For most Aussie charities, the web is becoming a vital platform for improving visibility, raising awareness, and connecting with donors and volunteers. The big challenge is how to make the most of this technology when there are so many competing demands for funding and resources.

We’ve been supporting Australian non-profits for many years with millions of dollars in free Google Ad Grants, YouTube tools for nonprofits and mapping resources through Google Earth Outreach. Today, with the launch of Google for Nonprofits, we’re pleased to announce that nonprofits will also get free access to our enterprise-grade Apps suite - which includes everything from Gmail to Google Docs.

Here’s what eligible Australian nonprofits can now sign up for:

• Up to $10,000 of Google Ad Grants each month, so they can get their site in front of people who are searching for their services. 
• Free use of Google Apps, so they can run their email and important documents in the cloud and work collaboratively on documents while dramatically reducing IT costs 
• Google Earth Outreach, a free license for the pro version of Google Earth so they can visualize their data in map version online 
• YouTube for Nonprofits, so they can make great campaigns that catch the eye of donors and supporters 

The 10 finalists in the Google Impact Challenge | Australia have shown how technology can make a big impact. We hope that these new tools for nonprofits will help all Australian nonprofits be as connected and collaborative as possible, so they can continue to do their great work to change the world.

Visit Google for Nonprofits to learn more about the tools and join the program.

Posted by Alan Noble, Engineering Director, Google Australia