Nonprofit organizations depend on donations and grants to sustain their activities. However, it’s not always easy to get those grants, either because the competition for them is often quite stiff or because the process is too complicated.

One of the great programs you may have heard of is Google Grants, a program launched in 2008 by Google to help nonprofits. This is a program that offers up to $10,000 USD of free advertising on Google each month, and it’s one of the most important grants given that is accessible to any nonprofit that meets the requirements. 

It is an effective way to transform and grow nonprofit organizations by helping them become visible to their audience, deliver their message and advance their causes. With the help of Google Ads Grants, nonprofits can reach audiences they might not have otherwise. But between eligibility requirements and account performance rules, it can be both challenging to set up and maintain the Google Ads Grants program. So, here are some practical tips to help your organization get the most out of the program.

If your goal is to accelerate your giving programs, advance your cause, strengthen your digital marketing presence, improve your digital performance…. Then this program is a great resource for you!

 What are Google Ads Grants?

Google Ads Grants, formerly known as Google Ad Grants, is a program that offers up to US $10,000 in free advertising on Google search results each month. This budget can be used to display your text ads on the search engine results page. Note that it is currently only possible to show text ads, the program does not allow ads to appear on other Google networks such as Display, Gmail or YouTube for example. But still the help is crucial because you can appear in the main search engine to connect with your audience.

What are the benefits of Google Ads Grants?

The main advantage of Google Ads Grants is that you can use it for your search engine marketing. Your organization can reach new audiences. Plus, Google Ads Grants provides recommendations to help your campaigns become more effective. You can access reports on your ad performance and see how people are interacting with them. 

In summary, by using Google Ads Grants, your organization can:

• • Generate more traffic and therefore more interest 
  • Raise public awareness 
  • Connect with your audience
  • Find donors online
  • Recruit volunteers
  • Promote your partnership programs 
  • And more!

In addition, through the combination of Google Analytics and Google Ads Grants, you can gain valuable insights and analytics about your audience, whether they are donors or volunteers. “Google Ads Grants” is a great way for nonprofits to generate more interest and find new donors. It’s a free program that will give your organization the opportunity to grow and succeed.

What are the eligibility criteria?

The program was launched for the first time in 2008 and is still active today. Registration for the program is completely free, but certain conditions apply. To be eligible for the Google Ads Grants program, NGOs must meet certain conditions. 

Here below a list of the most important points:

1– In Switzerland, for example, organizations must be registered with a Google certification partner. Organizations must operate on a non-profit basis for the public good as: (1) foundation, (2) association, or (3) tax-exempt corporation. You should also be able to confirm your organization’s nonprofit status with Google.

2 – Your non-profit organization must be based in one of the 50+ eligible countries. Each country has specific criteria. 

3 – There is a list of important criteria inherent to your organization’s website. Information such us : secure site / domain with HTTPS, optimized pages that load quickly and without broken link, clear description of your mission and activities, association / status number or tax exemption number, name of the organization, clear contact details and more. 

Once you have taken care of each of the elements, you will be able to submit your application, which will be reviewed by the Google Ads Grants team. The process require an advance knowledge of Google Ads rules and requirements from Google must be addressed and implemented rapidly. 

If approved, you will be contacted with additional information about the grant and how it can help your organization. If the account does not meet the criteria requirements, Google reserves the right to not grant or close the Ad Grants account.  

In Buzz Factory, we have a long experience helping many organizations to submit applications in a timely manner to obtain Google Ad Grants. We are well aware of the important details that need to be taken into account while applying to the program, and we will help you to make the necessary modifications to get the grant.

Tips on Google Ads Grants Terms of Service:

Google Ads Grants is an innovative way to reach new audiences with your message. With the following tips, you can start to make the most of this opportunity. Google is very strict on how accounts should be managed. The Mountain View giant even reserves the right to exclude from the program those who do not meet certain conditions. These conditions are also likely to change over time, so be sure to follow them regularly (or work with specialists like Buzz Factory).

• •  Your ads should redirect users to a single domain, that of the nonprofit organization’s website approved during the registration process.
  • You are responsible for managing your Google Ads account. You should log in monthly and make at least one change every 90 days. If you do not make any changes within this period, your account may be put on hold or closed automatically, without notice.
  • Your ads should be related to the organization’s mission, and your keywords should be relevant to that organization’s programs and services.
  • Strictly commercial advertising is not permitted under this program. If you plan to promote a product or service, all sales and / or income should be used to support your actions.
  • Your Google Ads cannot redirect to pages that consist primarily of links to other websites.
  • Ads offering financial products (such as home loans or payment cards) or asking for donations of boats, cars or real estate are not allowed, as are keywords associated with such ads.
  • Your website is not authorized to serve Google AdSense ads or affiliate advertising links while participating in the Google Ad Grants program.

