Google For Non-Profits

If you’re a non-profit organization, or a marketing agency tasked with helping a non-profit organization get their message to the masses, you’ll likely find Google’s announcement yesterday amusing at best.

Web Ad.vantage is one of the most generous companies I’ve ever worked for, with a large bulk of annual company donations going to local and national causes based on staff choices for the past decade. And we’ve offered pro-bono online marketing consulting and services to various non-profits over the years, helping 501(c)(3) corporations navigate everything from media buys to organic SEO. So like most, I eyed Chris Busselle’s announcement yesterday with a skeptical eye.

While Google’s obvious PR move is less innovative than you’d likely expect, offering most of the same services everyone’s already familiar with like Gmail, Google Checkout, Google Docs and their blogging platform re-packaged with a non-profit spin of service descriptions, there are a few things that not-for-profit marketers ought to take note of here.

Whether you’re new to marketing non-profits or just haven’t looked at Google’s offerings up close, it is nice to have them offer a page that shows how using their already-available (free) tools can help you market your organization. While most of the suggestions are no-brainers at best (the idea of using Google Calendar to organize schedules and publicize events isn’t exactly earth-shattering), there are a few things worth considering and the non-profits portal is a good place to start.

Google Checkout

The Google Checkout services listed in the non-profits portal is separate from the traditional Google Checkout services offered to the masses. Right now they’re touting no transaction fees until 2009 for non-profits. Traditional merchants offering Google Checkout can expect to pay 2% + $0.20 per transaction unless they advertise with AdWords, where some transaction fees are waived based on the monthly AdWords spends.

Google Grants

Google grants doesn’t award financial grants, it awards free advertising to non-profit organizations via AdWords. While many advertisers and publishers think that Google only shows non-profit ads when they have no targeted ad to match a particular web page’s content, the truth is that Google will show Google grant ads based on their Quality score. That’s not to say that Google grant ads are not as complicated to learn and navigate as any other AdWords campaign. This is not a set-it and forget-it search marketing plan. You’ll still need to know how to set up, track and maintain the campaign just like any other traditional AdWords campaign. Google does provide some online training, or you can work with an agency who’s willing to help you spread the word about your good cause.

Determine if your organization is eligible for Google Grants and be sure to watch the Google Grants Blog for more information.

Google Maps/ Google Earth

An often overlooked feature for non-profits are the Google Maps and Google Earth applications. Whether you’re a Hurricane Katrina relief organization, an outdoor arts festival, a community safety group, or an environmental organization, maps are often a good way to illustrate your key issues. Here’s some unique examples of using Google Maps/Google Earth:

• crime in Baltimore City,
• funding for presidential nomination race,
• San Diego County fires, and
• Google Earth images for environmental group.

Google Email Updates for non-profits

Another useful tool on the Google for Non-Profits portal is their sign up form which will keep you up to date with the latest tools for non-profits. This form will add your name to a Google Groups list.

So why should I bother?

By far the most compelling reason to keep tabs on Google Non-Profits is the company’s tendency to provide the handful of fee-based services they offer to non-profits for FREE - this of course being the operative word to many dot orgs.

The potential for free AdWords advertising alone is well worth the time spent reading up on the program or hiring an internet marketing agency to help you apply for a Google Grant and/or manage your PPC campaigns.

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