Google for Nonprofits will see NPOs get up to $10k in free Google advertising

Google South Africa has launched Google for Nonprofits, an initiative aimed at assisting NPOs in making use of Google’s products and tools.

The initiative was launched in South Africa, Kenya and Botswana and will see NPOs get amongst other benefits Free AdWords advertising worth up to $10 000 per month.

Some of the problems that NPOs face is access to internet and technology tools. The Google for Nonprofits is targeted at dealing with problems like these.

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This initiative like Google Academy for NGOs, which Google launched earlier this year with workshops held around the country, is aimed at helping NPOs to use web tools to their benefit.

Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Public Policy Manager for Google South Africa, suggests that access is not the only problem but also spending money on the correct technology to assist in running the business is a factor.

“A lack of understanding regarding how to use web technologies means that they often end up paying huge amounts of money for proprietary software, which they may not use or even need”.

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There are three ways in which NPOs can benefit from Google for Nonprofits initiative:

1. Google Ad Grants: Free AdWords advertising (up to USD $10,000 per month) to promote their websites on Google through keyword targeting.
2. Google Apps for Nonprofits: Free version of the Google Apps business productivity suite (Gmail, Docs, Forms, Calendar and more), so they can run their email and important documents in the cloud and work collaboratively on documents while dramatically reducing IT costs.
3. YouTube for Nonprofits: With premium branding capabilities on YouTube channels, and increased uploading capacity.

One of the NPOs that has already made use of the Google for Nonprofits products and tools is The Smile Foundation.

Google South Africa says that The Smile Foundation has had great success in growing referrals to their website, increase online donations, and promote their organisation to brands and companies for fundraising partnerships.

NPOs can apply to the program here.