Tag Archives: Nonprofits

Google Ad Grants help a U.K. nonprofit save lives

Editor’s note: Today is World Mental Health Day, a day run by the World Health Organization with the aim of breaking down the stigma of mental health and drawing attention to resources and organizations available to help people cope. One of those organizations is Samaritans, which is a recipient of Google Ad Grants. 

Every six seconds, someone contacts Samaritans in need of support. And for the more than half a million people we reach each year, our more than 20,000 volunteers are here.

Founded in 1953, Samaritans is a U.K.-based organization dedicated to making sure fewer people die by suicide. We provide more than 20,000 volunteers over the phone, by email and face to face. My team manages the digital side, including search, social media, video and email outreach to raise awareness and connect with people who need our services. 

For over 13 years, my team has been a recipient of Google Ad Grants, which provides eligible nonprofits with free Search ads to connect people to causes. We use Ad Grants uniquely to help two types of people: Those struggling to cope with mental health issues, and those trying to help loved ones who are struggling.

People struggling to cope often turn to Google for several reasons: to better understand their symptoms, to find resources or—at worst—with the intent of harming themselves. For some searches with intent to self-harm, Google has a feature that surfaces our help line at the top of results to provide people with resources in their time of need. 

But beyond that, there’s more we can do with ads. Our Ad Grants ads ensure that the many different ways we provide help is front and center for people in need of support. For example, when someone comes to Google struggling to cope themselves, our ads proactively offer resources to get them help and shift the focus toward ways to get better.

The Google Ad Grants program helps us save lives.

Uniquely, Search ads from Ad Grants also allow us to provide resources to people who want to help others. We run ads targeting people who are looking for information on how to start difficult conversations or how to support friends and family who might need it.

Overall, Google Ad Grants has been a critical tool in supporting our organization’s mission and connecting people to life-saving mental health resources in real time. Our free Search ads have incredible reach and help us drive measurable results in the real world, such as raising awareness of our helpline, driving donations and increasing volunteer signups. All of these results from Ad Grants enable us to serve more people in need.

Last year, our Ad Grants ads were seen 2.6 million times. More than 320,000 people, seeking either support services or expressing interest in volunteering, clicked on our ads. A key part of our success is using free Google tracking tools (such as Analytics and Conversion Tracking) to measure the impact of our ads, learn what support offerings are most desired and see firsthand in our reports how many lives we are touching. Samaritans relies on Google to help us reach hundreds of people a day who are in need and might not otherwise know our services exist. The Google Ad Grants program helps us save lives.

A new way for job seekers to stand out to IT recruiters

Almost two years ago, Grow with Google introduced the IT Support Professional Certificate, a program that helps people prepare for entry-level roles in IT, with no experience or degree necessary. IT support skills are highly teachable, and a four-year degree isn’t typically required to build a successful career in this field. We knew that if we could train beginners on technical skills, we could create paths to real jobs—both at Google and at other companies across the country. So we created a hands-on curriculum and made it available on Coursera to prepare learners for IT support jobs in under six months.

Google and CompTIA badge

Now, Google is teaming up with CompTIA, a nonprofit trade association, to provide a dual badge of completion. Employers widely recognize the CompTIA A+ certification as a valued credential for high-growth IT support roles. Now, learners who complete the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and pass the CompTIA A+ certification exams will have access to a new dual credential from CompTIA and Google: a badge that can be posted on LinkedIn to catch the attention of potential employers. 

One recipient of the dual credential is Leo Chui, who was a personal trainer for 12 years when he decided he was ready for a career change. “I have always been passionate about technology and I always wanted to work in that field, but I didn’t have a university degree,” he says. “I simply did not have the means to take on student loans in order to pursue my dreams and also keep a roof over my head.” Leo believes that the IT Support Professional Certificate aligns with the training in CompTIA’s certification exams. He says the training and the badge gave him the confidence to start applying for positions in the field, and he just landed his first IT job. 

With this dual badge, people who complete the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and receive the CompTIA A+ certification are better set up to share their skills with potential employers. 

