Google Ad Grants · Eligibility
The eligibility rules are simpler than Google makes them seem. Here's exactly what you need — and what disqualifies you.
Quick answer
Many nonprofits spend weeks applying only to discover they were either ineligible or missing one small requirement. The good news: eligibility is straightforward once you understand the four core rules.
The requirements
Requirement 1
You must be a registered charitable organization. US: 501(c)(3) public charity. UK: registered charity with the Charity Commission. Canada: registered charity with CRA. Other countries: government-recognized nonprofit equivalent.
Requirement 2
You must be approved through Google for Nonprofits (google.com/nonprofits). Google uses Percent (formerly TechSoup) as a verification partner in many regions. This is separate from applying for the grant itself.
Requirement 3
Your website must have a clear mission statement, substantial and relevant content, working navigation, a privacy policy, and no excessive commercial ads. Google manually reviews sites as part of approval.
Requirement 4
You must agree to Google Ad Grants program policies. This includes not bidding on branded keywords of other organizations, maintaining a minimum 5% click-through rate, and running ads only for mission-related content.
Who is excluded
Excluded
Federal, state, and municipal agencies are not eligible — even if they provide public benefit. Government-affiliated foundations may qualify if they are independently structured as 501(c)(3)s.
Excluded
Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare systems are not eligible. Nonprofit hospital foundations that operate separately may qualify — but the hospital entity itself does not.
Excluded
Any organization primarily engaged in political campaigns, lobbying, or influencing legislation is not eligible. This includes political action committees (PACs) regardless of tax status.
Excluded
Organizations whose primary purpose is promoting religious beliefs or practices are not eligible. However, religious organizations running separate social services programs (food banks, shelters) may qualify for those programs specifically.
FAQ · Eligibility
In the US, yes — valid 501(c)(3) public charity status is required. Other countries have equivalents: UK registered charities, Canadian CRA-registered charities, and government-recognized nonprofits elsewhere.
Generally no — the applying organization needs its own nonprofit status. A fiscally sponsored project applying under a sponsor's EIN typically does not qualify on its own.
Clear mission statement, quality content relevant to your nonprofit, working links, no broken pages, privacy policy, and no excessive ads. The site cannot be primarily a fundraising or commercial platform.
Apply at google.com/nonprofits. Google uses Percent (formerly TechSoup) as a verification partner. You'll need proof of nonprofit status, your website URL, and organization details. Verification can take days to weeks.
Yes. Most rejection reasons can be corrected — website quality issues, incomplete verification, or missing policy pages. Fix the issue, then reapply. There's no penalty for reapplying after corrections.
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