Google’s economic impact and tips for non-profits

Recently, Google released its Economic Impact report for 2009, detailing the impact that AdWords, AdSense and Google Grants had on businesses in the U.S. The report includes state-level information on revenue generated for businesses and donations for non-profits by these products as well as great stories from these enterprises about how they’ve used these tools to reach their goals.

Though most of the stories in the report focus on for-profit entities, they offer helpful perspectives, tactics and ideas for non-profit Grantees as well.

• Better World Books, a new and used bookseller in Indiana, increased new donors to their global literacy program by consistently expanding their global presence by enlisting the use of AdWords.
  
  
• MobileDemand, a rugged tablet PC manufacturer in Iowa, increased leads and contracts by targeting niche markets with the granular targeting capabilities of AdWords.
  
  
• Shopperschoice.com, an online sporting goods store in Louisiana, grew their company and increased their share of voice by competing effectively through the detailed reporting available in AdWords.
  
  
• Crescent Harbor, who sells light fixtures online in Maine, grew their family-owned company while staying small and local by using AdWords to reach out to national markets.
  
  
• 123Print, an online one-stop print shop in Maryland, has seen growth in new areas by focusing budgets on emerging markets they identified with their globally targeted AdWords traffic.
  
  
• Grandma’s Secrets, a custom bakery in New York, managed their budget effectively by using geographic targeting in AdWords to advertise their treats only to users in New York City.

If you’d like more detail on any of these strategies, just click into the case studies to read more. If you'd like to discuss the report with other grantees and non-profits you can start up a thread in the Grants Non-profit and grantee resources discussion group.

Speaking of storytelling, some non-profits featured in the report; Direct Relief, Big Cat Rescue, Arbor Day Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council and TreadLightly!, already have their stories featured on the Grants testimonials page. If you’re a grantee who would like to share a story of how Google Grants has impacted your organization, we’d love to share it with other organizations so that the potential of Grants and AdWords can reach new non-profits around the world.