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Google Ad Grants: $10,000 a Month of Free Advertising for Nonprofits

Key takeaways

  • Up to $10,000 a month of Search Network ads for eligible nonprofits.
  • Valid charity status verified by Goodstack; no government bodies, hospitals or schools.
  • At least a 5% monthly clickthrough rate at account level, or deactivation after two months.
  • No keywords with a Quality Score of 1 or 2, and valid conversion tracking.
  • Structure by goal: donations, volunteering, awareness, services.

Few organisations know about Google Ad Grants. The programme lets eligible nonprofits run ads on Google for free: up to $10,000 a month of Search Network ads. The credit helps promote your mission, attract donors and recruit volunteers.

The trade-off: the account must follow precise management rules or it can be suspended. This article covers eligibility, sign-up, the rules to follow and the best practices that turn the grant into real results.

Who is eligible?

The programme is part of Google for Nonprofits. Organisations must hold valid charity status as defined in their country and be verified by Google’s validation partner, Goodstack. In France, for example, that means registration as a nonprofit under French law, published in the Journal officiel des associations or equivalent (Eligibility guidelines – France, Google FAQ).

Not eligible:

  • governmental entities and organisations;
  • hospitals and healthcare organisations, although their foundations or charitable arms can be;
  • schools and universities, whose philanthropic arms can however be eligible (Eligibility guidelines – France, Google FAQ).

You also need a working website with substantial content about your mission.

How to sign up, step by step

  1. Create a Google for Nonprofits account and get the organisation verified (5 steps to get started with Google for Nonprofits, Google FAQ).
  2. Complete the Ad Grants eligibility form.
  3. Submit the activation request.
  4. Accept the invitation to the Ad Grants account, then set up campaigns.

The account looks like a standard Google Ads account, with its own rules. Only Search Network ads are covered: no Display, video or Shopping. Ad Grants ads also rank after paying advertisers, which is why targeting searches where your cause is relevant matters.

The rules to follow to keep the grant

Google enforces an account management policy (Account management policy, Google FAQ), detailed in its compliance guide (Ad Grants Policy Compliance Guide, Google FAQ). The main points:

  • A 5% clickthrough rate every month, measured at account level, not per keyword. Two consecutive months below it lead to temporary deactivation.
  • No keywords with a Quality Score of 1 or 2: they must be paused or removed (About Quality Score for Search campaigns, Google FAQ).
  • Valid conversion tracking, with at least one conversion a month for the accounts concerned. « Soft » goals (time on site, home page visits) must not count as conversions (Set up conversion tracking, Google FAQ).
  • No overly generic or single-word keywords, except for the exceptions in the policy.
  • A minimum structure: several ad groups per campaign, several ads per group, sitelinks, and relevant geotargeting.
  • Ads tied to your mission and the approved domain.

These rules change: check the current policy before any restructuring.

What the grant is for

  • raising donations;
  • giving visibility to your mission and actions;
  • recruiting volunteers;
  • reaching people who need your services (support, helplines, assistance).

A simple set-up around your name and main actions can be enough to start. A richer structure, with one campaign per goal and separate conversions (donation, volunteer sign-up, contact), takes more expertise but makes far better use of the $10,000.

Best practices

  • One campaign per goal: donations, volunteering, awareness, services.
  • Dedicated landing pages with a clear action: donation form, sign-up, contact.
  • Check the clickthrough rate every month and pause high-impression, low-CTR keywords, as the compliance guide recommends (Ad Grants Policy Compliance Guide, Google FAQ).
  • Use conversion-based automated bidding once tracking is reliable.
  • Plan a monthly check: Quality Score, conversions, compliance.

Conclusion

Google Ad Grants gives nonprofits up to $10,000 a month of visibility on Google. To keep it and get real results, the account must follow Google’s rules (5% CTR, keyword quality, conversions) and be structured by goal.

Running a project with an eligible organisation? Get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Google Ad Grants?

Up to $10,000 a month of Search Network ads.

What happens if the clickthrough rate drops below 5%?

After two consecutive months below 5% at account level, the account is temporarily deactivated (Account management policy, Google FAQ).

Are Display and video ads included?

No: the grant covers Search Network ads only.

Can a school or hospital benefit?

Not directly; their foundations or philanthropic arms can however be eligible (Eligibility guidelines – France, Google FAQ).

Updated 30 October 2026. Sources: Google’s official documentation, checked on that date.

About the author: Alain Vanhee is an independent paid search consultant based in Lille, France. He has managed Google Ads and Search Ads 360 accounts for more than fifteen years, with budgets from 1 to 20 million euros a year, in e-commerce and lead generation. Request an audit

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