How to Actually Use the Google Ad Grant (Without a Marketing Team)

• How Google Search Ads Work (Explained Simply)

• Why Start With a Brand Campaign‍

• Step-by-Step: Your First Ad Campaign‍

• 5 Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)‍

• Campaign Automation on a Shoestring Budget‍

• ‍How to Know If It's Working‍

• Ready for What's Next?

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You got the Google Ad Grant—congratulations! You now have access to $10,000 per month in free advertising credit to run Google Ads for your nonprofit. But if you're staring at your Google Ads dashboard feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. This guide covers how to use Google Ad Grants effectively without a marketing team.

Here’s the good news: You don't need to run 12 campaigns or master every Google Ads feature to use your grant. Two or three effective campaigns that attract a few more donors or volunteers this month are a great place to start.

Since this may feel a bit overwhelming right now, we’re going to start with the simplest, safest campaign: promoting your own organization's name. Once you see how it works through creating an ad for your brand, everything else will become much clearer.

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How Google Search Ads Work (Explained Simply)

Think of Google Ads like a digital billboard that only appears when someone is actively looking for what you offer. In search ads, your job is to choose keywords - or the words one types into their search bar - that pick the billboard your driver is hoping to find. That hope behind the words typed in is called ‘search intent.’

Here's the basic flow for a search ad: Someone searches → Your ad appears → They click → They visit your website → They take action

For example: Someone searches "Hope Animal Rescue Austin" → Your ad appears at the top → They click → They land on your adoption page → They fill out an adoption application.

You only pay when someone clicks (though Google covers this cost through your grant). The key is making sure the right people see your ads and that your website a) matches their intent and b) gives them something meaningful to do when they arrive.

💡 Quick Tip: Your pages can offer meaningful actions, such as donation opportunities, using embeddable, free donation forms built with Zeffy. This makes it easy to add engagement opportunities to your page while keeping users on your website (which is required according to the Google Ad Grant rules). 

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Why Start With a Brand Campaign

Start your first ad by highlighting your brand and targeting searches for your organization that direct people to your homepage. In this campaign, your keywords are your brand names, including your nicknames and common misspellings. 

This highly-targeted ad creates a welcoming introduction and guides more visitors right to where they can learn about you. Since most nonprofits are unlikely to spend their full grant amount each day, and these clicks are likely to be among the cheapest ones you have in your account. It’s only a benefit to your organization to do so.

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Further, this is the perfect starting point because:

• ✅ Improved CTR: Google Ad Grant accounts need to maintain a click-through rate (CTR) of more than 5%, and this kind of campaign typically lifts your account-wide average.

• ✅ Control results: Instead of relying on whatever Google would show in typical search results, ads are crafted by your team to put the organization’s best foot forward. 

• ✅ Become findable: By targeting searches for variations of your name and old names, it’s less likely that people searching for you will get confused or lost.

• ✅ Easy setup: There’s no complex keyword research required; these are all terms you know well.

• ✅ Quick wins: You'll see more meaningful ad results sooner.

• ✅ Safe learning: It’s hard to mess up and easier to optimize when needed.

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Real example: When someone searches for "charity water," charity: water’s sponsored results appear at the top of the search results (you can see it live in the ad transparency center). These results will surface even if there’s a typo, and it will include the exact language and links their marketing team knows will be the most likely to turn viewers into supporters. 

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Step-by-Step: Your First Search Campaign

• Step 1: Open a New Campaign

• Step 2: Name and Configure Your Campaign

• Step 3: Create Your Ad Group

• Step 4: Write Your Ad

• Step 5: Add Required Extensions

• Step 6: Review and Launch

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Let's build your Google Ad brand campaign together. This will teach you much of what you need to know about creating ads, choosing keywords, and setting up campaigns.

This guide assumes you are in classic mode, and not smart setup, as advised in the guide to applying for and activating your Google Ad Grant account. This ensures you have the control you need to use the account well and get as much as you can from your efforts. 

