How to Qualify for Google Ad Grants: A Simple Nonprofit Checklist

By Semper Fi Design • South Carolina (Serving Nonprofits Nationwide)

Google Ad Grants can provide eligible nonprofits with up to $10,000/month in free Search ads. The challenge is that many organizations get stuck at eligibility, verification, or website readiness. Use this checklist to confirm you’re prepared — and avoid common delays.

Quick Eligibility Checklist

• Your organization is a registered nonprofit (U.S. typically 501(c)(3))
• You’re not a government entity, hospital/healthcare org, or a standard academic institution
• Your website clearly represents your nonprofit mission and includes meaningful content
• Your site has a clear way for visitors to take action (donate, volunteer, apply, subscribe, etc.)

Once you qualify, the next challenge is keeping your account compliant and optimized. We break that down in our guide on Google Ad Grants rules and compliance , including what to monitor each month to avoid account limitations.

Website Readiness (What Google Looks For)

Before approval, your website should:

• Load quickly and function well on mobile
• Have clear navigation and a secure experience (HTTPS)
• Contain mission-aligned content (not thin pages or placeholder sections)
• Include transparent nonprofit information (about, contact, programs)

Common Reasons Applications Get Stalled

• Site content is too thin or unclear
• No clear “next step” (CTA) for users
• Verification mismatch (entity name/address differences)
• Technical issues (broken pages, slow speed, poor mobile usability)

Next Steps After You Qualify

1. Enroll in Google for Nonprofits
2. Complete verification
3. Activate Ad Grants
4. Build a compliant campaign structure + conversion tracking

Eligibility is just the first step. To actually drive donations or volunteers, your campaigns must be structured correctly. See our walkthrough on keyword strategy and campaign structure for nonprofits .

Need help from start to finish? Learn about our Google Ad Grants setup & management service .