A new way for job seekers to stand out to IT recruiters

Almost two years ago, Grow with Google introduced the IT Support Professional Certificate, a program that helps people prepare for entry-level roles in IT, with no experience or degree necessary. IT support skills are highly teachable, and a four-year degree isn’t typically required to build a successful career in this field. We knew that if we could train beginners on technical skills, we could create paths to real jobs—both at Google and at other companies across the country. So we created a hands-on curriculum and made it available on Coursera to prepare learners for IT support jobs in under six months.

Google and CompTIA badge

Now, Google is teaming up with CompTIA, a nonprofit trade association, to provide a dual badge of completion. Employers widely recognize the CompTIA A+ certification as a valued credential for high-growth IT support roles. Now, learners who complete the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and pass the CompTIA A+ certification exams will have access to a new dual credential from CompTIA and Google: a badge that can be posted on LinkedIn to catch the attention of potential employers. 

One recipient of the dual credential is Leo Chui, who was a personal trainer for 12 years when he decided he was ready for a career change. “I have always been passionate about technology and I always wanted to work in that field, but I didn’t have a university degree,” he says. “I simply did not have the means to take on student loans in order to pursue my dreams and also keep a roof over my head.” Leo believes that the IT Support Professional Certificate aligns with the training in CompTIA’s certification exams. He says the training and the badge gave him the confidence to start applying for positions in the field, and he just landed his first IT job. 

With this dual badge, people who complete the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and receive the CompTIA A+ certification are better set up to share their skills with potential employers. 

Google helps a nonprofit train young storytellers

Georgia is the number one filming location in the world, with a film and television industry worth $7 billion a year—a huge economic opportunity for local communities. On the flip side, Georgia is also home to about 180,000 disconnected youth. Disconnected (or opportunity) youth is defined as people ages 16-24 who are neither in school nor working. In Georgia, they represent 13.5 percent of people in that age range, two percentage points above the national average. Training programs to develop media production skills could give a new opportunity to thousands of young adults in the state.

Founded in 2014 in Atlanta, re:imagine/ATLis a nonprofit that trains the next generation of representative storytellers, to create a safe, inclusive and equitable workforce in the film and digital media industry. Partnering with schools and opportunity youth in metro Atlanta over the past five years, re:imagine/ATL has trained more than 3,000 young people who have produced more than 100 movies, documentaries, podcasts and other digital content.

Where I'm From | Westside Storytelling Competition

Where I'm From | Westside Storytelling Competition

This video produced by re:imagine/ATL is featured on the Best of Social Impact playlist in the YouTube Social Impact channel.

Google for Nonprofits spoke to re:imagine/ATL’s Executive Director Kimberlin Bolton to understand how they use Google products.

What’s one Google product that helped you explore new frontiers in storytelling?

Cardboard has been instrumental. Since 2015 we’ve offered three virtual reality training events per year. We hope to produce more 360 content and use Cardboard during screening events for the public.

How has Google for Nonprofits helped you become more visible?

We use Ad Grants for advertising our summer camp, in-school program and events. Through Ads we’ve reached new audiences. For example, a library in Doraville, Georgia, discovered our mobile workshops, and we provided an acting class for their filmmaking club. We had not previously considered libraries as a venue for our programming, and Doraville is outside of our usual service zone.

Our YouTube Channel is our primary distribution platform and has been a place to amplify youth voices and the next generation of leaders. The content our students create using Google products helps us raise awareness about different social issues in the community. Whether a video makes it to a film festival, a curated platform, or even network TV, they all begin on YouTube.

Any secret tips or tricks to share with other nonprofits?

We are using Google Alerts to discover every time we’re mentioned in the media. It also allows us to stay updated on the issues we care about most, find opportunities and celebrate our film and media community.

For an afterschool workshop, we used Google’s free CS First computer science curriculum to teach students to create animations using code. We are also starting to use Classroom for our film fellowship program, “No Comment.” Classroom allows us to send out assignments, track progress and communicate with all of our students, taking a great deal of administrative load off of our teachers.

How did G Suite for Nonprofits impact the way you work?

