ShareOn 2nd September 2016 Google announced that they were no longer accepting applications for the Grantspro program as part of “new efforts to streamline the program”. After reaching out to Google we have been told that the Grantspro aspect of their popular scheme has been put on hold indefinitely…
What is Grantspro?
In 2011 Google introduced a new Ad Grants feature whereby registered charities were eligible (depending on meeting certain criteria) to receive $10,000 per month in-kind to spend on AdWords advertising.
In addition to this, Google Grantspro offers eligible non-profits an increased budget of $40,000 per month, so long as they conform to the following:
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- Conversion tracking – must have successfully tracked at least one conversion (sign-up form, sale, download etc)
- Budget – must have hit the $9,900 monthly budget cap for at least two months within the past 6 months
- Click through rate – must have continually achieved a click through rate of 1% or more across the account over the past 6 months
- Application – must submit an application to receive Grantspro stating how the additional money will be spent
- Bi-weekly maintenance – account must be actively managed and optimised at least bi-weekly
- Survey – annual completion of a survey, agreeing to share conversion data
- Comply with guidelines – must adhere to all Ad Grants policies and guidelines
What’s the deal now?
Following the recent announcement, charities are currently no longer able to apply for Grantspro. Those already on the programme will continue to benefit, so long as they continue to meet the eligibility requirements mentioned above. Google regularly reviews Grantspro accounts and therefore eligibility requirements must be maintained.
What does this mean?
Now more than ever, regular optimisation and management of your Grantspro account is essential – drop below the spend, click through rate or maintenance threshold and you risk losing the additional budget with no current signs of being able to gain it back.
What shall I do?
Manage, optimise, manage, optimise…! Chances are you’re doing this anyway, so continue as you are, ensuring to check you’re meeting all of the minimum requirements and nothing should change.
What if I was planning to submit a Grantspro application?
Already receiving Google Ad Grants and gearing up to apply for Grantspro? Our advice would be keep on it. This isn’t the first time that Google has halted Grantspro applications – 2013 saw the same thing happen, but the ability to apply was then reinstated in 2014 with the updated eligibility requirements listed above. There are no guarantees, but it makes sense to be ready to submit an application should anything change. Having a fully optimised, converting campaign with a good click through rate is never a bad thing anyway!