Source: https://www.google.com/intl/en_be/grants/eligibility.html

Managing Google Ad Grants is not easy and requires a good knowledge of Google’s advertising platform. Managing an account and ensuring compliance requires attention to several aspects. Here are a few:

• One-word keywords are not allowed; your own brand names, recognized health concerns, and a few specific keywords are exceptions.
• No overly generic keywords that do not clearly correspond to the user’s initial search (examples: “free videos”, “digital books” or “daily news”).
• Keywords should have a Quality Score greater than 2. Consider automating the pausing of Quality Score 1 or 2 keywords before improving the Quality Score.
• Your click-through rate (CTR) should be at least 5% every month. If you fail to achieve a 5% CTR for two consecutive months, your account may be temporarily deactivated.
• Your account must use a valid conversion tracking method (if applicable) and must have at least one conversion per month.
• As for the account structure, it is strongly recommended that you have at least two ads per ad group, at least two ad groups per campaign, and at least two site links ad extensions.

Source:https://support.google.com/grants/answer/9042207?hl=en

What to do if your Google Ads Grants account is deactivated?

If you do not manage your campaign correctly, your Google Ad Grants account may be deactivated. Once deactivated, your account will take time to be reinstated or may be suspended forever, depending on the violation committed. If your account has already been temporarily deactivated, all problems related to the compliance and rules of the Ad Grants program must be corrected.

Before attempting to reinstate your account, you will need to ensure all points required by the Google team are correctly addressed. Many actions require fast responses and may obviously require good knowledge of Google Ads. In addition, you have to make sure that you are able to make the respective modifications to your website or digital assets.

Google Ads Grants is a great resource for any organization. However, it is a program that needs expertise, managing Google Ad Grants differs from Google Ads paid accounts. To get the most out of the program, be sure to continually meet the eligibility criteria and comply with the rules and guidelines. 

If your organization is looking to obtain Google Ad Grants, or has not been eligible in the past, or if your campaign results are not performing as well as expected, contact our experts for assistance. We are the leading Google Ad Grants agency in the country and have a team of experts in the different languages. We also conduct webinars and trainings for nonprofit marketeers in partnership with Google.

Following the massive success of last year’s report, Buzz Factory is about to release the Swiss Top 100 Nonprofits 2021 Report, which looks at the leading NGOs in the country in terms of their digital marketing performance. 

At Buzz Factory, we believe that opinions are good, but data is better. This groundbreaking report is the only data-based report that examines nonprofits using current digital marketing analytics, and you can claim your copy by attending the free webinar hosted by Buzz Factory on August 10th at 11 AM.

The Importance of Digital Marketing

If there’s anything we learned from 2020, it’s how important digital communication will become for all types of organizations, including nonprofits. However, not all organizations have been able to make the transition needed to safeguard their donor base. 

For this report, we analyzed over 500 organizations in Switzerland and collected their online performance data from January-April 2021. Last year’s report looked at 3 months’ worth of data (January-March 2020), but we extended the analysis period to 4 months this year to get an even more detailed view of each organization’s online presence. 

We analysed a variety of digital media channels to collect the data, and compared it to historical data to understand the trajectory of these NGOs over time.

Our extensive research into the online presence of Swiss NGOs reveals that the organizations which have thrived in 2021 were those who prioritized a digital-first approach to donor engagement. 

On the other hand, we’ve seen some surprising new entrants to the Top 100 giving the big organizations a run for their money. These nonprofits have managed to make a significant impact through their digital marketing efforts in this new online landscape.

Understanding the New Normal and the New Donor Journey

Perhaps the biggest impact which the pandemic had on Swiss nonprofits is the digitization of the donor journey. The way nonprofit organizations deliver their programs to potential donors and interested parties has been completely transformed.  

For the last 16 months, all of us have been gripped by the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. With social distancing and travel restrictions in place almost all around the world, NGOs have had the challenge to adapt to the “new normal”. They had to attract donors without many physical activities and with limited resources. 

 Our latest report reveals the importance of mastering these new donor journeys. Even if they don’t host virtual fundraising activities, all nonprofits are having to invest in online touch points migrate to online channels due to the pandemic, and this has prompted many organizations to adapt quickly to this change. The Swiss Top 100 Report analyses the data to explain how NGOs made the offline-online transition successful, and what other organizations can learn from their success stories to remain relevant and competitive today.

Who are this Year’s Top Risers?

In this year’s report, we compare the leading Swiss nonprofit organizations to last year’s leaders to reveal the top 20 movers in the digital landscape  in terms of strategies and  performance.

It was fascinating to see how these organizations quickly adapted to the changes, forced by the global pandemic. So Be prepared for some surprises! This year, there were some unexpected winners, while some  very well-known and established organizations were missing from the list. 

Have we seen improvements in all these metrics from 2020 to 2021? Make sure you register for the free webinar to find out. All attendees will get a free copy of our report.

We Show You What Worked and How to Future-Proof Your NGO

We know that any report is incomplete without the mention of top trends to watch out for and recommendations for the way forward. 

In our report, we’ve gone through analysis and drawn actionable insights from the trends we’ve noticed this year, including all the potential ways for nonprofit organizations to reach their donors in the new normal. There are many learnings for NGOs this year, as we embrace a more hybrid way of working and interacting with audiences. 

 For example, while some donor interactions are slowly returning to pre-pandemic norms, most touchpoints have now moved to digital platforms. Potential donors have adapted to these changes and now want to work with an organization that has a solid digital presence.

