Google Ad Grant Management

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The Google Ad Grant program offers one of the most valuable opportunities for nonprofits to amplify their digital advertising — but making the most of it requires more than just free ad spend. With strict monthly compliance rules, technical limitations, and growing competition for ad engagements, many nonprofits struggle to turn the grant into real community impact. That’s where Google Ad Grant management comes in.

Here is everything you need to know about our Google Ad Grant management, what it covers, and why it’s essential for maximizing results, staying compliant, and building strategic nonprofit marketing campaigns that support your goals. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve your current campaigns, learn how grant management works and why it matters.

Certified by Google to manage search campaigns.

What is Google Ad Grant Management?

Google Ads Grant management is a digital marketing service that handles strategy, setup, compliance, and optimization of eligible nonprofits’ $10,000/month ad credits and ad campaigns on the Google ads platform. Unlike regular paid ads, the Ad Grant account has its own special rules and limitations.

Managing the grant means making sure your Google ad campaign is built properly, your keywords are relevant and allowed, your ads are performing well, and your account stays compliant with Google’s policies month after month. It also includes things like setting up conversion tracking (to see what’s working), writing ads that get clicks, and continuously improving performance.

Ultimately, Google Ad Grants management is about making sure you don’t just have the grant — you’re actually using it to bring in more traffic, donations, sign-ups, or awareness, without running into issues that could get your account paused.

What does a Google Ad Manager do?

A Google Ad Grant manager takes care of everything needed to set up, run, and optimize your nonprofit’s Google Ads account— so you can focus on your mission, not the technical side of advertising. Your Google Grant Ad Manager:

Guides you through the Google Grants eligibility and application process if you haven’t started, or review and clean up your current account if it’s underperforming.
Creates a well-structured Google Ads account that follows all of Google’s Ad Grant rules — like setting up the right number of campaigns, ads per ad group, and choosing keywords that are specific and mission-related.
Finds the best target keywords — search queries people are actually searching for and that align with your services — while avoiding restricted terms or low-quality ones that could get the account penalized.
Writes multiple versions of compelling text ads that are designed to get clicks and stay above the required 5% click-through rate (CTR) — a key rule for staying eligible for the grant.
Tracks online conversions so you can measure what matters: donations, email sign-ups, event registrations, volunteer interest — whatever your goals are.
Monitors the account regularly to adjust bid strategy, add new keywords, pause underperforming ads, test new variations and make sure you’re spending as much of the $10,000/month as possible (without wasting it).
Keeps your account in good standing with Google by avoiding common pitfalls that lead to your account being suspended.
Sends regular updates showing your ad performance data — how many people saw them, clicked, and took action — with marketing insights on what’s working and what could improve.

What You Need To Apply for the Grant

You need to have verified nonprofit status in good standing to apply for the Google Ad Grant. Generally, to be verified as a nonprofit, your organisation needs to be:

recognised as a charitable or a nonprofit organisation by the local regulator in the country where you are registered
operating on a not-for-profit basis
operating for the public benefit

In order to pass the nonprofit verification process, you will need:

501(c)(3) IRS Determination Letter (for US-based nonprofits): You must have a letter from the IRS that recognises your organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Locally Recognized Charitable Status (for nonprofits outside the US): You must be a registered nonprofit, charity, or association in your country (e.g., Switzerland-based nonprofits must be a registered: (i) Association in the Swiss Civil Code, (ii) Foundation (Stiftung) in the Swiss Civil Code or (iii) Tax Exempt organisation. etc.).
Nonprofit Verification Through Goodstack (formerly Percent). Once verified, Goodstack provides a validation token you’ll use to apply for Google for Nonprofits.
A Google For Nonprofits account. Sign in with your nonprofit’s Google account (Gmail or Google Workspace). Submit the application using your Goodstack validation token.
Official Nonprofit Website with HTTPS. Your website must already be live and secured with an SSL certificate. Your website must clearly represent your nonprofit’s mission and activities.

