Author, Sam Brown, Vice President, Human Services, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

According to the Blackbaud Institute, charitable giving creeped up by only 1% in 2019… But online giving increased 6.8% last year and increased 10% over the last three years! To help avoid a decrease in private donations due to the Coronavirus pandemic, nonprofit leaders have turned their attention to a powerful tool used to increase website traffic and online donations: Google’s Ad Grant Program.

Consider how many organizations spend thousands of dollars each month on Google Ads to gain website traffic, market share, and online customers.

Now consider that Google Ad Grants provide up to $10,000 per month (maximum of $329/day) of free advertising on Google search result pages to eligible nonprofit organizations. The result: high-quality, converting traffic.

Marketing consultant Reese Harris, founder of Ree-Source, Inc, adds “Whether you are driving donations, increasing brand awareness, or amplifying engagement, the Google Ad Grant Program is essential for any nonprofit organization. We encourage all nonprofits to include this strategy in their marketing and outreach.”

To make this a successful strategy, most nonprofits should make use of Geo-Targeting. In other words, your ads should only show to searchers in locations that are important to your organization.

It’s also important to track and measure the results of your campaign. That’s the beauty…this is the internet, not a billboard! Google will provide you with a behind the scenes pass to view exactly which of your keywords attract converting traffic and which keywords aren’t working.

Google Ad Grants is an amazing tool nonprofit leaders can use to increase awareness, web traffic, and engagement. Regardless of your web-marketing experience, the learning and adjusting is an ever-evolving process that promises to deliver. Good luck!

Rancho Mesa understands the importance of every dollar that is raised by nonprofits through advertising efforts, donor relations and fundraisers. That is why we offer the risk management tools your organization needs to minimize costly risks and manage insurance costs, so more of your funds can serve your mission.