Google for Nonprofits (G4NP) offers eligible South Africa and Botswana-based nonprofit organisations access to a $10,000 per month AdWords Grant. In recent months, Google has updated their Grant policies.

For assistance on how to apply for the Google AdWords Grant please read more here.

G4NP – Important changes

Application Errors

Some organisations have received an error when trying to apply for the Google Grant. This error has been linked to their TechSoup validation token and our office is available to help rectify the error on info@phambano.org.za

5% CTR

All Google Grantees must maintain a monthly 5% CTR (click-through rate) on their AdWords Campaigns in order to remain on the Grant. Failure to do so will result in suspension from the Grant. If your organisation has been suspended due to low CTR, you can still request reinstatement by calling the Google AdWords Call Centre on 080 000 0777 – South Africa & Botswana only

Google has also created a dedicated G4NP (Google for Nonprofits) YouTube Channel to help upskill organisations on their AdWords platform:

Subscribe to the main channel here.

Account Structure

[Source: Ad Grants Help] If you choose to use AdWords, a well-structured account is imperative to show your audience the right ad at the right time. More requirements for using AdWords are being phased in, along with increased educational outreach, such as webinars, videos, and tailored in-product notifications.

Ad Grants AdWords accounts must have:

-Specific geo-targeting to show ads in locations where users will find your nonprofit’s information and services useful.

For example, if you serve your local community, geo-targeting should be focused on your town or local area.  If you are a museum that would like visitors from across the country to visit, you could have one campaign geo-targeted to the country with keywords that indicate your community’s name, such as ‘art museums in Nashville’ while all other campaigns related to events would focus on locations near Nashville.  If you offer health information more broadly, you’d likely show ads throughout your country.  If you do humanitarian relief in Nepal but your donors are in the US, you can show ads in the US. Rarely is it relevant to set geo-targeting to worldwide.

-At least 2 active ad groups per campaign each containing a set of closely related keywords and 2 active text ads

-At least 2 sitelink ad extensions

If you cannot meet the requirements above, you may pause your AdWords campaigns and use AdWords Express, which automatically structures your account. If your account is cancelled, you may request it to be reinstated after you’ve adjusted your account to bring it into compliance.

Publishing of the Google Logo

You may include Google on your in-kind donor list and publish it on your website. Google has also written a suggested statement to include:

[Organisation name] is a recipient of a Google Grants award. The Google Grants program supports registered nonprofit organizations that share Google’s philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy and the arts. Google Grants is an in-kind advertising program that awards free online advertising to nonprofits via Google AdWords.

Website Policy

[Source: Ad Grants Help] Your organization may use only website domains that have been approved through the Ad Grants enrollment process or through the additional website domain(s) request form. Approved domains are subject to the following criteria:

Owned and operated website

Your organization must own the domain that users land on when they click your ad.

High-quality website

-Your site must have a robust and clear description of your organization and mission. Each webpage must have sufficient information for visitors to understand your organization’s purpose.

-Your website must function well and not contain broken links.

-Your ads, keywords, and website may not make claims that promise results after a consultation, service, or purchase. Claims on your website must cite verifiable references to provide transparency to users.

Commercial activity

-Commercial activity must not be the main purpose of your website. This includes sales of products and services, consultations, lead generation, and providing referrals.

-Any limited commercial activities must support your non-monetary mission.

-If your organization charges for products or services, your website must describe how your organization uses funds, for example, by disclosing an annual report.

Limited ads on website

-Advertising on your organization’s website must be relevant to your mission and not be obtrusive to users.

-Your website may not host Google AdSense ads or affiliate advertising links. If you’re required to link to an AdSense account to receive payments for the Android market, you’re eligible as long as you don’t display AdSense ads on your website.

Mission-based campaigns

Google has implemented changes to the keywords NPOs may use:

-Branded (which don’t belong to your organisation) words like “Microsoft” “Facebook” are not permitted

-Keywords with a Quality Score of 1 or 2

-Single key-words (non-branded) with exceptions of:

charity

donate

donation

ngo

ngos

nonprofit

nonprofits

charities

homeless

homelessness

MOOC

suicide

abuse

abused

abuser

molester

molestation

rape

pedophilia

trafficking

addiction

stigma

bullying

bully

bullied

cyberbullying

abortion

adoption

lesbian

gay

bisexual

transgender

intersex

LGBT

LGBT+

LGBTQ

LGBTI

LGBTIA

-Overly generic keywords for eg: “things to do” “e-books” etc.

Need more support?

Google AdWords Call Centre on 080 000 0777 – South Africa & Botswana only