Case Study · 2026-08-20
How a UK charity website unlocked $10,000 a month in free Google Ads
TrulyBeloved, a UK children's charity, was sitting on an ageing WordPress site and had never claimed the Google Ad Grant. Here's what changed, and how the grant actually got approved.
TrulyBeloved is a UK-registered charity supporting children. Before we worked together, their website was running on an ageing Avada/WordPress setup, and they'd never claimed the Google Ad Grant, the programme that gives eligible registered charities up to $10,000 a month in free Google Search advertising.
That's not unusual. Most charities are eligible. What actually stops them is the setup: a compliant website, the Google for Nonprofits application, and then the Ad Grant application that follows once that's approved. Miss a step, or have a website that doesn't meet what Google checks for, and the whole thing stalls before it starts.
What the website side involved
The site needed a full overhaul, not a patch job. That meant moving off the old Avada/WordPress build, sorting the compliance details Google reviews as part of the Google for Nonprofits application, setting up donation handling properly, and getting Gift Aid integration working so donations were handled correctly from day one. Alongside the rebuild, we added a supporters page and a resources page, and put a proper SEO plan in place rather than treating the site as a one-off launch-and-forget job.
Getting the grant itself approved
Google for Nonprofits approval usually comes first, since it's what unlocks free Google Workspace and is the gateway to the Ad Grant application. For TrulyBeloved, that meant working through Google's eligibility checks (registered charity status, a compliant working website, and their policy requirements) before the Ad Grant application could go in at all.
Once both were approved, TrulyBeloved had the Google Ad Grant itself: up to $10,000 a month in free Google Search advertising, plus free Google Workspace through Google for Nonprofits. That's real budget for reaching people searching for exactly what the charity does, without paying for the clicks.
What this means if your charity hasn't claimed it yet
If none of this has happened for your charity yet, the good news is that it's the same process regardless of where you're starting from. If your website already meets the compliance bar, this can just be the Google for Nonprofits and Ad Grant application on its own. If it doesn't, that's usually a rebuild or a focused improvement pass alongside the application, not a reason to rule it out.
Eligibility is decided by Google, not by whoever helps with the setup. What actually moves the needle is getting the website, the application, and the account set up properly the first time, so the process doesn't stall on something avoidable.
If you want help getting your charity's website compliant and applying for Google for Nonprofits and the Google Ad Grant, have a look at website, Google Workspace & Google Ad Grant setup for charities.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Google Ad Grant worth?
Up to $10,000 a month in free Google Search advertising for eligible registered charities, which works out to as much as $100,000 a year if it's being used properly.
Why don't more charities claim the Google Ad Grant?
Usually because the setup is the blocker, not eligibility. The application process, the website compliance requirements, and getting Google for Nonprofits approved first all take a bit of knowing what Google actually checks for.
Does a charity need a new website to get the Google Ad Grant?
Not necessarily, but the existing site does need to meet Google's compliance requirements as part of approval. If the site is outdated or was never built with that in mind, some rework is usually needed alongside the application.
What did the website rebuild actually involve for TrulyBeloved?
A full overhaul off an ageing Avada/WordPress setup, including compliance work, donation setup, Gift Aid integration, and support through the Google for Nonprofits and Google Ad Grant applications.
Topics: Nonprofits, Google Ad Grants, Case Study
By Lee Day · leeday.uk · UK-wide support