Google Ad Grant for Australian charities: Eligibility, application and compliance

What the Google Ad Grant is

The Google Ad Grant is an in-kind advertising programme that provides eligible not-for-profits with $10,000 USD per month in free Google Search advertising, approximately $15,000 AUD at current exchange rates.

The Grant applies to Google Search ads only. It cannot be used for Display advertising, YouTube ads, or Shopping campaigns. Ads appear in Google Search results in the same positions as paid ads, marked as “Sponsored.”

For community organisations with limited marketing budgets, $15,000 AUD per month in free search advertising is a transformative resource. It can drive referrals to legal services, connect vulnerable people with support, increase donation volumes, and raise awareness of services in the communities that need them.

Who is eligible in Australia

To qualify for the Google Ad Grant in Australia, your organisation must meet all of the following criteria.

• Hold current ACNC registration as a charity (or DGR status from the ATO)
• Have a live website with a clear mission statement and calls to action
• Agree to Google’s non-profit programme terms and certify non-discriminatory practices
• Not be a government entity, hospital, healthcare organisation, or school/university
• Not primarily serve to drive donations or raise funds for other organisations

Who is excluded

• Government agencies and bodies
• Hospitals and healthcare providers (community health organisations may qualify — check with Google)
• Schools, universities, and childcare centres (educational charities with a separate non-educational mission may qualify)
• Organisations whose primary purpose is grantmaking to other organisations

Website requirements for the Google Ad Grant

This is where most organisations run into difficulty. Google assesses your website both at the time of application and on an ongoing basis. A site that does not meet the requirements will either delay or prevent approval and a site that degrades over time can trigger suspension.

What Google requires

• A clear mission statement — what your organisation does and who it serves
• Substantive content relevant to your mission, not a single-page site or primarily a donation form
• No broken links or pages returning errors
• No excessive advertising on the site itself
• Clear calls to action on the landing pages used in your ads
• Conversion tracking configured in Google Analytics 4
• Secure HTTPS throughout
• Content that is regularly updated — a static, unchanged site raises flags

What will disqualify your site

• A site that is primarily a donation portal with minimal other content
• Broken pages or significant numbers of 404 errors
• A site that looks unfinished or has placeholder content
• Excessive third-party advertising (Google Ads on a Google-funded site is not permitted)
• No clear relevance between landing pages and the keywords in your ads

How to apply for the Google Ad Grant in Australia

1. Verify eligibility through Infoxchange

   Register at infoxchange.org and apply for TechSoup verification. You will need your ABN and evidence of ACNC registration. This step takes two to four weeks.

2. Create a Google for Nonprofits account

   Once verified by Infoxchange, go to google.com/nonprofits and apply using your TechSoup token. Review and agree to the programme terms.

3. Check and prepare your website

   Before applying for the Grant itself, ensure your website meets Google’s quality guidelines. Fix broken links, add a clear mission statement, and ensure landing pages have relevant content and calls to action.

4. Set up Google Analytics 4 with conversion tracking

   Configure GA4 on your site and define meaningful conversions. Form submissions, phone clicks, resource downloads. Google requires at least one active conversion before your account can become fully operational.

5. Apply for Google Ad Grants

   From your Google for Nonprofits dashboard, activate Google Ad Grants. You will be asked to confirm your website URL and agree to additional Grant terms.

6. Build and launch your first campaigns

   Create campaigns using keywords relevant to your mission. Follow Google’s Ad Grant campaign guidelines, no single-word keywords, bids capped at $2.00 USD, and only keywords directly related to your charitable purpose.

Ongoing compliance requirements

Receiving the Grant is straightforward. Keeping it requires consistent attention. These are the requirements that most commonly cause suspensions.

Click-through rate above 5%

Your account must maintain an overall click-through rate (CTR) of at least 5% each month. If it falls below this threshold for two consecutive months, your account will be suspended. This is the single most common cause of Grant suspension and the one most directly affected by the quality of your website landing pages.

No single-word keywords

Keywords must have at least two words. Single-word keywords such as “lawyer” or “housing” are not permitted. Keywords must also be directly relevant to your charitable mission. Generic keywords unrelated to your services will be flagged.

Active conversion tracking

At least one meaningful conversion must be tracked in Google Analytics 4. “Website visits” alone does not count — the conversion should represent a meaningful action such as a form submission, a phone call, or a resource download.

Ad relevance and quality

Google monitors the relevance of your ads to your keywords and landing pages. Ads with poor quality scores reduce your effective reach and can contribute to CTR problems. Landing pages must contain content directly relevant to the ads pointing to them.

Annual programme survey

Google requires Grant recipients to complete an annual survey confirming their continued eligibility and programme compliance.

If your Google Ad Grant has been suspended

Grant suspensions are more common than most organisations realise. If your account has been suspended, the path to reinstatement depends on the reason for suspension.

Low click-through rate

Improve your campaign structure, refine your keywords, pause underperforming ads, and improve the relevance of your landing pages. Once your CTR is above 5%, you can request reinstatement through your Google Ads account.

Policy violations

Review the violation notice in your account, address the specific issues identified, and submit a reinstatement request. Some violations require manual review and take several weeks to resolve.

Website quality issues

If your site has been flagged for quality issues, fix the specific problems identified and provide evidence of the changes when requesting reinstatement. This often requires updating content, fixing broken links, or improving landing page relevance.

Managing the Grant well

Many organisations receive the Grant but consistently spend only a fraction of the available budget. The $10,000 USD monthly cap is generous, but reaching it requires a well-structured campaign, strong keywords, and landing pages that convert.

Organisations that get the most from their Grant typically:

• Invest in high-quality landing pages with clear content and calls to action
• Use keyword research to identify what their communities actually search for
• Review campaign performance monthly and adjust accordingly
• Track meaningful conversions rather than just clicks
• Keep their website content regularly updated and relevant
• Have someone accountable for the account — internal or external

For organisations without in-house digital capability, professional Grant management is usually cost-effective when measured against the value of the advertising budget at stake.

Frequently asked questions