Why is Google Ad Grant Management Important?

US Dollars In Free Ad Spend

person managing google ad grant account on laptop

Google Ad Grant management is important because it protects your access to the grant, helps you get real results from it, and ensures your nonprofit doesn’t waste time or miss out on the full potential of $120,000/year in free advertising. Without it, the grant often becomes just another missed opportunity.

While the $10,000/month ad budget sounds straightforward, the reality is that the grant comes with stipulations that most nonprofit organizations struggle to meet without help — leading to wasted potential and poor results.

Here’s why professional management matters:

Most Nonprofits That Manage Their Own Account Use a Fraction of the Grant Budget. We help you unlock the full $10K value month after month.
There Are Strict Compliance Rules to Stay Eligible. We help you avoid this by keeping everything compliant.

Running Google Ads Effectively Is a Skill. We build a solid strategy so your ads show up for the right people.
You Need Impactful Campaigns, Not Just Clicks. Professional management includes conversion tracking, so you’re not just counting visitors.

Saves Time and Reduces Stress. We take the stresses of the Google Ad Grant program off your plate so your team can focus on your mission.
Adaptive Strategy for Evolving Goals. We continuously refine and align campaigns with your evolving goals.

What Does Google Ad Grant Management Cover?

Our Google Ad Grant management is a comprehensive service designed to help nonprofits not only maintain access to their $10,000/month in free advertising, but also use it effectively to achieve measurable goals like increased website traffic, donor acquisition, volunteer sign-ups, event registrations, and more. Because the grant comes with strict eligibility and compliance rules, professional management ensures your Google ad grants campaign is set up, optimized, and maintained in a way that maximizes impact while staying within Google’s policies. Here’s is what Google Ad Grants management covers:

We support you throughout the verification process. Before anything else, your nonprofit must be deemed eligible, get verified by Goodstack and get approved for Google for Nonprofits. We help you submit all the required documentation and get approved in no time.

We help build this required ad campaign structure to meet compliance while maximizing performance. Unlike regular Google Ads accounts, Ad Grant accounts also have a maximum CPC bid cap of $2 USD, unless you use Smart Bidding (e.g. Maximize Conversions). This means the account must be structured to work efficiently under these constraints.

We conduct in-depth keyword research to identify high-intent, mission-aligned keywords with enough volume and specificity to generate relevant traffic — all while staying within Google’s keyword quality guidelines. Because the Ad Grant is limited to Google search campaigns and constrained by bid limits, keyword selection is critical.

We write compelling ad copy that helps maintain high engagement, relevance, and compliance. Effective ad copy is essential to meet the minimum 5% CTR requirement for all campaigns.

Includes variations for A/B testing
Reflects the nonprofit’s mission and values
Matches the user’s intent
Uses clear calls to action

We review your website and landing pages to ensure compliance and make recommendations to improve user experience and conversions. Google requires that all ads link to high-quality, content-rich landing pages that align with the ad copy.

We ensure accurate tracking is in place and monitor performance across key goals. Google strongly encourages nonprofits to set up conversion tracking via Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, or native Google Ads tracking. This allows you to measure:

Donations
Email sign-ups
Event registrations
Volunteer inquiries
Resource downloads

Without this data, it’s impossible to understand the ROI of your campaigns.

We conduct weekly, monthly and quarterly adjustments to improve CTR, conversion rates, Quality Scores, and ensure Smart Bidding strategies are working efficiently. We ensure red flags are proactively avoided, protecting your account from deactivation and keeping your nonprofit eligible for the full grant amount. Google audits Ad Grant accounts regularly. If your account becomes non-compliant for even one of the following, it could be flagged or deactivated:

No recent account activity
Falling below 5% CTR
Using restricted keywords
Sending traffic to non-eligible landing pages
Inactive campaigns

We provide regular performance reports, typically monthly, with key metrics such as:

Impressions
Clicks
CTR
Conversion volume and rate
Campaign performance comparisons

More importantly, we translate those numbers into strategic recommendations that tie back to your nonprofit’s goals — whether that’s increasing awareness, boosting fundraising, or driving event attendance.

