Nonprofit Grants
Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: Eligibility, Setup, and the Rules
Grant Writing Service Editorial Team
June 12, 2026 · 4 min read
Table of contents
Key takeaways
- Google Ad Grants provides up to $10,000 a month ($329 a day) in text ads on Google Search, as in-kind credit, not cash.
- Government entities, hospitals and health care organizations, and schools are excluded; their foundations or philanthropic arms can qualify.
- Accounts must keep a 5 percent click-through rate, track at least one conversion a month, use conversion-based bidding, and pause keywords with a Quality Score of 1 or 2.
Google Ad Grants gives eligible nonprofits up to $10,000 a month in free text ads on Google Search, which Google applies as a daily cap of $329. It is in-kind advertising credit, not cash, and it does not roll over. To get it, your organization must be validated as a charity through Google for Nonprofits, have a website that meets Google's policy, and then run an account that follows the program's ongoing rules, which are what most nonprofits struggle with.
What the grant does and does not cover
The grant pays for Search ads only: text ads shown on Google.com search results. It does not cover display, YouTube, or Shopping ads. Grant ads run in a separate auction after paid ads, so they appear either alone or below paid advertisers. That placement is why vague keywords perform poorly and specific, mission-related ones work: "free tax preparation help Denver" has little paid competition; "taxes" has plenty.
It is also not program funding. The grant sends people to your website; it does not pay for staff or services. Most nonprofits use it to recruit volunteers, reach people who need their services, promote events, and collect donations, which pairs naturally with the grants that pay for the programs themselves. See our guide to winning program grants as a nonprofit for that side.
Who is eligible
To qualify, an organization must:
- Hold valid charity status in its country (in the United States, 501(c)(3) status)
- Be verified by Google for Nonprofits' validation partner, Goodstack
- Agree to the Google for Nonprofits terms, including the nondiscrimination and donation-use certifications
- Have a website that meets the Ad Grants website policy
These organizations are not eligible:
- Governmental entities and organizations
- Hospitals and health care organizations (their charitable arms or foundations can be)
- Schools, academic institutions, and universities (their philanthropic arms can be)
The website requirements
The website must be one your organization owns and controls, served entirely over HTTPS, with substantial content about your mission and programs. Limited commercial activity, such as a store selling mission-related items, can be acceptable, but the site cannot be built mainly around sales, third-party ads, or affiliate links. Ads cannot point to a domain that simply redirects to a donation platform or social media page. Fix these before applying; they are a common reason applications are rejected.
How to apply
- Request a Google for Nonprofits account and complete validation through Goodstack.
- Activate Ad Grants from inside your Google for Nonprofits account and complete the eligibility steps.
- Set up the Google Ads account using the Ad Grants activation guide, with conversion tracking in place from the start.
- Submit for review. Google checks the account and website against program policies before the grant goes live.
Validation and review can take days to weeks. The application is short; building an account that keeps the grant is the real work.
The account rules
Google can deactivate accounts that break these rules, sometimes automatically and without notice. These are the requirements as published in Google's Ad Grants policies as of October 2026:
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Click-through rate | 5 percent or higher each month at the account level; missing it two consecutive months leads to temporary deactivation |
| Conversion tracking | Valid tracking of meaningful actions (donations, sign-ups, volunteer forms, calls), with at least one conversion a month |
| Bidding | Accounts created on or after April 22, 2019 must use conversion-based Smart Bidding (Maximize conversions, Maximize conversion value, Target CPA, or Target ROAS) unless using Smart campaigns |
| Geo-targeting | Show ads where people can actually use your services or support you; a local food bank targets its area, not the country |
| Sitelinks | At least two unique sitelink assets |
| Keywords | No single-word keywords, except your own brand, recognized medical conditions, and a short list of exceptions such as "donate"; no overly generic keywords |
| Quality Score | Keywords with a Quality Score of 1 or 2 must be paused or removed |
| Program survey | Respond to Google's periodic program survey |
If your account is deactivated, fix the issue (for example, pause low click-through keywords or set up valid conversion tracking) and request reinstatement from the account.
Getting real value from it
Many accounts never come close to spending the full amount, and spending is not the goal anyway; results are. What tends to work:
- Build campaigns around specific programs, each pointing to a page that matches the search (a volunteer page for volunteer searches, a service page for people seeking help), not your homepage.
- Write ads in the searcher's words. People search for "help paying rent" more than "housing stabilization services."
- Track the actions that matter and let Smart Bidding optimize for them.
- Check the account at least monthly: pause weak keywords, add search terms that convert, and watch the click-through rate before it drops below 5 percent.
- Assign an owner. Accounts without a responsible person drift into noncompliance.
Some nonprofits also keep a small paid Google Ads account for high-value moments such as year-end giving, since paid ads compete in the main auction and are not limited to text Search ads.
The Ad Grant brings people to your door; grant funding pays for what they find there. For finding that funding, see our guides to where nonprofit grants are posted and how private foundations give. If your organization is newer, check whether you are ready for grants before approaching funders. When you are ready to apply, we can prepare the grant proposals for you.
