When you are looking for a way to attract attention to a new charity or one that you have been overseeing for a few years, you will be looking for the most cost-effective and productive options available. This will inevitably lead you to the internet and to the placement of ads.
And, pretty soon, you will come across Google charity ads. As their name suggests, these are adverts that are designed for charities and have helped many non-profits to boost their fundraising efforts.
So, without further ado, here is a very quick guide to Google charity ads; are they right for your non-profit?
What They Can Offer
Google Ads Grants offers eligible non-profit organizations $10,000 per month in free advertising on Google Ads. This program is designed to help non-profit organizations increase their visibility and reach on Google search results pages and to drive more traffic to their websites. Take a look at Google Charity Ad Grants For Nonprofits - Your Complete Guide to assess if the types of advertising that Google can offer will be large enough to meet your goals and whether you can ensure that your advertising strategy will align well with the values promoted by this service.
Potential Limitations
However, before you rush to claim these free adverts, there are some limitations that you may need to know about.
Firstly, the Google Ads Grants program is only available to eligible non-profit organizations. In order to participate in the program, organizations must be recognized as tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and be registered with TechSoup, an organization that helps non-profits access technology resources.
Secondly, the program provides $10,000 per month of free adverts, which may not be sufficient for some organizations' advertising needs, especially ones that are gaining traction quickly.
Thirdly, Google has specific guidelines for charity ads that organizations will need to follow. These guidelines include requirements for ad content and landing page quality, as well as restrictions on certain types of content and advertising practices.
Website Requirements
In order to be eligible for Google charity ads, your website has to meet certain criteria.
Many of these requirements relate to Google itself and are similar to the requirements needed for search engine optimization.
Google requires that organizations' websites be mobile-friendly, meaning they should be easy to read and navigate on a mobile device. They also need to load quickly (under 3 seconds) on both mobile devices and computers. The eligible charity websites should contain information that is relevant to the organization's mission and target audience and should be free of inappropriate or offensive content. Much like SEO content, this information also needs to be plagiarism-free and unique, potentially with keywords spread throughout it. The pages should also be easy for users to navigate and should have a clear hierarchy of information. There should also be secure connections (HTTPS), and they should not contain any links to suspicious or malicious sites.
Adverts
Interestingly, there has been a lot of controversy around adverts aimed at certain charities. For instance, if a charity has been eager to promote veganism as a lifestyle in the past, these adverts may have contained very upsetting footage or images.
But in order for any advert you design to tick the boxes to comply with Google charity ads, it cannot contain any upsetting or offensive material. There are guidelines relating to what can and cannot be shown via these adverts, and before any advert is run via Google charity ads, it will have to be assessed.
Q and A Section
So, that's what is needed for your website to conform and be successful with Google charity ads. Moving on from this, many representatives of charities want to know a bit more about specifics, the procedures, and the checks required for their adverts to be successful using this platform. In this brief section, common FAQs relating to the use of Google Charity Ads are answered.
Are Google Charity Adverts Reviewed by Google?
Yes, Google reviews all ads before they are approved to run on the Google Ads platform. The review process is designed to ensure that all ads meet the relevant policies and guidelines and to protect users from inappropriate or misleading ads. During the review process, Google checks the ad's content, targeting, and placement to make sure it complies with the policies. If the ad is approved, it will be eligible to run on the Google Ads platform. If the ad is not approved, Google will provide feedback on why it was not accepted and how it can be revised to meet the policies.
Does My Charity Need to Sign a Contract to Use Google Charity Ads?
There is no specific contract for using Google charity ads. However, when you create an account on the Google Ads platform and start running ads, you will be required to accept the Google Ads Terms and Conditions. This is a legal agreement that sets out the terms under which you can use the Google Ads platform to advertise your business or organization. The terms and conditions apply to all advertisers, including charities, and outline the responsibilities of both Google and the advertiser.
How Often Do Google Charity Adverts Need to Be Redesigned?
There is no specific requirement for how often Google charity ads must be redesigned. It is usually a wise idea to review and update your ads regularly to make sure they are still relevant and effective. This could involve making changes to the ad copy, the visuals, or the targeting to make sure the ad resonates with your intended audience and achieves your desired results. It's also a good idea to regularly review your ad performance and make changes based on the data and insights you gather. That way, you can ensure that your advert continues to attract the right people to your cause. And by working directly with Google, you will have access to analytics, which will allow you to see which types of advertisements are working to attract the best volunteers and higher donations and which ones are not.