I revisited the Google Ad Grant scheme and was pleased to see it is still in operation. I have gone through the small print and it looks like charitable membership organisations and associations can participate and receive up to £90,000 worth of Google AdWord credits per year (equivalent to $10,000 per month) provided they meet the set criteria.

– Apply to Google Non-Profits – TICK
– Hold valid Charity status – TICK
– Acknowledge and agree to non-discrimination and donation receipt and use – TICK
– Have a live website with substantial content – TICK

Google states that academic institutions are not eligible, however philanthropic arms of educational institutions are.

This got me thinking (dangerous I hear you cry) about my time at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) – They are a registered charity and have an International function that works on philanthropic projects (that include campaigning for donations from members and getting members to volunteer) across the globe, and from what I can gather they would almost certainly be eligible.

The scheme does not support commercial advertising so I don’t think we can start applying and assume that we can promote national conferences or journals/publications, but for those of us doing solid charitable work this is definitely something to consider/signpost to colleagues.

Find out more…

Instructions:

1. Select an email address to register (it must not be associated with an existing account)
2. Read the programme and terms
3. Complete the necessary information / login / apply (use USD as the currency) and do not complete billing information
4. Follow the instructions contained in the emails from Google
5. Once approved link your new AdWords account to Google Analytics (if you are using it)
6. If accepted – Get advertising