What Does Google Ad Grant Management Not Cover?

Google Ad Grant management does not cover paid ad campaigns, website development, social ads, content creation, fundraising strategy, or broader communications work. It is a specialized service focused exclusively on maximizing the performance, compliance, and impact of your nonprofit’s search-based Google Ad Grant campaigns.
While Google Ads Grant management is a powerful service that handles strategy, setup, compliance, and optimization of your nonprofit’s $10,000/month ad budget, there are important limitations to be aware of. Understanding what it doesn’t cover helps ensure your team can plan for any additional needs outside the scope of ad management.

Here’s a breakdown of what Google Ad Grant management does not include:

Paid Google Ad Campaign (Non-Grant): The Google Ad Grant is a separate program from standard (paid) Google Ads. Management services are limited to the grant account only.
Social Media Advertising: Google Ad Grant management does not include Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn ad campaigns.
Content Creation for Your Website: While we can give recommendations for optimizing your landing pages (e.g. improving CTAs or relevance to the ads), Google Grant Management does not include: Writing or designing full landing pages, creating blog posts or new website sections, designing or managing your website.
Website Development or Technical Fixes: Your website must meet Google’s quality standards — secure, mobile-friendly, free from broken links, etc. We will audit your site and flag issues, but Google Grant Management does not include fixing technical errors or redesign your site, resolving hosting problems, setting up HTTPS, site speed improvements, or responsive design.
Fundraising or Donor Strategy: Google Grant Ad managers help drive traffic to your site — but they do not create: Donation appeals or messaging strategies, Email nurture campaigns, CRM setup or donation system integrations, Grant writing or general fundraising consulting

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Let’s turn your Google Ad Grant into real results & make the most of your $10K/month Google Grant

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Is hiring a Google Ad Grant Manager Worth it?

Yes, hiring a Google Ad Grant manager is worth it — they not only help you get approved faster but also ensure your account stays compliant, performs well, and consistently turns that $10,000/month into real, measurable impact for your nonprofit.

Is setting up the Google Ad Grant Complicated?

Yes, setting up the Google Ad Grant can be complicated if you’re not familiar with the process— it involves multiple steps like eligibility verification, Goodstack registration, account configuration, and strict compliance with Googles guidelines — but with a professional managing the process, it becomes straightforward, stress-free, and far more likely to get approved on the first try.

Can we manage the Google Ad Grant ourselves?

Yes, you can manage the Google Ad Grant yourself — but without experience, many nonprofits struggle to stay compliant and get meaningful results from the $10,000 monthly budget.
If a Google Ad Grant account is not compliant for two consecutive months, it will be temporarily deactivated — hiring a manager helps ensure your account stays within Google’s strict guidelines and protects your access to the monthly grant.

Do we need to apply for the grant before hiring a manager?

No, you don’t need to apply for the grant before hiring a manager — a qualified Google Ad Grants manager can guide you through the application and setup process to ensure approval and compliance from the start.
If you’d like expert help getting approved and set up for success, book a free consultation here.

Is Google Ad Grant management mandatory?

No, Google Ad Grant management is not mandatory — but it is highly recommended if you want to make full use of the grant, run effective campaigns, and ensure your efforts translate into real-world results like donations, sign-ups, or increased awareness.

While some nonprofits manage their accounts in-house, most find that professional oversight brings greater efficiency, better targeting, and more consistent performance over time.

Can we apply if we’re already running paid Google Ads?

Yes, you can switch from a paid Google Ads account to the Google Ad Grant, but the grant must be managed in a separate account created specifically for the program — your existing paid account cannot be converted.