• by Lauren Kade , April 23, 2012

Are you a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the United States?  If so, you could be eligible for the Google for Nonprofits program.

What Is It?

A program to help nonprofit organizations further their missions by helping reduce costs, increase efficiency, and more. Through it, you can get access to great programs like:

Google Apps for Nonprofits

If you're a nonprofit with over 3,000 users, you can get a 40% discount on Google Apps for Business, includeing services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs, which can help reduce costs and increase efficiency. Additionally, if your organization uses Gmail, you can set up the email accounts to be on your organization's domain (like john.doe@ABCnonprofit.org). Learn more about additional tools available through Google Apps for Nonprofits.

YouTube for Nonprofits

Through YouTube for Nonprofits, your organization can apply for a nonprofit channel on the popular video-sharing website. With a nonprofit channel, your organization can:

• drive fundraising through a Google Checkout “donate” button
• place a call-to-action overlay on your videos to raise money or find volunteers
• have an increased uploading capacity
• be listed on the Nonprofit & Activism videos page

Google Earth Outreach

Through Google Earth Outreach, your organization can apply for software grants such as Google Earth Pro, Google SketchUp Pro and Maps API Premier. Use Google Maps to track volunteers, or show donors where the need is greatest.

Google Grants

Through the Google Grants program, your organization is eligible for $10,000 of free advertising credit to use through Google AdWords.  Increase brand awareness and reach potential donors through free ads on Google.com. Organizations can manage their Google Grants AdWords account themselves, or get the help of a professional pay per click search marketing firm.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible nonprofit organizations must be located in the United States, and have a 501(c)(3) status that is determined by the IRS and publicly updated within GuideStar.org. If an organization is located internationally, Google has separate, country-specific programs that organizations can find online.  Additionally, each organization can have only one membership. One exception is if your nonprofit is an umbrella organization with local offices or chapters; those chapters are eligible to apply as "related organizations" and just go through an additional screening process.

Ineligible organizations include:

• Governmental entities or organizations
• Hospitals and health care organizations
• Schools, childcare centers, academic institutions and universities (unless it's a philanthropic arm)

How to Apply

In order to be able to enroll in each of these wonderful programs, you must first apply online for the overarching Google for Nonprofits program. Google is going to ask you both simple questions about your organizations and some more complicated short ones. Answer everything truthfully, but remember to make your organization look good. I'm sure your organization is saving the world - one child, whale, or tree at a time! Don't just fill this application out in one sitting - write down the questions, and take time to carefully prepare your responses. Every time you re-read your responses, you should feel a swell of pride in what an amazing organization you're a part of. If you don't feel it, how will Google? Remember – you're saving the whales!

What Happens Next?

Google reviews the applications only once every quarter, so it really varies as to how long it takes it to get back to you. It could review your application in two weeks, or it could take three months. Just remember, patience is a virtue - especially when there are free programs and grant money involved.

So, there you go – a wonderful, free program that can help your organization reach and engage donors, raise awareness, improve internal operations, and more Get started by applying online for Google for Nonprofits.