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Step 1: Open a New Campaign

• 1. In Google Ads, click "Campaigns" in the left menu

• 2. Click the blue "+" button

• 3. Choose "New Campaign"

• 4. Select "Create a campaign without guidance"

• 5. Choose "Search" as your campaign type

• 6. Keep all conversion goals selected

• 7. Check "Website visits"

• 8. Enter your website URL (must start with "https://")

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Step 2: Name and Configure Your Campaign

Campaign name: Use something clear like "[Your Org Name] - Core Content"

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📍 Location Targeting (Critical!):

• Never choose "All countries" (this violates the Google Ad Grant rules)

• Choose where your supporters actually visit and/or live, for example:
  
  • Local nonprofits: Your city or metro area
  • Regional nonprofits: Your state or region
  • National nonprofits: United States

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💰 Budget: Set to $329 per day (this helps your ads serve consistently)

🎯 Bidding: Choose "Maximize Conversions" (Google requires conversion-based bidding)

Important Tip: Even if you have multiple campaigns, bid at least $329/day for each one. Yes, this means you’re actually setting budgets that add up to much more than $10,000/month. Rest assured, the Google Ad Grant will auto-cap once the account hits its spending limit. Giving each campaign a larger budget helps your account deliver more ads more often.

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Step 3: Create Your Ad Group

Think of ad groups as folders that organize related keywords and ads. In your first campaign, create one ad group called "Brand Terms."

Here's how to build your keyword list:

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📝 Your organization's exact name:

• Hope Animal Rescue

• Hope Animal Rescue Austin

• Hoep Animal Rescue Austin, TX

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📝 Common variations people might search:

• Hope Animal Shelter (if people confuse you)

• Hope Rescue

• Hope Animal Rescue Austin (with your city)

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📝 Misspellings and old names:

• Hope Animal Recue (common misspelling)

• Austin Pet Rescue (if that was your former name)

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Step 4: Write Your Ad

Now comes the fun part—writing an ad that converts visitors into supporters. You need at least three headlines and two descriptions, but I recommend filling out at least 10 headlines and three descriptions. The more options you provide, the better Google can mix-and-match them to optimize your ad for the combination that gets you the best results. 

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🎯 Headlines (30 characters max each):

• 1. [Your Organization Name]

• 2. [What You Do] in [Your City]

• 3. [Your Main Impact/Service]

• 4. [Call to Action]

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📝 Example for Hope Animal Rescue:

• Headline 1: Hope Animal Rescue

• Headline 2: Dog & Cat Adoption Austin

• Headline 3: Saving Lives Since 2010

• Headline 4: Adopt Your New Best Friend

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📖 Descriptions (90 characters max each):

• 1. Brief mission statement + what people can do

• 2. Your impact + clear next step

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📝 Example descriptions:

• Description 1: Find your perfect companion! We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs and cats in Central Texas.

• Description 2: Visit our adoption center or volunteer with us. Every animal deserves a loving home.

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✅ Ad Writing Checklist:

• Include your organization's name 

• Mention your location if relevant

• Echo keywords from your ad group

• Include a clear call-to-action

• Focus on what the user wants

• Keep it conversational and warm

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💡 Bonus: I developed this custom GPT that can help you brainstorm effective Google Ad Grant ad copy with a little help from your organization’s website.

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Step 5: Add Required Extensions

Google requires at least two "Sitelinks" per ad—these are additional links that appear under your main ad.

• 1. Go to "Ads & extensions" → "Extensions"

• 2. Click "+" and choose "Sitelink"

• 3. Add at least four links to important pages:

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💡 Sitelink Ideas:

• "Adopt a Pet Today" → your adoption page

• "Volunteer Opportunities" → your volunteer page

• "Make a Donation" → your donation page

• "About Our Work" → your about page

• "Upcoming Events" → your events page

• "Get In Touch" → your contact page

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⚠️ Critical Rule: All links must go to pages on your approved website domain. No Facebook, Eventbrite, or external links. This means the link to any webpage should look like one of these two structures: officialwebpage.org/pagelinkname or pagelinkname.officialwebpage.org

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Step 6: Review and Launch

Before hitting "Create Campaign," double-check:

• ✅ Location targeting is set (not "All countries")

• ✅ Budget is $329/day

• ✅ Bidding is "Maximize Conversions"* 

• ✅ You have at least four sitelinks

• ✅ All links go to a page that lives on your website

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Click "Create Campaign" and you're live!

