You may have heard about this program but assumed that it would either not be offered to your nonprofit because of your religious mission or if you did use it, it wouldn't be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. Come one, come all!
Over the past eight-plus years in my work with hundreds of faith-based nonprofits and the Google Ad Grant Program, I've been amazed over and over again by how powerful the use of Google Ads can be in furthering the Kingdom of God. The wonder of it all, I believe, is that Google does not discriminate. This program is for all 501(c)(3) nonprofits, including churches and all types of ministries and programs. As long as you meet the eligibility criteria, you are in. When you stop and think about it, it truly does seem miraculous. And this program is so well organized and managed by the Google Ad Grant Team that the benefits and ROI a faith-based nonprofit can realize also feel just a bit like a miracle!
Some of you may not realize that the team behind Google for Nonprofits is a small group of passionate individuals who love nonprofits and are dedicated to making the program they spearhead highly effective. And they do this for all, not just for some. It’s easy to see Google as a huge, political machine with robots for employees who have no concern for the human connection. This is simply not true. I want to share the heart of the matter when it comes to faith-based nonprofits and the Google Ad Grant—not only why people will find you on Google, but how your specific type of ministry might be able to use the program (see list at the bottom of this article). When you are done reading, I hope my insight will convince you to take that first leap of faith: book a call with me or at least take some time to research this program.
Before I dive in, I want to share right off the bat that Google does ask all nonprofits who apply for membership in Google for Nonprofits—where the Google Grant application rests—to agree not to discriminate in any way against their fellow humans. If you want to know more, you can check out Google’s pages, which share the verbiage around their terms and conditions. This is nonnegotiable. FYI!
People truly want to help and support your ministry.
But if they don’t know anything about you, how can they find you? I know that most nonprofits are on the hunt for more funding. It’s paramount. It’s needed. I get it. It’s one of the reasons Google even started this program—because they wanted to find ways for nonprofits with teeny-tiny budgets to get the word out on Google so they could be found. Be seen. Get noticed. And get help. Financially, yes—but that particular ROI is the icing on the cake, not the actual cake. Here’s a real-life example.
The marketing company I worked for before founding Nonprofit Sherpa manages the Google Grant for a nonprofit I got to know well during the sales process. I remember talking to my main contact there over six years ago on that first call about the Google Grant and sharing how they could use it for the work they were doing. This foundation began from tragedy: the loss of their infant child to brain cancer. To get the word out about their mission, they needed help. They were small, volunteer- and family-run, and had no budget to hire someone to manage the Google Grant, regardless of the $10K a month provided for free. However, they were tenacious and had faith that God would supply their needs. And He did! They were able to find the budget to pay the monthly fee, and their Google Grant ads went live. The rest is history! Today, their foundation is thriving and vibrant.
People need you.
Or more aptly, people need God. And quite frankly, they do look for Him on Google. It’s 3:00 AM and a desperate individual is sitting in the dark with the glow of their laptop highlighting the fear and worry on their face as they type in words like “Where is God when I need Him?” or “does God even care about my suffering?”. You may have typed in those words yourself. I know I have. I recently suffered a deep hurt and the pages of my Bible seemed a little blurry. I turned to the Google Search, and amazingly, found some truth which actually pointed me back to those pages of Scripture to find clarity which I could not see in my pain. Your mission, your ministry, your message, whether directly about God and who He is or is founded on faith principles, can be the perfect match to bring success with the Google Grant. Especially when you have content on your website in the form of videos, workshopes, sermons, podcasts, and other engaging content around spiritual issues with specific calls-to-action! Over and over again, I’ve watched stats for religious nonprofits shoot through the roof and their ministry grow in amazing ways by leveraging this program to drive traffic to their website.
People are searching for meaning and for truth.
And they turn to Google constantly to find answers. Your ministry needs to be in the forefront of those searches. If a college student is searching for apologetics insight and that is part of your mission, then when they are searching, they need to see your ad come up at the top of page one without having to scroll down. If you have a weekly Bible Study which you promote on your church website then let’s get some ads written around those individual studies and drive people right to them so they can learn some truth. It might even be possible, since we can advertise these studies in your local area, these ads could eventually bring people through your church doors.
How can the Google Grant work for your particular ministry? The possibilities are endless.
The list below includes all kinds of faith-based nonprofits with some ideas on what would be promotable with your Google Grant ads. The ideas I’ve listed are based on what I’ve seen firsthand over the last 8 years, working with religious nonprofits. There are a couple of things to note. First, 501(c)3 nonprofits can sell products for "profit". There is come misconception out there that because you are a nonprofit, you aren't allowed to sell merchandise. Totally untrue! Google allows 50% of your mission to include commerical sales. As long as you state that all proceeds go back into the ministry and you are also engaged in other activites besides an online store, you are good to go! And the best part is the Grant is well-suited to sales which is very exciting! Secondly, with all of Google’s policy changes in the fall of 2024 and throughout 2025 not to mention the evolving AI Overview in the Search Network, we’ve seen proof that Google’s shifting Grant policies are revolutionizing digital marketing in a very good way!
This list is not exhaustive. If you do not see your nonprofit listed, no worries! Nonprofit Sherpa can find what works for everyone! Love to chat anytime!
I would love to meet you and learn more about you and your mission. I can share more about how the program works and what I think the ROI could be for your particular organization. Happy to chat - click here to schedule a meeting - I can't wait to meet you!
This article was updated October, 2025
~Kathi Gross, Founder/CSO, Nonprofit Sherpa