Google gives eligible charities up to $10,000 per month in free Google Search advertising. That's $120,000 a year in ad credits, available to any registered nonprofit that qualifies. Most charities either don't know about it or don't know how to apply.
Here's the full process, from eligibility to your first live campaign.
What Is a Google Ad Grant?
The Google Ad Grants programme gives registered nonprofits free advertising credits to run Google Search ads. The grant covers up to $10,000 per month (roughly $329 per day) in search advertising — the same ads that businesses pay for when you search on Google.
The grant has been running since 2003 and has provided over $10 billion in free advertising to nonprofits worldwide. It's one of the most valuable free marketing tools available to charities, and yet most eligible organisations either haven't applied or are barely using it.
The average charity with a Google Ad Grant spends just $300 of their $10,000 monthly allocation. That's 97% of the budget going to waste — not because the grant isn't valuable, but because nobody is managing the account.
Who's Eligible?
To qualify for a Google Ad Grant, your organisation must be a registered nonprofit in good standing. Google requires verification through their nonprofit partner, Goodstack, which supports charities in most countries worldwide.
Organisations that are not eligible include government entities, hospitals and healthcare organisations, schools, academic institutions, and universities (Google for Education has a separate programme for schools).
Your charity must also have a website that meets Google's standards. The site needs to be functional, clearly explain your mission, and provide enough content for Google to assess relevance. A single-page site with minimal information is unlikely to pass review.
How to Apply: Step by Step
Step 1: Register with Google for Nonprofits
Go to google.com/nonprofits and create a Google for Nonprofits account. This is the umbrella programme that gives charities access to Google Ad Grants, Google Workspace, and YouTube Nonprofit features.
You'll need your charity registration number and basic organisational details.
Step 2: Get Verified Through Goodstack
Google uses Goodstack (formerly Percent) as their verification partner. Goodstack replaced TechSoup for charity verification in most countries. The verification process confirms your charity's registration status and eligibility.
This step typically takes 2-5 business days. You'll need to provide your charity or nonprofit registration number and may be asked for additional documentation.
Step 3: Apply for Google Ad Grants
Once your Google for Nonprofits account is verified, log in and navigate to the Google Ad Grants section. Click "Get Started" to begin the Ad Grants application.
You'll be asked about your organisation's mission, website, and advertising goals. Be specific — Google reviews these applications manually.
Step 4: Set Up Your Google Ads Account
If approved, Google creates a special Google Ads account for your grant. This is separate from any regular Google Ads account you might have. The grant account has specific restrictions that don't apply to paid accounts.
Important: do not create a regular Google Ads account and expect to convert it to a grant account. The grant account must be created through the Google for Nonprofits programme.
Step 5: Wait for Approval
Google typically reviews and approves applications within 3-5 business days. You'll receive an email confirmation once your account is live.
The Compliance Rules You Must Follow
Here's where most charities run into trouble. Google Ad Grant accounts have strict compliance requirements. Violate them and your grant gets suspended — sometimes permanently. Agencies charge hundreds per month specifically to manage Grant compliance for charities.
CTR Threshold
Your account must maintain a 5% click-through rate each month. If your CTR drops below 5% for two consecutive months, Google suspends your grant.
This is the most common reason charities lose their grants. Generic ads with broad targeting produce low CTRs. You need tightly targeted keywords with relevant ad copy to maintain 5% or higher.
Bid Cap
Maximum cost-per-click of $2.00 on manual and enhanced CPC bidding. If you use Maximise Conversions or Target CPA bidding strategies, the $2 cap doesn't apply — which is why most well-managed grant accounts use automated bidding.
Keyword Restrictions
No single-word keywords (except your charity's brand name). No overly generic terms like "free," "news," or "today." All keywords must have a Quality Score of 3 or above — anything below gets your grant flagged.
Campaign Structure
At least 2 ad groups per campaign. At least 2 active ads per ad group. At least 2 sitelink extensions. Geo-targeting must be set — you cannot target "all countries and territories."
Conversion Tracking
At least one meaningful conversion action must be active. This could be a donation completion, volunteer sign-up, event registration, or newsletter subscription. Google wants to see that your ads are driving real outcomes, not just clicks.
Account Activity
Your account must be actively managed. Google expects regular logins and ongoing optimisation. Neglected accounts get flagged and eventually suspended.
Common Reasons Grants Get Suspended
The compliance rules above aren't suggestions — they're enforced automatically.
CTR drops below 5%. This happens when charities run broad keywords with generic ads. The fix is tighter keyword targeting and more relevant ad copy, but most charities don't have someone monitoring this.
Keyword Quality Scores drop below 3. Low-quality keywords drag down your entire account. They need to be paused immediately, but someone needs to be watching.
Campaign structure falls below requirements. Ad groups get paused, ads expire, sitelinks break. Without ongoing management, structural compliance degrades over time.
Account goes inactive. If nobody logs in or makes changes for an extended period, Google assumes the grant is being wasted and suspends access.
How Most Charities Waste Their Grant
The average Grant account spends $300 out of $10,000. That's not a typo. Most charities activate their grant, set up a few campaigns, and then leave it alone because they don't have the time, budget, or expertise to manage it properly.
The result: a Google Ads account with low-quality keywords, generic ads, no negative keyword management, and a CTR hovering around 2-3%. Eventually the grant gets suspended, and the charity assumes "Google Ads doesn't work for us."
It does work. It just needs managing — the same way a paid Google Ads account needs managing.
Getting Your Grant Managed for Free
Overtime offers free Google Ads management for registered charities with an active Google Ad Grant. Our AI agent, Carrie, manages your Grant account around the clock — adjusting bids, blocking wasted spend, monitoring compliance, and maximising your $10,000 monthly allocation.
We built Overtime to level the playing field for organisations that can't afford agency fees. Charities deserve that same access. There's no catch, no hidden fees, and no upsell. Carrie handles the same Grant compliance management that agencies charge thousands for.
If you already have a Google Ad Grant, apply for free management on our charities page. If you don't have a grant yet, follow the steps above to get approved, then come back and sign up.
To apply, visit tryovertime.com/charities and sign up with the code CHARITY. Enter your charity registration number during signup. We review applications weekly and activate management within 24 hours of approval.