Google Ad Grants: What You Need to Know

If you are a nonprofit organization then Google Ads offers a program called Google Ad Grants where eligible nonprofits are given $10,000 per month to advertise via Search text ads. While this does sound like an excellent option for nonprofits there are limitations to consider prior to pursuing a Google Ad Grant. 

While it can be hard to decide against receiving $10K in free advertising per month it may actually make more sense to pay for a Google Ad campaign instead given the limitations of the program. Or at a minimum, and what we recommend, is that any Google Ad Grant campaign is treated as a supplemental campaign, one meant to augment but not replace a paid campaign.

Let’s outline the Google Ad Grants program and its limitations:   

If you are unfamiliar with Google Ads (aka Paid Search aka SEM) it may be hard to see any drawbacks; however, at BENN we have managed enough campaigns to know that the limitations are just that - limiting. 

1. You will never get a position higher than a paid advertiser. 

2. You will never pay more than $2.00 per click.

3. You can only run text ad keyword-targeted campaigns. 

4. The keywords you are allowed to target are restricted.

5. You have a maximum daily budget which you cannot exceed. 

6. The login and account used must be solely for the Ad Grants. 

Let’s break down these items: 

1. Never higher than a paid advertiser
   Out of the gate you know you will never be in the #1 position for any keyword where another advertiser is bidding on that word. If it is a particularly competitive keyword there may be multiple advertisers trying to win the impression - in that case your ad will always serve below them. You could get pushed down to the bottom of the page ads or not show up until the second page of results.

2. CPC Bid Limit
   If it is a competitive space you’re trying to advertise in not paying more than $2.00 per click is quite limiting. Depending on the area and keywords average CPCs could be $6 or $8 or $18. You will never be able to “keep up” with those who are willing to pay for the better position. The only way to “combat” this limitation is to have the best Quality Score that you can and then hope for the best (but again you’re stuck with that $2 CPC limit). 

3. Text Ads Only
   While text ads are the heart of Search, Google Ads can be more than just text ads. With paid text ads you can select to also run on display placements; however, Ad Grants ads are not allowed to. And in Google Ads there are options to run video campaigns and display campaigns - but these options are not available to you with Google Ad Grant dollars. It restricts which tactics you can pursue - and while Paid Search is the high-intent tactic not being able to run additional tactics or all flavors of a search campaign it ties your hands. 

4. Restricted Keywords
   When paying for ads you can choose to target whatever keywords you want to. But with Ad Grants there are rules around which keywords you are allowed to run. Ad Grant keywords must be on-mission, relevant to programs/services, specific. We are on board with that type of set up; however, you cannot use single keywords, you cannot be too generic (so you cannot be “the best” at anything), and the keywords must have a quality score above 3. And your account can even be put on hold if you do have any words with a quality score below 3.  

5. Maximum Daily Budget Limit
   Ad Grants have a generous $329/day budget. But even if you tell the system to spend more than that per day you will be capped at that amount. It is an aspect of the grant to consider - especially if you have multiple campaigns or if think you could spend all $10K over just 2 weeks each month - doing that just isn’t possible. 

6. The Login Limits
   This doesn’t seem like an issue, but it is. If you happen to also want to run display or video you must create a different Google account so that all your paid-for ads run via that account. This means that your data and management will be split - you will never have all of your data together in the platform. Yes, you can get your data in Google Analytics but that is the endpoint not the management point - and it is much easier to manage things when they are all together. 

An additional consideration is that Google Ad Grants have to be self-managed -- just like a paid advertiser you have to make sure your account is set up properly and keep it running smoothly. (There are also rules around how often you have to login and make changes.) Or you can receive external assistance, but it isn’t as simple as hooking up your account to someone’s MCC. Google Ad grant recipients can only work with a list of approved members of the Certified Professionals Community and the the grant recipient is responsible for locating one to work with. 

If even after all that you think that a Google Ad Grant is for you then you must know that qualifying in the first place is tricky (you have to be the correct type of nonprofit and have the right credentials) and then you must maintain your eligibility (one area is keeping your quality score for keywords above a 3). For more detailed information on the Ad Grants program go to https://www.google.com/grants/