Google Checkout For Non-Profits Update

With several changes made to the Google Checkout for Non-Profits program over the past few months, we thought we'd share a quick update with you.

As you may know from previous posts, non-profits that are part of the Google Grants program are eligible to receive free donation processing until 2010 through Google Checkout for Non-Profits. Google Checkout for Non-Profits is a fast, convenient donation process that helps you attract more donors and increase online giving to your organization. If you are not currently using Google Checkout for Non-Profits, visit the program's site to learn more. If you are using both Google Grants and Google Checkout, continue reading below for information on how to link your accounts and take advantage of this valuable opportunity.

How it works

Organizations that link their Google Grants account with their Google Checkout account can process donations for free. Within 10 business days of linking your Grants account with your Checkout account, you will receive an email confirming that your Checkout account has been approved for free transaction processing. Donations processed before this confirmation email has been received will be charged our standard rates.

Additionally, organizations that link their Grants account with their Checkout account by June 30, 2009 will qualify for retroactive fee credits, and any fees for donations processed since March 1, 2009 will be credited back to your Checkout account in July 2009. Your fee credits will show up as a lump sum credit adjustment under the 'Other Activity' column on the Payouts tab in your Checkout account.

Organizations that link their Grants account to Google Checkout after June 30, 2009 will be eligible to receive free processing for new donations only after they have received the email confirming that their Checkout account has been approved for free transaction processing.

How to link

To link your Google Grants AdWords account to Google Checkout:

1. Sign in to Google Checkout.
   
2. Click the Settings tab.
   
3. Click AdWords.
   
4. Enter your AdWords Customer ID in the box and click 'Request link'.

A confirmation email will be sent to the notification email address associated with your Google Grants AdWords account. You, or the person managing your AdWords account for you, must follow the instructions in this email to complete the linking process. If you don't receive the confirmation email, please review our troubleshooting tips.

If you are currently using Google Checkout for Non-Profits but have not yet applied for Google Grants, you can apply for a Google Grant account at any time. Note that the application review process for Google Grants is currently 4 to 5 months and we are working hard to process applications as quickly as possible. There is no way to expedite your application's review, so we recommend applying as soon as possible. As mentioned in earlier notifications, if you applied for Google Grants by March 1, 2009 and you are accepted, we will retroactively credit you for any Checkout fees incurred while your application was pending.

Posted by Kristie, Google Grants Team