We rely on Sheets to track donations, program and operations budgets as well as student demographics and participation. Docs has been the bedrock of our administrative processes. In Docs we have our letterhead, we write grants and proposals collaboratively  and we plan programs and agendas. We also created a shared company calendar to coordinate equipment and space efficiently, or to know when employees are traveling.


Having a unified professional email system that is separate from our personal inboxes has made such a difference. G Suite for Nonprofits provides security for us and our constituents, communicates professionalism, and makes information more compartmentalized and easy to find.

Google helps a nonprofit train young storytellers

Georgia is the number one filming location in the world, with a film and television industry worth $7 billion a year—a huge economic opportunity for local communities. On the flip side, Georgia is also home to about 180,000 disconnected youth. Disconnected (or opportunity) youth is defined as people ages 16-24 who are neither in school nor working. In Georgia, they represent 13.5 percent of people in that age range, two percentage points above the national average. Training programs to develop media production skills could give a new opportunity to thousands of young adults in the state.

Founded in 2014 in Atlanta, re:imagine/ATLis a nonprofit that trains the next generation of representative storytellers, to create a safe, inclusive and equitable workforce in the film and digital media industry. Partnering with schools and opportunity youth in metro Atlanta over the past five years, re:imagine/ATL has trained more than 3,000 young people who have produced more than 100 movies, documentaries, podcasts and other digital content.

Where I'm From | Westside Storytelling Competition

Where I'm From | Westside Storytelling Competition

This video produced by re:imagine/ATL is featured on the Best of Social Impact playlist in the YouTube Social Impact channel.

Google for Nonprofits spoke to re:imagine/ATL’s Executive Director Kimberlin Bolton to understand how they use Google products.

What’s one Google product that helped you explore new frontiers in storytelling?

Cardboard has been instrumental. Since 2015 we’ve offered three virtual reality training events per year. We hope to produce more 360 content and use Cardboard during screening events for the public.

How has Google for Nonprofits helped you become more visible?

We use Ad Grants for advertising our summer camp, in-school program and events. Through Ads we’ve reached new audiences. For example, a library in Doraville, Georgia, discovered our mobile workshops, and we provided an acting class for their filmmaking club. We had not previously considered libraries as a venue for our programming, and Doraville is outside of our usual service zone.

Our YouTube Channel is our primary distribution platform and has been a place to amplify youth voices and the next generation of leaders. The content our students create using Google products helps us raise awareness about different social issues in the community. Whether a video makes it to a film festival, a curated platform, or even network TV, they all begin on YouTube.

Any secret tips or tricks to share with other nonprofits?

We are using Google Alerts to discover every time we’re mentioned in the media. It also allows us to stay updated on the issues we care about most, find opportunities and celebrate our film and media community.

For an afterschool workshop, we used Google’s free CS First computer science curriculum to teach students to create animations using code. We are also starting to use Classroom for our film fellowship program, “No Comment.” Classroom allows us to send out assignments, track progress and communicate with all of our students, taking a great deal of administrative load off of our teachers.

How did G Suite for Nonprofits impact the way you work?

We rely on Sheets to track donations, program and operations budgets as well as student demographics and participation. Docs has been the bedrock of our administrative processes. In Docs we have our letterhead, we write grants and proposals collaboratively  and we plan programs and agendas. We also created a shared company calendar to coordinate equipment and space efficiently, or to know when employees are traveling.


Having a unified professional email system that is separate from our personal inboxes has made such a difference. G Suite for Nonprofits provides security for us and our constituents, communicates professionalism, and makes information more compartmentalized and easy to find.

How Google for Nonprofits helps Thrive DC prevent homelessness

When Thrive DC opens its doors for breakfast at 8am every morning, 200 people walk in. They come for a hearty meal, to do laundry, take a shower, but also to attend job skills training, receive substance abuse counseling, or get back on their feet after incarceration. With 16 percent of the population in DC living in poverty, Thrive DC represents much more than a homeless services organization—it’s a new start.

