As we celebrate our 8th birthday, we feel truly inspired by all the incredible work you do and the way you use Google Grants to achieve your missions, reach your constituents, raise awareness about your cause and succeed in the world of online marketing.
So, we’d like to celebrate our birthday by sharing eight great pieces of Grantee wisdom from this year’s pool of extraordinary testimonials.
Thank you for making Google Grants a part of your organization.
Friendship Circle We have used Google Grants to promote Friendship Circle's many different programs and activities. In addition we are using Google Grants to point people to our blog. Tzvi Schectman - Family Coordinator, Friendship Circle
spcaLA Constantly monitor and use your Google AdWords. Use the tools provided by Google - especially keyword generators. Run reports. Change things that aren't working. Run ads for everything you have to offer! Miriam Davenport - Sr. Director of Development, spcaLA
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Use keyword insertion! I finally just tried it and I'm seeing immediate results (higher click-through rates). Kim Ranney - Online Marketing Manager, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
International Finance Corporation Active management of the Google Grants campaigns is crucial. In addition, all traffic is not necessarily quality traffic. It's important to manage the campaigns in such a way that you're continuously targeting/reaching high-quality leads, rather than just barnstorming. Seth Fleisher - Product Manager, SME Toolkit, International Finance Corporation
The Writer's Center Setting a schedule to update/manage your AdWords can prove helpful, as well as designating a specific staff member for the task. Kyle Semmel - Publications & Communications Manager / Interim Director, The Writer's Center
Indian Land Tenure Foundation Make sure to link your AdWords account with Google Analytics so you can easily track the effectiveness of your ads based on the goals for your website. Pay attention to the popular, high performing keywords. Make sure your ads are designed to maximize these keywords and make sure that the content on your website matches what a user would expect to find using these search terms. If a user is lured in by an ad for one thing and finds something entirely different on your website, this will increase bounce rates and potentially damage your credibility. Erin Dennis - Communications Specialist, Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Artist Organized Art, Inc. Take advantage of local, regional and global targeting. Use the AdWords client side tools. Optimize your campaigns. Develop your agendas in terms of campaigns and use the "opportunities" Google is regularly finding for you... it's literally the benefit of a team of really, really smart people advancing your organization's cause. Joshua Selman - President, Artist Organized Art, Inc.
Big Cat Rescue The best way to make the most of your Google Grant is to check in every day to see what is happening via Google Alerts and customizing your AdWords to meet those changing needs. Carole Baskin - CEO, Big Cat Rescue
Posted by Jessica Vaughan, Google Grants Team
We offer grantees educational resources such as the Beginner's Guide and the Google Grants Help Center. We recommend referring to these resources whenever you have questions, but also wanted to share some frequently asked questions that we have been receiving from prospective grantees and newbies.
1. Does our organization already have to be established and with a developed reputation in order to be eligible for Google Grants?
No. Do not hesitate to make full use of this program just because your organization is new. Although your organization's success and reputation are of great value, we also support newly established organizations with a passion for charity. However, please be aware that we ask your organization to have a charity status in your country. (In the U.S., for example, 501(c)(3) status is required.) You can refer to our program guidelines for detailed information around eligibility requirements.
2. We do not have in-depth knowledge of Google AdWords. Should we hire an advertising agency to manage our account?
AdWords is developed to be a self-service product, and with our online resources you should be able to get started comfortably. As a participant in the Google Grants program, we require you to be responsive to our email requests and log in to your account monthly (if not more often) to review campaign performance and improve your account, tasks that do not require you to hire an agency.
3. Within our organization we have multiple projects with different goals. Can we have multiple AdWords accounts to manage these projects independently?
At this time, each organization may only have a single AdWords account. However, your organization can have multiple campaigns within your account, with each campaign focused on a distinct goal or project.
4. Can Google sponsor events organized by our organization, or other aspects of our business?
Since launching in 2003 in the US, Google Grants has expanded its reach to 27 countries around the world, including Israel in 2008. The program has helped many Israeli non-profits increase their web presence and allowed them to grow donations to support their causes. The three Israeli organizations below explain how they have benefited from the Google Grants program.
The Aviv Organization for Holocaust Survivors was founded in 2007 to protect the rights of Holocaust survivors. It is the only organization in Israel that trains volunteers, professionals and Holocaust survivors in all aspects of realization of survivors’ rights. Their Google AdWords campaign has contributed to a large number of direct inquiries and offers of assistance for the survivors. In fact, the AdWords campaign accounts for one-third of all the traffic to their website since its creation.
Established in 2003, El Halev is a non-profit organization that effects social change by empowering women of all ages and by reducing violence against women, teens, children, seniors and people with disabilities by means of training in martial arts and self-defense. After launching an AdWords campaign El Halev has seen “a substantial increase in the number and quality of inquiries coming from their website thanks to Google Grants”.
The New Family organization specializes in legal counsel for family issues as well as support for civil marriages, wills and inheritance, same sex marriages and more. The organization has seen "an increase of at least 40% in the traffic to the website since the beginning of our Google supported campaign." Rachel, the organization’s founder, pointed out that the impact of Google's donation has been extraordinary and has allowed them to help a much larger audience, including people who did not know that solutions existed to their problems and that are now enjoying the special services the organization provides.
If you are a registered non-profit in Israel and would like to apply for the Google Grants program please visit this page for more information. For more grantee success stories check out our testimonials page.
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