--- title: "Google’s Nonprofit Ad Grants Program Sees Revamp" id: "41013" type: "post" slug: "googles-nonprofit-ad-grants-program-sees-revamp" published_at: "2018-01-04T23:27:45+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T21:05:26+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/01/04/googles-nonprofit-ad-grants-program-sees-revamp/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/01/04/googles-nonprofit-ad-grants-program-sees-revamp.md" excerpt: "The company is making higher-value keywords available to nonprofits that take part in its charitable Ad Grants program, but it will require that those nonprofits maintain high clickthrough rates to stay in the program." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Advertising" - "AssociationsNow" - "Marketing" - "nonprofit" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Google’s Nonprofit Ad Grants Program Sees Revamp If Google is at the center of your nonprofit marketing strategies, you may want to listen closely to the changes the company is making to its advertising program this month. The company, which offers nongovernmental organizations—including, in the U.S., those with 501(c)(3) tax status—up to $10,000 per month to use on Google AdWords as part of [its Google Ad Grants program (opens in a new tab)](https://www.google.com/grants/) , is shifting some of the requirements of the widely used program, which more than 35,000 nonprofits rely on. This is a major benefit for charitable organizations, but the program has traditionally had limitations that made it difficult to actually spend that $10,000 each month. Specifically, the program only allowed advertisers to bid on search terms with a cap of $2 or lower. [However, as Search Engine Land notes (opens in a new tab)](https://searchengineland.com/google-grants-policy-changes-5-percent-click-through-rate-288452) , the program now allows nonprofit advertisers to bid at higher rates using [a bid strategy called maximize conversions (opens in a new tab)](https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/7381968?hl=en) . That allows for higher bids than the standard under Google’s prior rules. But while that’s certainly the main benefit, the changes also come with some downsides. Most prominent among them is a requirement that clickthrough rates (CTR) on Ad Grant ads stay above 5 percent—a major jump from the prior requirement of 1 percent. Those who fail to reach the minimum standard will be removed from the program, though they can apply for reactivation later. “We recognize there are reasons why CTR may fluctuate, so you’ll be alerted through in-product notifications if your account is at risk of falling below 5 percent CTR with educational resources offered to improve,” [Google states in an informational page (opens in a new tab)](https://support.google.com/grants/answer/117827?hl=en&ref_topic=3500093) about the change. “If the CTR requirement isn’t met for two consecutive months, your account will be cancelled. You may request your account to be reinstated after you’ve adjusted your keywords to bring your account into compliance.” The changes, per the online advertising firm WordStream, also require that nonprofits not bid on branded keywords unaffiliated with the company, single-word keywords that aren’t branded, or extremely broad keywords. [WordStream’s Allen Finn says (opens in a new tab)](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/12/18/google-ad-grants-policy-changes) that these rules should be easy to comply with, but other quality requirements, including that keywords linking to your site have a Quality Score of 2 or higher, might be more challenging. “To make sure you stay above this low-water mark, weave your keywords into your ad copy, ensure your landing pages are fast, functional, and relevant, and constantly test your ad copy to improve your expected clickthrough rates,” Finn writes. The approach, per *Search Engine Land*, appears to be aimed at ensuring nonprofits maximize the value of the grants being offered to them. Google told the website that a 5 percent clickthrough rate is actually a little lower than it sees from the nonprofits that take part in the program. (inbj/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Advertising](https://associationsnow.com/tag/advertising/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#nonprofit](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nonprofit/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoDaily Recap: Day 1 from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/daily-recap-day-1-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. Attend MMC+T 2025!April 2, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/02/the-future-is-yours-to-create-attend-mmct-2025/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: National Adoption AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-national-adoption-association/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F01%2F04%2Fgoogles-nonprofit-ad-grants-program-sees-revamp%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !