Google Ad Grants for Canadian charities: eligibility, rules and how to keep it

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This guide supports our Google Ad Grant management service.

Illustrative Ad Grants workflow showing eligibility, activation, mission campaigns and ongoing account checks for Search ad credit.

Google Ad Grants gives eligible nonprofits up to US$10,000 a month in Google Search advertising, at no cost. For a Canadian charity, the grant can help people find donation, volunteer and program pages. The available advertising credit does not predict how many supporters or participants you will gain. It also comes with strict rules, and accounts can be temporarily deactivated for performance, conversion-tracking, keyword or other policy issues. As a broad search-market reference, “charity” is among the more expensive search terms per click in Canada for paid advertisers. That is not what an Ad Grants recipient pays or a forecast of grant performance. This guide explains who qualifies, how to apply and how to keep the grant active.

Google Ad Grants offers eligible nonprofits up to US$10,000 per month in Search advertising.
Figure 1. Advertising support is not a cash donation. Google Ad Grants provides eligible nonprofits with up to US$10,000 a month in in-kind Search advertising. This is a limit, not guaranteed spending, donations or supporter growth. Unused funds do not roll over, and there is no requirement to spend the full amount each month.

Who is eligible in Canada

  • Canadian organizations meeting Google for Nonprofits’ registration criteria, including CRA-registered charities, tax-exempt nonprofit operating entities, federal nonprofit corporations and provincial nonprofits, subject to verification.
  • A high quality website with substantial content about your mission, secured with HTTPS.
  • Agreement to Google’s nonprofit terms.

Government entities, hospitals and healthcare organizations, schools, academic institutions and universities are excluded from Google for Nonprofits. Qualifying charitable arms or foundations associated with healthcare organizations and philanthropic arms of educational organizations may be eligible. Check current eligibility in Google for Nonprofits before applying.

How to apply

  1. Request a Google for Nonprofits account and complete the organization verification process.
  2. Check that your HTTPS website meets the Ad Grants website policy.
  3. In Google for Nonprofits, choose Get started under Google Ad Grants, enter your website and complete the welcome-video step.
  4. Submit the activation request and follow the decision email. Google provides the Ad Grants account during activation; do not create a separate Google Ads account for this application.

Use Google’s current activation instructions if the interface changes.

Estimated paid-market CPC: google ad grants US$9.02 and nonprofit marketing US$7.42 per click.
Figure 2. Paid-market estimates are separate from the grant. Google Ads keyword estimates for Canada, English, without search partners, report google ad grants at US$9.02 per click and nonprofit marketing at US$7.42. These describe paid-market keyword estimates, not charges to grant recipients, grant-account bids or predicted donation costs.

The grant stays active only while the account meets Google’s rules every month. If you want that monitoring and the campaigns handled for you, see our Google Ad Grants management for nonprofits.

The rules that keep the grant active

RequirementWhat it means in practice
Monthly account CTRMaintain at least 5%, except for accounts using only Smart Campaigns; two consecutive months below the threshold can trigger temporary deactivation
Valid conversion trackingTrack meaningful actions such as donations or volunteer sign-ups. Accounts created from January 1, 2018, or using conversion-based Smart Bidding, must record at least one conversion monthly
Single-word keyword restrictionsMost are restricted, but Google expressly lists “donate” and “charity” among its exceptions; check the current exception list and other applicable policies
No very generic keywordsKeywords must relate to your mission
Low-quality keywordsPause keywords with Quality Score 1 or 2 and review relevance and landing-page quality
Mission-based adsAds and keywords must match your primary mission and relevant programs or services; review fundraising sales against the website and advertising policies
Account structureUse relevant geographic targeting and at least two unique sitelink assets
Active management and program participationReview performance and policy notices, and respond to required program surveys
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Ad Grants monthly account CTR must be at least 5%; accounts using only Smart Campaigns are exempt from this CTR rule.
Figure 3. The CTR rule is measured at account level. Google requires at least 5% monthly account click-through rate for Ad Grants accounts, except those using only Smart Campaigns. Falling below the requirement for two consecutive months leads to temporary deactivation. This is not a minimum for every individual keyword, and the exemption is not the same as using Smart Bidding.

For accounts created on or after April 22, 2019, Google requires conversion-based Smart Bidding for campaigns unless they use Smart Campaigns. See Google’s account management policy and single-word keyword exceptions before changing a campaign.

Ad Grants single-word keyword exceptions include donate and charity.
Figure 4. Single-word restrictions have named exceptions. Google explicitly lists donate and charity among the exceptions to its Ad Grants single-word keyword restriction. These are two examples, not the complete list, and all keywords remain subject to Google Ads advertising policies and restrictions. The exception is not a guarantee of eligibility, delivery or results.

Campaigns that work for charities

  1. Programs and services: people searching for the help you provide.
  2. Volunteering: “volunteer opportunities [city]” and cause specific searches.
  3. Donations: specific giving searches, such as monthly giving or tribute gifts, sent to a fast donation page.
  4. Education: questions about your cause answered with useful content.
  5. Events: fundraising events and campaigns.

Landing pages matter as much as ads

  • One clear action per page: donate, volunteer, register.
  • Fast, mobile friendly donation forms.
  • Show your charitable registration number and how donations are used.
  • Tax receipt information for Canadian donors.

Beyond the grant

Many charities combine Ad Grants with a small paid Google Ads account, which is not bound by grant limits, for high value campaigns. Assess follow-up by its content and purpose. CASL’s section 6 exemption applies to messages sent by or on behalf of a registered charity whose primary purpose is raising funds for that charity. Other commercial messages generally need a valid consent basis, identification and an unsubscribe mechanism unless another exception applies.

Registered-charity messages whose primary purpose is fundraising have a CASL section 6 exemption; other commercial messages have no blanket exemption.
Figure 5. Charity status does not exempt every message. CRTC guidance provides a section 6 exemption for messages sent by or on behalf of a registered charity whose primary purpose is raising funds for that charity. Other commercial electronic messages are not automatically exempt and generally require an applicable consent basis, identification and unsubscribe mechanism unless another exception applies. Assess the actual message and purpose against current guidance.

Want the grant set up or rescued? See our Google Ad Grants management, nonprofit marketing, nonprofit email marketing and nonprofit CRM services.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Google Ad Grant of USD 10,000 a month for Canadian charities?

Eligible nonprofits receive Google Search ad credit worth as much as USD 10,000 each month, at no charge. A Canadian charity can use it to help people find its donation, volunteer and program pages. The size of the credit says nothing about how many supporters you will gain, and the account has to follow strict rules to stay active.

How does a Canadian charity apply for Google Ad Grants?

Request a Google for Nonprofits account and complete verification, then confirm your HTTPS website meets the Ad Grants website policy. In Google for Nonprofits, choose Get started under Google Ad Grants, enter your website, finish the welcome video step and submit the activation request. Google supplies the Ad Grants account during activation, so do not open a separate Google Ads account for the application.

Which Canadian organizations are eligible for Google Ad Grants?

Organizations meeting Google for Nonprofits' registration criteria qualify after verification. In Canada that covers charities registered with the CRA, nonprofits incorporated federally or provincially, and certain other tax-exempt nonprofit operators. Government entities, hospitals and healthcare organizations, schools and universities are excluded, though a qualifying charitable foundation tied to one of them may still be eligible, so check with Google before applying.

What rules keep a charity's Google Ad Grants account active?

Keep the monthly click-through rate at or above 5% unless the account runs only Smart Campaigns, because two consecutive months below it can trigger deactivation. Track meaningful conversions such as donations or volunteer sign-ups, pause keywords with Quality Score 1 or 2, and avoid very generic and most single-word keywords. Use geographic targeting, at least two sitelinks, and answer the required program surveys.

Are Google Ad Grants worth the effort for a small Canadian charity?

They can be, since the advertising itself costs nothing, but the account needs steady attention. Google can deactivate it for performance, conversion tracking or keyword problems, so someone has to review results and policy notices every month. The grant pays off most when ads lead to fast pages with one clear action, such as donate, volunteer or register.

What should a charity's landing pages include to meet the Google Ad Grants website policy?

The site must use HTTPS and carry substantial content about your mission. Each page should ask for one action, with a fast, mobile-friendly donation form where giving is the goal. Show your charitable registration number, explain how donations are used and include tax receipt information for Canadian donors.

Can a charity advertise on Google for free, and how does that differ from paid Google Ads?

Eligible charities can, through Google Ad Grants, which runs Search ads at no cost within the program's rules. Many charities also keep a small paid Google Ads account for high-value campaigns, since paid accounts are not bound by grant limits. The two can run side by side.

Which campaigns tend to work for charities on Google Ad Grants?

Program and service campaigns reach people looking for the help you provide. Volunteer campaigns target searches such as volunteer opportunities plus a city, and donation campaigns use specific giving terms like monthly giving or tribute gifts. Educational answers about your cause and fundraising events round it out, as long as every ad matches your primary mission.

Does CASL apply to a charity's follow-up emails after Google Ad Grants brings in supporters?

CASL's section 6 exemption covers messages sent by or on behalf of a registered charity whose primary purpose is raising funds for that charity. Other commercial messages generally need a valid consent basis, sender identification and an unsubscribe mechanism unless another exception applies. Check the current rules before sending.