Registering for the TechSoup programme

Now that we have verified that we meet the eligibility criteria, we need to register with the TechSoup Czech Republic programme; in the case of Slovakia, you must register with the Slovak branch of TechSoup.

Don’t worry, the registration forms are available in Czech or Slovak. This step is essential for subsequent registration with the Google for Nonprofits programme. This, in turn, is essential for registering with Google Ad Grants.

What is the TechSoup programme and what is it for?

The TechSoup programme has been in existence since 1987, and its priority is to ensure that non-profit organisations worldwide can access software, hardware, IT services and training either completely free of charge or at a discount. It is, therefore, an international programme operated by different organisations in different countries. In the Czech Republic, it is run by Sdružení VIA, z. ú., and in Slovakia by Pontis n.o.

Through this programme, it is possible to participate in numerous donation and discounted programmes offered by companies such as: Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Autodesk, Bitdefender, Box, Cisco, Compuritas, Microsoft, O & O Software, Symantec, Tableau and Zoner.

TechSoup acts as a verification body here, which not only verifies your organisation but also determines whether you are eligible to participate in individual donation programmes. In addition, it will handle requests for discounts or donations with the relevant organisations on your behalf.

Verification may take several days, but it usually takes up to 5 days. TechSoup may request further documentation from you, and this will determine how long you have to wait for verification.

If you pass the verification, you will receive a verification token. It will look something like this: 123c492@OrganisationName. You will be asked to enter this token on the form when registering for the Google for Nonprofits programme. The token is valid for 60 days. If for any reason you are unable to use the token, you can generate a new one via your TechSoup account.

Furthermore, thanks to your registration with TechSoup, you can now apply for discounts and donations from the companies mentioned above. You can read about all the opportunities this opens up for you on the websites of the individual local branches.

I WANT TO SET UP A GRANT

Step-by-step guide to registration

Step 1: Registering for the Google for Nonprofits programme

We can now finally complete registration for the Google for Nonprofits programme. Simply click on this link and then click the ‘Get started’ button in the top right-hand corner. The registration process will guide you through the steps, and you will use the token mentioned above to complete this registration.

If you have been approved for the Google for Nonprofits programme, you can also sign up for other Google projects such as YouTube for Nonprofits, Google One Today, G Suite and more. You can find a complete overview here.

Which comes first: Grants or Ads?

We now come to the most challenging step on the path to Google Ad Grants, which raises the question: should you set up an AdWords account first, or register for the Google Ad Grants programme first? Surprisingly, there is no clear-cut answer

.

You need a system to manage PPC ads. You have two options: Google Ads or AdWords Express.

I wrote

about the difference between Google Ads and AdWords Express last month.

You need

to set up Google Ads in advance

(you’ll need to enter your ID when registering for Grants), but you create an Express account during the Google Grants registration process.

I would definitely recommend using Google Ads

. It does involve more work and you have to dedicate time to the ads, but you have much greater control over when and to whom your ads are shown.

So, we’ll now spend a moment looking at how to set up a Google Ads account, then we’ll look at registering for the Google Ad Grants programme, and finally we’ll take a look at setting up an AdWords Express account.

Step 2: Creating a Google Ads account

You must follow these steps exactly as they are written. Otherwise, you may have to repeat the entire account setup process. You can set up your account via this link.

1. In the ‘Enter your email’ field, enter the same email address you used to register for the Google for Nonprofits programme.
2. Select the country where your organisation is based.
3. You can set the time zone as you wish, but I recommend sticking to the time zone of the country in which you will be advertising via Google Ads.
4. Select the US dollar as your currency. Regardless of your location and local currency, only this currency can be used for your Ad Grants account.
5. Click Save and continue.

Under no circumstances should you fill in billing details, even if the account prompts you to do so. Ignore this. An Ad Grants account must not contain any billing details. Once you’ve entered them, there’s no going back and you’ll have to set up the account again. Once you’ve successfully registered for Google Ad Grants, this prompt will disappear.

Step 3: Registering for the Google Ad Grants programme

Congratulations! You are now registered with TechSoup, the Google programme for non-profit organisations, and you have set up your Google Ads account (we will set up AdWords Express during registration; instructions can be found below).

For Google Ads, you can immediately note down your customer ID
, which you’ll find in the top right-hand corner of the system, next to your account icon. The ID looks like this: 123-123-1234.

And now for the registration itself:

1. Go to the Google Ad Grants programme page
2. Click the ‘Sign up’ button and log in to your non-profit organisation account, which you created in the previous step.
3. When the form asks for your customer ID, fill it in. You already know where to find it in Google Ads. If you prefer an AdWords Express account, go and set one up now. In your completed account, you’ll find the customer ID by clicking on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner of the screen. A tab will slide out, and at the bottom of the tab there is a field labelled ‘Need help?’, with the customer ID listed below it.
   
4. Click on ‘Sign up’ and you’re almost done.

You will now wait for the Google team to review your account, and within three days at the latest, you will receive an email informing you of the next steps. If you haven’t heard from support or are having issues with your account, you can contact support via this link.

Step 3: Setting up AdWords Express for the Google Ad Grants project

If you opt for AdWords Express, you’ll set it up in the third step. If you’ve chosen Google Ads, please ignore this step
. You can set up your account via this link
.

1. Click the ‘Get started’ button (as with Google Ads, use the account you used when registering for the Google for Nonprofits programme).
2. You will be taken to a page where you are asked to describe your organisation. Fill in the fields with your organisation’s name, enter a link to your organisation’s website, and click Save.
3. Select the objective for which AdWords Express is intended. For a non-profit organisation, this could be, for example, ‘Website action’ (making a donation). Click on your selected option and then click ‘Select objective’.
4. Select the country where your organisation operates and click Next.
5. Next, you’ll define your service (product). Google will help you and suggest what you do or what products you offer. Simply select the options from its suggestions that best describe you. You can choose more than one option. Once you’re done, click Next.
6. The system will take you straight to creating your ad. Now you can get creative. For Ad Grants, you must have at least two text ads. Once you’re done, click Next.
7. Here you can also add images to your ad. However, as we want to register for the Ad Grants programme, do not upload any images. Under Ad Grants, ads can only be displayed in search results. Click Next again.
8. The system will now ask for your currency and how much you want to spend per day. Under Ad Grants, only US dollars can be used, regardless of your location. Your maximum daily spend can be $329.
9. We are now on a page where we can check all the details we have entered, and if we are sure they are correct, we click Next.
10. You should now confirm your payment details. Do not fill these in. You should see a message stating that this is an Ad Grants account and that there is no need to set up billing; click Next.
11. On the final page, click Continue to the dashboard.

You can now complete your registration for Google Ad Grants. This will take you back to step 3 in the Google Ad Grants registration guide.

Not sure how to set up your campaigns? We’re preparing a third article in which we’ll explain how Ad Grants work and how to use them.

I WANT TO SET UP CAMPAIGNS IN AD GRANTS