Are you a 501c3? If the answer is yes then Google has good news. They have $10,000 for you! No really, it’s not an internet scam, Google really does allow 501c3s $10k a month of in-kind advertising every month. So what exactly does that mean?
Google in-kind advertising allows you special access to Adwords, the YouTube Non-Profit Program, Apps for Nonprofts, Google Earth Outreach and One Today. For most non-proftis the most important of these is Adwords.
You’ve seen the ads on Google? They pop-up first in your search and sometimes appear on the right hand side of your screen – those are Google Adwords ads. While you may wonder how effective those ads are, make no mistake about it, they generate a tremendous amount of business for advertisers. In just one year Amazon spent $55.2 million in advertising with Google Adwords, that’s how important it is to their business. For an equine nonprofit, Adwords can help you reach potential volunteers and donors. Technology allows you to narrow your advertising; you can reach donors from around the world but pinpoint your potential volunteers to an area as specific as a 50-mile radius.
The YouTube program can also be very powerful in getting your story out. As the company points out in their “Top 10 Fundamentals For Nonprofits” guide, the key to interactivity on YouTube is to think of YouTube as social media or a community, versus a video hosting site. Using their tips you can create videos that tell a your story rather than just shooting a video. Premium branding opportunities and increased uploading capacity are other benefits of being an approved non-profit.
For many nonprofits the Apps for Nonprofits and Google Earth Outreach may have limited impact. The Apps program could help your board as it allows for online collaboration as the program allows free access to the Google Apps suite including Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. The Google Earth element can be very powerful for those working with endangered animals and the environment as it provides rich geographical content. The mapping feature can be a nice addition to your website.
The One Today program has been a successful tool for humanitarians. It is an app that allows people to donate a dollar a day to their charity of choice. While that may not seem like a lot in the short run, think what your group could do with an extra $365. Now multiply that number by however many donors you think you could reach – adds up to some significant money.
Each of these programs can benefit your program. Now that we’ve done an overview, lets go back and look at some specifics of Adwords.
What are the qualifications? 
(as provided by Google, January 2016)
- Begin by applying to Google for Nonprofits.
- Hold valid charity status with the IRS.
- Acknowledge and agree to Google’s required certifications regarding nondiscrimination and donation receipt and use.
- Have a live website with substantial content.
What are the limitiations?
(as provided by Google, January 2016)
- Your ads will be entirely text-based (no videos or images).
- They’ll appear only on Google search results pages.
- All campaigns must be keyword-targeted.
- Your maximum cost-per-click (CPC) will be $2.00 USD.
- You’ll receive $10,000 USD (up to $40,000 USD for Grantspro participants) of in-kind AdWords advertising each month.
- Link your ads to one (and only one) website domain, which should be the same one that was approved in your initial application.
- Actively manage your AdWords account by logging in once a month and making at least one change to your account every 90 days.
- Your ads and keywords should match your organization’s programs and services.
- Strictly commercial advertising is prohibited. If you’re promoting products or services, 100% of the proceeds must go directly to supporting your program.
Your ads must not link to pages that are primarily composed of links to other websites. - Your ads may not offer financial products (like mortgages or credit cards), nor can they request donations of cars, boats, or other property.
- Your site can’t display Google AdSense ads or affiliate advertising links
If you find this all a bit confusing, don’t worry. We strongly believe in the impact this program can have and would love to talk to you further about how your 501c3 can benefit. And remember, while it seems to be good to be true Google really does want to give you $10,000.