This article written by CanadaHelps was originally published on Hilborn.

Is your organization benefitting from Google for Nonprofits? If not, it’s time to take a look. Google for Nonprofits provides qualified organizations access to premium, licensed Google products at no cost. These products can be utilized by your organization to help you reach new donors and volunteers, work more efficiently, and tell your non-profit’s story. Fully cloud-based and managed by Google, they can also substantially cut down on your IT costs.

The following three programs can be game-changers for your organization:

Google Apps for Nonprofits

Google Apps for Nonprofits premium suite of cloud-based products includes Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive. Provided free of charge to qualified non-profits, it’s the paid service of choice for many successful for-profits helping them to reduce IT costs and increase staff productivity. The offer is packed with premium features and benefits.

You’ll have the ability to use your custom domain (e.g. name@organization.com). This professional presentation will make your donors and supporters feel more confident in your organization. Each member of your organization will receive 30GB of storage on Gmail and Google Drive, a secure cloud-based document sharing and creation tool which allows team members to share and collaborate on documents in real time. Accessible from anywhere using any device, you can stay connected with staff and/or volunteers disbursed across the city, country, or globe. You’ll also have access to 24/7 support.

Google Ad Grants

This program provides approved organizations with a $10,000 monthly grant to advertise through Google AdWords, Google’s online advertising tool. It’s a way to attract new site visitors, and donors, through online advertising using display ads that appear on Google’s search result pages.

Designed to deliver the best user experience, Google displays the most relevant advertisements based on the search terms entered. That’s great for people searching the Web. It’s also great for you as the advertiser as your ads are targeted and displayed to the people most likely to respond. Google also provides robust online tracking tools, in particular when you easily link your Google AdWords and Google Analytics account. You’ll be able to see what’s working and what isn’t so you can continually test and adapt your advertising to increase your fundraising success.

Google Ad Grants offers free advertising dollars and is a great way to reach new supporters. It does however require that you invest a significant amount of time to set up your initial campaigns and that you actively manage your account on a monthly basis. If you are new to online advertising, and if you’re able, consult with a Search Engine Marketer to help you get started. In addition to support in using the tool, to succeed at spending your grant you’ll need to learn how to identify queries someone who is likely to be interested in your site would submit. There are many techniques that an experienced Search Engine Marketer can share to help jumpstart your success with this program.

YouTube Nonprofit Program

If your organization isn’t already taking advantage of this program, you should be! Video is such a powerful method of storytelling, and sharing your organizations impact. Not only is YouTube the most popular video-sharing platform, videos hosted on YouTube can also drive search results! This means your video content has the potential to reach large audiences through Google searches.

As a member of the YouTube Nonprofit Program, you’ll receive free access to premium features that will increase the effectiveness of your content in achieving organizational results. Use the premium overlay feature to place a call-to-action in your video that encourages viewers to take the next step clicking a link to visit your website, learn more about your organization or cause, or to make a donation. Leverage the additional branding capabilities to stand out and create an engaging brand experience page.

Ready to Get Started?

The above are just three of the programs offered through the Google for Nonprofits program. Many small charities and non-profits don’t have the staff or space in their budgets for developing the technological infrastructure needed to create a strong and compelling digital strategy. The Google for Nonprofits program allows organizations of all sizes to benefit from great tools that aid with targeted advertising, donor acquisition, organizational productivity, and much more.

To learn more about the program, program eligibility, and how to apply click here.

Updated on November 1, 2024