The Google Grant for Animal Nonprofits: A Major Opportunity

We are often asked about the types of organizations that are the best fit for the Google Ad Grant.

In general, of course, potential impact is correlated to how many people are interested in the work you do and, therefore, are searching for it on Google. Organizations that serve a larger geographic area or are dealing with "hot" societal topics tend to perform better. (Alternatively, organizations with relatively small audiences but where each new website visitor has potentially enormous value, such as senior living facilities, also do very well).

But one type of nonprofit almost always does well, regardless of geographic scope.

Animal nonprofits.

Demand Outstrips Supply

IRS data shows that there are relatively few nonprofits focused specifically on animal-related causes. Of nearly 900,000 IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofits that are eligible for the Google Ad Grant, only 26,000 (or ~2.9% of the total) are focused on animals.

In contrast, 65% of all American households own a pet, and billions of dollars are donated every year to animal nonprofits. In any given geographic area, there is typically a surplus of animals lovers and a relative scarcity of nonprofits to help harness that passion. So when any of these organization's deploy Google's $10,000/month Ad Grant to reach these folks when they search for animal-related topics online, the results are typically very strong.

Case studies from clients we work with help illustrate this point. If you work at an animal nonprofit, these types of results are possible for you, too!

Chattanooga Zoo Draws New Visitors

The Chattanooga Zoo makes an impact by providing connections between people and animals through interactive experiences. Using the Google Grant, they have drawn an additional 100+ people to their website each day who are looking for fun activities in Chattanooga, but might not have considered the Zoo as their next destination — yet!

America's VetDogs Attracts Volunteers and Speaking Opportunities

Always quick on its feet, the America's VetDogs organization used the Google Grant to capitalize on current events. When former President George W. Bush Sr. passed away, it became known that he had a service dog accompanying him in the last days of his life. This service dog, named Sully, was trained by America's VetDogs. They immediately created a landing page on their website telling the full story. We used the Google Ad Grant to reach people Googling Sully's name, leading to enormous exposure and dozens of request to volunteer and for the nonprofit to speak at events.

Glen Highland Farm Funds Its Mission

A rescue focused on helping homeless Border Collies, Glen Highland Farm funds operations by providing a "getaway" for animals and their owners to vacation "off the clock and off the leash." Our Google Ad campaigns using the Google Grant drove 81 requests to stay at the getaway over a 12-month period, providing many thousands of dollars of funds to support the nonprofit's rescue work.

Inspired?

I hope these stories of what's possible with the Google Ad Grant have been inspirational, showing that animal organizations of all types can accomplish remarkable results by reaching people online. If you want more encouragement, check out the four other animal nonprofit case studies on our website — odds are, one of them will speak to you!