Google gives free stuff to charities

A little experiment a while ago showed me that quite a few charities are using Google Adwords in Australia. But not all charities are aware that this is free - Google will give you a grant if you are really nice*.

I thoroughly recommend that if you meet this criteria for digital fundraising that you apply for the grant, if you haven't already. DO NOT apply if you don't meet this criteria ; there are more important things to do that will raise you more money

1. You have someone responsible for planning and monitoring your online signups
2. You have someone with the time to be testing different messages to drive traffic
3. You know why you want people to come to your website
4. You know where on the website you want them landing
5. You have calls to action on every page of your website - even if 'sign up for free newsletter'
6. You have a plan to follow them up, very, very fast (you have 30 days or so honeymoon and should be emailing them 2 or 3 times a week in that period, calling them if you are trying to get regular givers with ten days or so) - separate blog coming on this eventually (I learned lots about it at US conference recently)
7. You are already on top of your mail program, and are calling top donors to say thank you and remind them about important mailings (there is no doubt that if you are not doing this, you'll make more money than spending the Google Adwords grant)
8. You have budget to roll on paying for Google Adwords and other online media if you get it working
9. You have someone who absolutely and totally gets how Google Adwords works.
10. I am sure I've missed something... comments please!

If you don't meet the criteria above, you can cheat by hiring an agency to do it for you, but even that is pointless unless it fits into a whole strategy which has a decent rollout budget.

*(They don't say 'nice' their version is slightly, but not much, more complicated).

Charities we noted were sponsoring words when typed in on an Australian IP Australian a couple of months back are below. With a couple of months of results, any feedback guys?

· Amnesty
· ACRF
· Leukaemia Foundation
· Greenpeace
· Unicef
· Starlight
· Saving our World
· Make a Wish
· Reach Out
· Planet Cancer
· RMHC
· RSPCA
· Red Cross
· Canteen
· Oxfam
· Sick Kids Foundation
· ChildFund
· Compassion
· World Vision
· Flying Doctors
· Save the Children

Sean