The Schedule for our Swiss Top 100 2021 Webinar

So, what can you expect in the webinar? 

The webinar is scheduled for August 10th, where we will reveal the top 100 most influential nonprofit organizations in Switzerland. We will be talking more about the report and all the efforts we’ve put into creating this valuable resource for NGOs who are seeking to broaden their impact online. Last year’s edition of the top 100 report was downloaded more than 2,000 times, and we expect that this year’s report will be even more successful, as it includes more valuable data and analysis… 

Data is an integral part of everything that we do here at Buzz Factory. We’ve looked at data from leading organizations in Switzerland, such as the World Economic Forum, the International Olympic Committee, IUCN, UN agencies based in Switzerland, ZEWO-certified organizations, sports federations (FIFA, FIBA, etc.) and others. We’ll discuss our findings from our analysis of these organizations’ metrics, and talk about how these metrics were affected by the challenges of the pandemic. 

We’ll also take a look at where the sector is going, like which areas are accelerating and which are being abandoned. 

Here’s the program for the webinar:

• 11:00-11:15 – Welcome
• 11:15-11:45 – Presentation of the report and insights
• 11:45-12:00 – Closing remarks

Register Today

If you run a nonprofit organization, handle marketing or communications for NGOs, or work with alliances and corporate responsibility partnerships, we’re sure you won’t want to miss this event and your chance to get the report. 

The cost of the report is CHF 160 for companies and CHF 120 for nonprofits; however, you can get it for free if you attend our free webinar on August 10th. 

What makes these Swiss nonprofits so successful on the Internet? How are they running the show? What’s in them that others NGO are lacking? Well, there may be plenty of similar questions in your mind that haven’t been answered so convincingly until this ground-breaking report by Buzz Factory.

Our main purpose by creating this document is to help the entire nonprofit sector better understand trends, best practices and challenges. We hope that this report will show the exact position where everyone stands today. We also aim to provide clear guidelines on how to succeed in online marketing.

If you run a nonprofit organisation, or work there as a marketing or communication executive, we are sure you don’t want to miss it. Why? To answer that, Buzz Factory has analysed more than 450 local and international organisations. We found key insights and valuable information about best practices, tools, priorities and more that we’ve enclosed in our report titled “Top 100: Swiss Most Influential Nonprofit Organisations on the Internet”. 

The launch of the report will be on 23rd June, CEST 10AM, to get your FREE invitation register in the link below:

What Makes it ‘One of a Kind’ Report

This “One of a Kind” report is about to launch soon and offers an in-depth analysis of Switzerland’s most dynamic organisations that have been building strong communities, position themselves as authorities on search engines and thrive on social networks.

The report is downright straightforward in terms of selection criteria, and it goes to show the ‘True and Fair’ standings of the nonprofits fully based on data. 

Data-driven analysis

No question about data accuracy as all the organisations included in the list can be validated in terms of online traffic, social media popularity, domain authority, user reviews. In this report, we’ve explained these indicators in great depth to help you learn how to improve your organisation’s online profile. 

Also, these indicators will help you gauge your current performance. You can easily identify what’s lacking and where you need to improve, in order to be part of those leading nonprofits in the list. 

Rising the standard

Yes, that’s right! If anything this report is, it’s the performance standard for all the new and old nonprofits that are striving to have a significant digital footprint. And this is what makes our report completely different from others. It is not just a review, a compendium of personal opinions, or, based on , a generic introduction to those organizations. 

We intended to go beyond conventional barriers, analysing these nonprofits through the most important channels they use, to bring out a comparable picture in front of you. The nonprofit digital environment today is very complex and challenging. We can differentiate leaders who are monopolizing the attention of swiss audiences and creating a gap between them and their followers. 

So, whether it’s about your website, your social media pages, communities, posts, user reviews, you can learn from the leading organisations to improve yours.

Takeaways

Perhaps the best thing about this report is its concluding part – the takeaway section. Again, we’ve kept it simple, to-the-point, and actionable so you can learn best practices of the industry. Here are some of the points we covered:

Domain authority

To get into the limelight or become Google’s favourite, you need to work and monitor your domain authority. Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz, that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). A Domain Authority score ranges from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank.

Social media presence

Don’t think that it’s sufficient to create your organisation’s profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other popular networks. Though follower counts can be a perfect measure of social media authority, in this report we also analysed the engagement rate of each and every account. In digital, every like and share is important.

E-reputation

Also, don’t think online reviews are worthless. In fact, they are the lifeblood for any organisation, profit, or nonprofit. E-reputation strives to protect and maintain an organization’s reputation and credibility. It involves creating, maintaining and leveraging all publicly available online information about an organization. Online reviews can have a positive or negative impact on the organization. Similar to real life, people online trust other people’s advice. For this report, we have used Google and Facebook reviews, as they are the most popular. 

You are invited

In a nutshell, the Top 100: Swiss Most Influential Nonprofit Organisations report has got everything to set new trends on the internet. It’s deep, with an unbiased methodology, and will give the best value to enhance the digital presence of any organisation.