Google Ad Grants · Verification
No error message, no timeline, no obvious fix. This is one of the most frustrating stages in the entire grant process — but the cause is almost always identifiable.
Quick answer
Many nonprofits describe Percent verification as a "dead end" or "infinite waiting loop." In most cases the issue can be resolved once the underlying mismatch or missing step is identified. The system often doesn't tell you which problem triggered the delay — which is why it feels so opaque.
Common causes
Cause 1 · Most common
Even small differences between what you submitted and what's on official records can cause delays: legal name spelling, punctuation variations (Inc. vs Incorporated), address formatting, outdated registration records, or inconsistent website domains.
Cause 2
Missing proof of nonprofit status, an expired registration certificate, outdated tax exemption documents, or missing legal filings. If anything is incomplete, the system may pause without a clear explanation.
Cause 3
Some applications are flagged for human review due to unusual organization names, unrecognized nonprofit types, recent incorporations, or international registrations that don't match Percent's standard verification patterns.
Cause 4
If your nonprofit was recently incorporated, changed its legal name, or updated its registration address, the official records Percent checks against may not yet reflect those changes — causing a mismatch.
Cause 5
Organizations outside the US sometimes encounter delays because Percent's verification systems handle some country-specific nonprofit registrations differently. Equivalency determination can add significant processing time.
How to fix it
Step 1
Compare everything you submitted to Percent against your official nonprofit registration documents. Check legal name character-by-character, address format, EIN, and website domain. Even minor discrepancies can hold up verification.
Step 2
Collect your IRS determination letter (for US 501(c)(3)s), current registration certificate, and any recent filings. Make sure documents are not expired and reflect your current legal name and address.
Step 3
Don't wait indefinitely. Contact Percent through their support portal at percent.org. Include your organization name, EIN or registration number, and your Google for Nonprofits application ID. Ask specifically what's causing the delay.
Step 4
If your registration records are outdated — old address, former name — update them with the relevant government body first. Then resubmit to Percent once the records reflect your current organization details.
Step 5
If Percent support doesn't resolve the issue, contact Google for Nonprofits directly. Reference your application and explain the verification delay. Google can sometimes intervene when Percent verification is genuinely stuck.
FAQ
Percent is the third-party organization Google uses to verify nonprofit eligibility in many regions. It checks that your organization has valid nonprofit status before Google approves your Ad Grant application.
Standard verification takes a few business days. If flagged for manual review, it can take 1–3 weeks or more. Contacting Percent directly is the most effective way to unblock a delayed application.
This usually means your registration records don't match what Percent expects. Double-check your EIN, legal name, and registration type. Newly incorporated organizations may not yet appear in Percent's database.
No. Percent (or an equivalent verifier) is a required step in Google for Nonprofits enrollment in most regions. You cannot proceed to the Ad Grant application without completing this step.
Contact Percent through their support portal at percent.org. Include your organization name, EIN or registration number, and your Google for Nonprofits application ID. Be specific about where you're stuck.
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