*About Conversions: This guide assumes that your conversions are already set up. If not, these can be a little tricky. You need to go to “Goals”  →  “Conversions”  →  “Add New Conversion” to get started. If you are, or someone you know is, particularly tech-savvy, click here to watch a Google video on the most straightforward installation possible through Google Ads itself.

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5 Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

❌ Mistake 1: Sending Everyone to Your Homepage

✅ Fix: Choose landing pages for each ad that are the best match.
Why it matters: People who click "volunteer opportunities" don't want to hunt through your homepage for them.

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❌ Mistake 2: Targeting "Everywhere"

✅ Fix: Target where your supporters actually live or visit.
Why it matters: Local food banks don’t benefit from traffic that comes from across the country.

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❌ Mistake 3: Ignoring Conversion Tracking

✅ Fix: Set up Google Analytics 4 and import conversions.
Why it matters: Without tracking, Google can't optimize for results.

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❌ Mistake 4: Using Vague Keywords

✅ Fix: Use specific, location-based, intent-focused keywords
Example: Instead of "charity," use "homeless shelter volunteer Chicago"

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❌ Mistake 5: Set-and-Forget Mentality

✅ Fix: Log in monthly to review and optimize your ads.
Why it matters: Fixing things earlier avoids bigger issues down the road, and small improvements add up over time.

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Campaign Tools on a Shoestring Budget

🔧 Built-in Google Tools:

• Keyword Planner: Use Google’s built-in tool for keyword research.

• Google Trends: Discover trending searches to optimize your ads. 

• Google For Nonprofits Community: Use this discussion board to ask questions and get answers from more experienced users. 

• Dynamic Search Ads: Let Google choose ad text and landing pages to discover more ways to attract traffic over time. 

• Ad Transparency Center: Get ideas for ad text by searching for similar organizations and reviewing their ads.

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🤖 AI-Powered Shortcuts: Use ChatGPT to generate ad variations:

Example: “Generate 10 compelling ad headlines for a nonprofit campaign that are each under 30 characters. At least 4 of the headlines should include a specified keyword, and all of them should use a catchy, positive, action-oriented tone to encourage engagement.”

💡 Bonus: Try my custom GPT to brainstorm effective headlines and descriptions with a bit of help from your organization’s website.

📊 Simple Tracking:

• Check performance weekly in Google Ads

• Use Google Analytics to see what happens after clicks

• Keep a simple spreadsheet of monthly results

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How to Know If It's Working

📈 Check These Numbers Monthly:

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Click-Through Rate (CTR):

• Good: Above 5% (required for compliance)

• Great: Above 8%

• What it means: Percentage of people who see your ad and click

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Quick Fix: Pause ads with the lowest CTRs to boost your overall CTR average.

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Conversions:

• Track: Form submissions, downloads, donations, sign-ups

• Goal: At least 1-2 conversions per week to start

• What it means: People taking meaningful actions on your site

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Search Terms Report:

• Check: What people actually searched before clicking

• Look for: Unexpected relevant searches to add as keywords

• Red flags: Irrelevant searches (add as negative keywords)

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💡 Quick Monthly Checklist: 

• ✅ CTR above 5%

• ✅ At least a few conversions

• ✅ Review search terms for new keyword ideas

• ✅ Check that all links still work

• ✅ Add negative keywords for irrelevant searches

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Remember: Even 10 new people learning about your cause or two new monthly donors is a valuable impact from free advertising.

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Ready for What's Next?

You don't need to become a Google Ads expert overnight. Start with your brand campaign this week—it's simple, safe, and builds confidence.

Ready to create high-converting donation and event pages for your campaigns? Zeffy helps nonprofits like yours fundraise and generate embeddable donation forms for free. Start creating custom donation opportunities and forms for your ad landing pages and make the most of your Google Ad Grant today. 

💡 Need more ideas? Dive into more Google Ad Grant use cases in the following guide.