
| health, the environment, youth and the arts. | | | | organizations as well as national organizations such as |
| Google accepts online grant applications year-round. | | | | the American Red Cross. Your organization should |
| Your organization must be a nonprofit organization and | | | | investigate this opportunity. Recipients of Google |
| provide proof of your 501(c)(3) status in order to apply. | | | | Grants have reported great success and significant |
| Applicants are instructed to familiarize themselves with | | | | increases in traffic to their websites using AdWords |
| the AdWords program before submitting their | | | | campaigns. |