To meet the needs of the people who rely on their services, Thrive DC needs to act fast and efficiently. Its staff of 16 people supports more than 2,000 clients every year. The key to its success is a productive team, a structured volunteer management system, and an efficient fundraising strategy. Watch the video to learn how Thrive DC uses Google for Nonprofits to get the work done faster and spend more time serving the community. Visit google.com/nonprofits to learn more about the program.

How Google for Nonprofits helps Thrive DC prevent homelessness

When Thrive DC opens its doors for breakfast at 8am every morning, 200 people walk in. They come for a hearty meal, to do laundry, take a shower, but also to attend job skills training, receive substance abuse counseling, or get back on their feet after incarceration. With 16 percent of the population in DC living in poverty, Thrive DC represents much more than a homeless services organization—it’s a new start.

To meet the needs of the people who rely on their services, Thrive DC needs to act fast and efficiently. Its staff of 16 people supports more than 2,000 clients every year. The key to its success is a productive team, a structured volunteer management system, and an efficient fundraising strategy. Watch the video to learn how Thrive DC uses Google for Nonprofits to get the work done faster and spend more time serving the community. Visit google.com/nonprofits to learn more about the program.

Improve efficiency and collaboration with G Suite for Nonprofits

Time is important. As a nonprofit, every minute that your staff spends searching for emails or coordinating meetings is time away from making a difference for the communities or causes they serve. G Suite for Nonprofits is designed to help nonprofits work faster, smarter, and more collaboratively across different locations, at no charge. Here are a few ways G Suite for Nonprofits can help your team be more productive.


Present your nonprofit professionally

With Gmail, you can create an unlimited number of personalized email addresses for your team (like [email protected]). Your staff will be able to communicate with volunteers, supporters and the community with professional emails coming from your nonprofit's custom domain, resulting in brand awareness and increased trust in your communications.


Make your next grant proposal pop

A successful grant proposal needs inspiring, structured, and concise content to stand out when competing against hundreds. Often you don’t have much time, you’re on a shoestring budget, and your co-workers are in different time zones. G Suite provides templates and suggested layouts to give your documents and slides a professional look, so that you can focus on content rather than design. Grammar suggestions in Docs make you a more confident writer, especially handy if you are working against a tight deadline. Real-time collaboration lets each member of your team contribute to the same file from anywhere.  And with all of these tools, your team will become even more productive and collaborative.


Manage your volunteers

There are lots of ways G Suite can  help you engage with your volunteers more efficiently. When you create a Site, you can include a page to provide some background on your nonprofit and share volunteers success stories, add sections for onboarding and training materials, and post upcoming volunteer opportunities with an embedded Calendar. You can also embed a Form for volunteers to sign-up. The information they submit is automatically and safely stored in Sheets so you won’t misplace paper sign-up forms anymore. For reliable communications and updates, create a Group with all your volunteer emails. You can send an email to everyone in the group with one address, invite the group to an event, or share documents.


Coordinate your nonprofit board

Nonprofit boards are at the core of your strategy and coordinating them can be tricky, especially when members are spread across in many locations. With G Suite, you have the tools you need to coordinate with your board effectively. You can schedule board meetings on Calendar, and directly add members to the event. With Hangouts Meet, those who can’t participate in person will be able to join in a video call or dial in from their phone.


Control your data securely

Privacy and security are critical to nonprofits, especially when managing personal information that may be sensitive. G Suite is built on stringent privacy and security standards and allows you to add users easily, manage devices, and configure security and settings so that your data stays safe. This is essential, especially if your nonprofit has high turnover of staff or volunteers.


G Suite for Nonprofits has helped many nonprofits to become more efficient and spend more time serving the community. Find out more about how G Suite for Nonprofits can help you.

Improve efficiency and collaboration with G Suite for Nonprofits

Time is important. As a nonprofit, every minute that your staff spends searching for emails or coordinating meetings is time away from making a difference for the communities or causes they serve. G Suite for Nonprofits is designed to help nonprofits work faster, smarter, and more collaboratively across different locations, at no charge. Here are a few ways G Suite for Nonprofits can help your team be more productive.


