File Ad Grants
Google Ad Grants for nonprofits, in Google's own words
What the program gives, who qualifies, the rules that pause accounts, and how grant ads and organic search split the work. Every program fact here comes from Google's help pages, checked October 17, 2026.
- Grant
- Up to $10,000 a month
- Covers
- Search ads on Google.com
- We manage it
- No, we do the organic side
01 Program summary
What are Google Ad Grants?
Google Ad Grants is part of Google for Nonprofits. Google describes it as giving each qualifying nonprofit "up to $10,000 per month in search ads shown on Google.com", to raise awareness, attract donors and recruit volunteers. The grant is ad spend inside a Google Ads account, not money paid to you, and it covers search ads on Google.com only. Additional Google Ads can be bought in a separate account.
Google for Nonprofits also lists, at no charge for eligible organizations, Google Workspace for Nonprofits, the YouTube Nonprofit Program and Google Maps Platform credits, plus discounts on some paid Workspace editions.
The grant is generous, and it is also strict. An account that misses the rules below can be paused, which is why many nonprofits that start strong with the grant later find their ads quietly stopped.
02 Eligibility
Who qualifies in the United States
- +Registered with the IRS as exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3).
- +Group-exempt organizations, with their own EIN, the group exemption number and proven affiliation to a central 501(c)(3).
- +Chapters without their own legal entity, using the parent's 501(c)(3) documentation, once the central organization officially recognizes them as a branch or chapter.
- +Verification by Google's validation partner, Goodstack.
Not eligible
- xGovernmental entities and organizations.
- xHospitals and health care organizations (their charitable arms and foundations are eligible).
- xSchools, academic institutions and universities (their fundraising arms are eligible).
- xFiscally sponsored organizations without their own 501(c)(3) status or a group exemption.
03 Website policy
What your website must have
A domain you own, hosting your site directly
Not a redirect to another address, a third-party platform or a social page. A .org isn't required.
Substantial original content about your mission
Well-developed home, about, mission, programs or services and contact pages. Not placeholders, not mostly PDFs.
Who you are, stated plainly
Your mission and activities, plus a physical address, your EIN and/or an annual report.
Working, secure, fast
HTTPS on every page with HTTP redirected, working links, donation links that go to a secure page dedicated to donations, quick loading and a site that works on phones and tablets.
Focused on the mission
No AdSense or excessive third-party ads, no site that mainly sends traffic elsewhere through affiliate links, and clear disclosure of how any sales support your programs.
04 Account rules
The Ad Grants rules that pause accounts
From Google's Ad Grants policy compliance guide. Violations can lead to suspension, so these are worth a monthly check.
| Rule | What Google requires | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Click-through rate | 5% each month, across the whole account. Two consecutive months below it can mean temporary deactivation. | Pause keywords that get impressions but no clicks; keep ad groups tight. |
| Conversion tracking | Accurate tracking with at least 1 conversion a month (accounts created since January 2018, or using Smart Bidding). | Track real actions: gifts, volunteer sign-ups, contact forms. Time on site isn't a conversion. |
| Bidding | Accounts created on or after April 22, 2019 use conversion-based Smart Bidding (Maximize conversions, Maximize conversion value, Target CPA or Target ROAS) unless on Smart campaigns. | Smart Bidding needs the conversion tracking above to work at all. |
| Keywords | No single-word keywords (except your brand, recognized medical conditions and a short list Google publishes). Overly generic keywords and those with a Quality Score of 1 or 2 must be paused or removed. | "Donate" alone fails. "Donate winter coats [city]" says what you do. |
| Structure | At least 2 ad groups per campaign and at least 2 sitelink assets. | One campaign per program area tends to keep ad groups related. |
| Location | Location settings that target where your services are useful. | A county food bank shouldn't target the whole country. |
| Engagement | Complete the annual program survey and keep notification emails opted in. | Put the survey on the same calendar as your Form 990. |
The middle column summarizes Google's compliance guide; the guide itself has the exact, current wording.
The grant sends clicks to your pages. The free audit tells you whether those pages are ready for them.
05 Application
How to apply for Google Ad Grants, in outline
- 1
Check eligibility on Google's eligibility page for your country, including the IRS listing for US organizations.
- 2
Request a Google for Nonprofits account and complete verification with Google's validation partner.
- 3
Bring your website in line with the website policy above before you submit it.
- 4
Activate Ad Grants from your Google for Nonprofits account and follow Google's setup steps, including conversion tracking.
Google's own pages list the current steps in full; the outline above is a checklist, not a substitute.
Questions about where your website stands before you apply? Book a call
06 With SEO
Ad Grants and SEO: how to split the work
Grant ads and organic search show up on the same results page, but they behave differently. Ads appear within days once the account runs, and you can test a message this week. Organic rankings take months, but they don't cost anything per click and they don't stop when an account is paused.
A practical split:
- Grant ads: time-bound campaigns (year-end, Giving Tuesday, an event), testing new program pages, searches where you won't rank soon.
- Organic: your own name, your programs in your service area, volunteer roles, the questions people ask about your cause.
- Both: the donation page and the volunteer page, because a searcher who sees you twice on one page trusts you more.
We work on the organic half: your site, your Google Business Profile and links. We don't manage grant accounts.
07 Organic side
If you want the organic half covered
Our SEO plans for nonprofits, month to month. Every plan includes Google Business Profile, citation and review work.
- Silver$125 a month
- Golden$235 a month
- Platinum$325 a month
- Titanium$575 a month
08 Questions
Google Ad Grants questions
How much is a Google Ad Grant?
Google describes it as up to $10,000 per month in search ads shown on Google.com for each qualifying nonprofit. It is ad spend inside a Google Ads account, not cash, and it only covers search ads on Google.com. Additional Google Ads can be bought in a separate account.
Who is eligible for Google Ad Grants in the US?
Organizations registered with the IRS as exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and verified by Google's validation partner. Government entities, hospitals and health care organizations, and schools and universities are not eligible, although their charitable foundations and fundraising arms can be.
Can churches get Google Ad Grants?
Google's help page notes that churches meeting 501(c)(3) requirements are tax exempt without applying to the IRS, but it also says its nonprofit programs require IRS recognition of 501(c)(3) status, and organizations not registered with the IRS and not listed in its online publication aren't eligible. A church should check its IRS listing before applying.
What happens if our click-through rate drops below 5%?
Google requires a 5% click-through rate each month, measured across the whole account. Missing it for two consecutive months can lead to temporary deactivation. Google publishes steps for getting a deactivated account back in its policy compliance guide.
Do you manage Ad Grants accounts?
No. We don't run Google Ads or Ad Grants accounts. We do the organic side: your website, Google Business Profile and links. The pages we improve are often the landing pages your grant ads use, which helps both.
If we have the grant, do we still need SEO?
They do different jobs. Grant ads are fast and testable but run under account rules and stop when the account pauses. Organic rankings cost nothing per click and keep working on their own. Many organizations test messages and pages with the grant, then build lasting visibility for the ones that work.
Does our website have to meet requirements?
Yes. Google's Ad Grants website policy asks for a domain you own that hosts your site directly, substantial original content about your mission, your mission and activities stated clearly, an address, EIN or annual report, working donation links to a secure page, HTTPS across the whole site, and no AdSense or excessive third-party ads.
Next step Your move
Make the pages your grant ads point to worth the click
The free audit is a short written report, not a sales call: how your site and Google listing look today, who shows up instead of you, and the first three fixes. It comes by email within one business day.
Or ask the assistant in the corner: prices, Ad Grants, chapters, how canceling works.