You may already know this, but just in case you don’t, I have a great tip for you. Google gives away up to $10,000 per month in Google Advertising, for free, to qualified non-profits. If you aren’t taking advantage of this, you should!
Go to google.com/grants, they have a video and a Non-Profit Guide that you can check out to learn more. First thing is to make sure you’re eligible; for the most part, you need to be a 501(c)3 or other qualified charitable organization, have a website, and agree to their terms for non-discrimination and donation receipt and use. Unfortunately, arts organizations that are governmentally tied or are part of an educational institution may not qualify, but check it out nonetheless.
If you qualify, here is what they offer (taken from their website):
Google Ad Grantees receive free AdWords advertising on Google search result pages. Ad Grantees build and manage their own AdWords accounts similar to paying advertisers, but participate with the following restrictions:
- A daily budget set to $329 USD, which is equivalent to about $10,000 per month
- A maximum cost-per-click (CPC) limit of $2.00 USD
- Only run keyword-targeted campaigns
- Only appear on Google search result pages
- Only run text ads
Even if you use paid search and display campaigns with other vendors, like we do at the CSO, this is still a good program to sign up for. It just helps get your name out even more. I use our Google AdWords Grant for more generic branding and mission-driven programs, while my paid campaigns are typically concert/event specific. You can also tie it to your Google Analytics page.
If you want to sign up, head here and follow the directions: google.com/nonprofits. Make sure you have some time to fill out the application as it can get pretty detailed. We were approved within a few days, but results may vary.