Present your nonprofit professionally

With Gmail, you can create an unlimited number of personalized email addresses for your team (like [email protected]). Your staff will be able to communicate with volunteers, supporters and the community with professional emails coming from your nonprofit's custom domain, resulting in brand awareness and increased trust in your communications.


Make your next grant proposal pop

A successful grant proposal needs inspiring, structured, and concise content to stand out when competing against hundreds. Often you don’t have much time, you’re on a shoestring budget, and your co-workers are in different time zones. G Suite provides templates and suggested layouts to give your documents and slides a professional look, so that you can focus on content rather than design. Grammar suggestions in Docs make you a more confident writer, especially handy if you are working against a tight deadline. Real-time collaboration lets each member of your team contribute to the same file from anywhere.  And with all of these tools, your team will become even more productive and collaborative.


Manage your volunteers

There are lots of ways G Suite can  help you engage with your volunteers more efficiently. When you create a Site, you can include a page to provide some background on your nonprofit and share volunteers success stories, add sections for onboarding and training materials, and post upcoming volunteer opportunities with an embedded Calendar. You can also embed a Form for volunteers to sign-up. The information they submit is automatically and safely stored in Sheets so you won’t misplace paper sign-up forms anymore. For reliable communications and updates, create a Group with all your volunteer emails. You can send an email to everyone in the group with one address, invite the group to an event, or share documents.


Coordinate your nonprofit board

Nonprofit boards are at the core of your strategy and coordinating them can be tricky, especially when members are spread across in many locations. With G Suite, you have the tools you need to coordinate with your board effectively. You can schedule board meetings on Calendar, and directly add members to the event. With Hangouts Meet, those who can’t participate in person will be able to join in a video call or dial in from their phone.


Control your data securely

Privacy and security are critical to nonprofits, especially when managing personal information that may be sensitive. G Suite is built on stringent privacy and security standards and allows you to add users easily, manage devices, and configure security and settings so that your data stays safe. This is essential, especially if your nonprofit has high turnover of staff or volunteers.


G Suite for Nonprofits has helped many nonprofits to become more efficient and spend more time serving the community. Find out more about how G Suite for Nonprofits can help you.

Free digital skills programs make learning a lifelong journey

Janitor, seamstress, housekeeper, gardener: These were some of the jobs my parents held after we immigrated to the United States. Growing up in a lower-income neighborhood, I never knew anyone who worked with computers professionally. That changed when my brother signed up for a computer course, providing him the digital skills that would lead to a four-year university and ultimately a career as an engineer.

These days, whether someone is a janitor or a housekeeper or an engineer, they can benefit from—and deserve access to—basic digital skills. In today’s job market, it is critical to know how to navigate job search websites, write a resume, craft a professional email, develop a budget, and so much more.

That’s why, as part of our Grow with Google initiative to drive economic opportunity for all, Google’s Applied Digital Skills is partnering with the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) to train educators in all 50 states on essential digital skills for the evolving workforce. In the two years since launching Applied Digital Skills, a core part of the Grow with Google program, over a half-million students, including many adult learners, have used the curriculum to help them achieve their personal and professional goals.

Tamara Rood-Spenker, an adult education instructor who teaches down the road from our Google office in Mountain View, California, told me recently that Applied Digital Skills lessons expose her students to new job skills, like using formulas to analyze data in spreadsheets, showing them how technology can make many tasks simpler in their day-to-day lives.

Educators will now be better positioned to help adult learners prepare for and find jobs, build their businesses and even work toward earning their high school equivalency credentials. COABE represents over 55,000 adult educators in the United States who support underserved adults to master the skills they need to build their careers.

Together with COABE, Google will hold 200 hours of in-person professional development sessions for adult educators. We will also build new support guides and training materials, hold webinars and feature best practices in digital skills training. And we will also provide new, free Applied Digital Skills lessons on digital skills that adult educators can utilize in their classrooms.

I know firsthand that learning never ends. As an immigrant to the United States from a working class family, a former community college instructor, and now a Googler leading outreach for computer science and digital skills training, I know education is an ongoing process. We’re excited to be a part of that process with the teachers who make learning a reality, organizations like COABE who support educators and the Americans who wake up every day ready to take their next step.