# Google Ad Grants for UK Charities: A Practical Guide

Source: https://dijitulmarketing.co.uk/guides/google-ad-grants-for-charities-guide/
Updated: 2026-10-18

> Google Ad Grants gives eligible charities up to $10,000 a month of Google Search ads at no cost, provided the account follows Google's rules, including a 5% monthly click-through rate. dijitul sets up and manages Ad Grants accounts for UK charities from £150 a month + VAT, keeping them compliant and focused on donations, volunteers and enquiries.

## Key facts

- Google Ad Grants offers qualifying nonprofits up to $10,000 a month in search ads shown on Google.com (Google)
- UK charities must be registered with the Charity Commission, OSCR or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or recognised by HMRC as a charity (Google for Nonprofits)
- Every organisation must also be verified by Goodstack, Google's validation partner (Google for Nonprofits)
- Accounts must keep a 5% click-through rate each month at account level; two consecutive months below it leads to temporary deactivation (Google Ad Grants policy)
- Accounts need at least 2 sitelinks, proper location settings and conversion tracking (Google Ad Grants policy)
- dijitul manages Google Ad Grants accounts from £150 a month + VAT

## What the grant gives you

Google says qualifying nonprofits can access up to $10,000 a month in search ads shown on Google.com. It is in-kind advertising, not cash: you never receive money, and unused budget does not roll over. The ads are text ads on Google Search results.

Used well, the grant can bring in donors, volunteers, service users, event bookings and shop customers. Used badly, it gets suspended. Many charities never spend more than a fraction of the allowance because the rules restrict what the account can bid on.

## Who is eligible in the UK

Google for Nonprofits sets eligibility by country. For the UK, an organisation needs valid charity status, for example registration with:

- the Charity Commission for England and Wales
- OSCR in Scotland
- the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
- or recognition as a charity by HMRC for tax purposes (including exempt charities)

Google excludes government bodies and hospitals or healthcare organisations, although charitable arms or foundations of healthcare organisations can qualify. You also need a working website with substantial content about your mission.

## How to apply

- **Request a Google for Nonprofits account** using your charity details.
- **Complete Goodstack verification.** Google for Nonprofits says every organisation must be verified by Goodstack, its validation partner. Goodstack may email you from verifications@mail.goodstack.org for documents, so check your spam folder.
- **Activate Ad Grants** in the Google for Nonprofits dashboard and complete the eligibility form.
- **Set up the Ad Grants account** with conversion tracking, campaigns, ads and sitelinks that meet the policies from day one.

Use a Google account linked to an organisation email address, not a personal one, so access survives staff changes.

## The rules that catch charities out

Google's Ad Grants account management policy requires:

- **5% click-through rate** each month at account level. Two consecutive months below it leads to temporary deactivation.
- **At least 2 unique sitelink assets.**
- **Proper location settings**, targeting places where people will find your information and services useful.
- **Conversion tracking** that meets Google's Ad Grants guide. For accounts created on or after 22 April 2019, at least one conversion type must record at least one conversion a month.
- **Conversion-based bidding**: each campaign must use Maximise conversions, Maximise conversion value, target CPA or target ROAS.
- **Responding to the programme survey** Google sends to participating organisations.

The 5% CTR rule is where most accounts struggle. Broad, generic keywords bring impressions without clicks. Pause low-CTR keywords, write specific ads, and focus on searches closely tied to your work.

Policies change, so read Google's current Ad Grants policy pages before making big changes, and check the account's policy notices every month. A short monthly compliance check takes far less time than getting a suspended account reinstated.

## Making the grant useful

- **Define real conversions**: donations, volunteer sign-ups, referrals, event bookings, newsletter sign-ups. Track them as GA4 key events and import them.
- **Build campaigns around services and questions** people search for, such as advice topics, support services or local volunteering, not just your charity name.
- **Create landing pages that answer the search** with a clear next step.
- **Run a paid account alongside** if you need to compete on competitive fundraising terms. The grant is restricted; a normal Google Ads account is not.
- **Review monthly**: CTR, conversions, search terms and policy notices.

Report results to trustees in terms they care about: donations, volunteers recruited and people helped, not impressions. That keeps the grant visible as a real asset rather than a free extra nobody checks.

## How dijitul helps

We set up and manage Google Ad Grants accounts from £150 a month + VAT, covering compliance checks, keywords, ads, sitelinks, conversion tracking and monthly reporting. If tracking is needed, conversion tracking is £145 + VAT one-off. See also marketing for charities and our guide to growing an email list legally, which covers the new charity soft opt-in.

## FAQs

### How much is a Google Ad Grant worth?

Google says qualifying nonprofits can access up to $10,000 a month in search ads on Google.com. It is in-kind advertising, so you never receive cash, unused budget does not roll over, and spend is limited by the programme rules on bidding and keywords.

### Is my UK charity eligible for Google Ad Grants?

Usually, if you are registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or recognised as a charity by HMRC. Government bodies and hospitals are excluded, although healthcare charities and foundations can qualify. You must also pass Goodstack verification.

### Why was our Ad Grants account suspended?

The most common reason is a click-through rate below 5% for two consecutive months. Others include missing conversion tracking, no conversions recorded, fewer than two sitelinks, or not answering Google's programme survey. Fix the cause, then request reactivation through the account.

### Does Google Ad Grants cost anything?

The advertising itself is free within the grant. The cost is the time to set up and manage the account properly. dijitul manages Ad Grants accounts from £150 a month + VAT. Some charities manage it in-house with staff or volunteers who have Google Ads experience.

### Can we run normal Google Ads as well as a grant?

Yes. Many charities run a paid Google Ads account alongside the grant account for competitive fundraising searches or display and YouTube campaigns, which the grant does not cover. The two accounts must be separate.

### What counts as a conversion for Ad Grants?

Meaningful actions such as donations, volunteer sign-ups, contact forms, event registrations or newsletter sign-ups. Google's policy requires conversion tracking that meets its Ad Grants guide, and accounts created since 22 April 2019 need at least one conversion a month.

## Prices and contact

Prices (all from, + VAT; ad spend separate): Google Ads management £150 a month; Paid social (Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok) £150 a month; Social media management £125 a month; Email marketing £95 a month; Marketing automation set-up £195; SMS marketing £75 a month; GA4 set-up £95; Conversion tracking £145; Data Studio (Looker Studio) dashboard £145; Conversion rate optimisation £195 a month; Content marketing £195 a month; Consultancy, audits and strategy £45 an hour. All prices are "from" and exclude VAT. Ad spend is separate and paid directly to Google, Microsoft, Meta, LinkedIn or TikTok. Paid media management is from £150 a month or 10 to 15% of ad spend, whichever is higher. You own every ad account, pixel, audience and email list we set up. Contact: https://dijitulmarketing.co.uk/contact/ · 01623 650333 · info@dijitul.uk