Your nonprofit group may be eligible for free help from Google

canstockphoto17675093Did you know that Google offers programs designed specifically for nonprofit organizations? This is worth checking out if your nonprofit organization could use a marketing boost and has a limited budget.

The Google for Nonprofits program offers tools specifically designed to help nonprofit organizations promote themselves, reach potential donors and volunteers, and monitor the effectiveness of their online presence.

The best part is that these services are free, once you are accepted into the program.

To be eligible, your organization must be recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization formed for charitable, educational, religious, literary, scientific or other tax-exempt purposes.

Government entities and organizations, hospitals and health care organizations, schools, child care centers, academic institutions and universities are not eligible. If you are part of an educational institution, be sure to check out Google for Education.

To apply for the Google for Nonprofits program, simply complete the online application and wait for an approval from Google. According to Google’s website, approvals can take just seconds or up to several days if additional information is required.

Here is an overview of the products Google offers nonprofits:

Google Apps for Nonprofits
You will have free access to Google products including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive and apps designed specifically for use by nonprofits, schools and government agencies.

You can store documents in the cloud with 30 GB of storage across Gmail and Google Drive so you can securely access data from anywhere.

You can access 24/7 support from Google with no hardware or updates required.

One Today App

Your group can sign up to be part of this app, which makes it easy for anyone to donate $1 to nonprofit organizations of their choosing simply by downloading the app. You can find it in the Google app store as “One Today.”

Google Ad Grants

Your group could qualify for $10,000 worth of in-kind advertising every month from AdWords. These ads can be targeted to your audience and will appear in Google search results.

YouTube Nonprofit Program

You will be able to access premium branding capabilities on YouTube channels, select custom thumbnail images, add call-to-action overlay on your videos and increase your video uploading capacity.

Google Earth Outreach Grants

Your organization can apply for free software and developer grants for Enterprise versions of mapping products including Google Earth Pro and Google Maps API for Work.

If you’re wondering how your group can best put these tools to work, Google offers easy-to-understand tips and ideas on its site. In addition, you can read case studies about nonprofit organizations that are putting these tools to work to expand their reach and impact.

For information and to get started, go to www.google.com/nonprofits.

Deb Neuman

About Deb Neuman

Deb thinks Maine is a great place to do business and loves telling the stories of Mainers proving that it can be done! An entrepreneur at heart, she enjoys helping others with the same drive to create and innovate!