Google Gives UK Charities Free Enterprise Apps

Matthew Broersma,
charity donate keuboard money © arka38 Shutterstock

Google’s Nonprofits programme offers tools and services to qualified charity organisations in England and Wales

Following on from the presentation of its Global Impact Awards recognising UK non-profit projects last month, Google has announced a programme designed to support charities in England and Wales with free and discounted access to products and tools.

Google for Nonprofits brings together access to a number of Google programmes aimed at charities and non-profit organisations, including Google Grants, Google Apps for Nonprofits, YouTube for Nonprofits and access to Google Earth and Google Maps tools.

Inspiring projects

The catch-all programme was previously available only in the US, and as of Tuesday is offered to non-profits in England and Wales, according to Google. The individual programmes composing Google for Nonprofits are mostly available across a number of countries, with the exception of of Google Apps for Nonprofits, which is only available in the US, England and Wales.

beneficent google ©- the Onion“We’re inspired and humbled by the amazing ways nonprofits are making the world a better place, and look forward to supporting the work of more UK nonprofits,” said Google for Nonprofits product manager Xiaonan Zhao, in a Tuesday post on Google’s European policy blog.

The programme offers free access to Google Apps; up to $10,000 (£6,600) per month in advertising on Google’s Adwords platform in order to reach donors; and features on YouTube, Google Maps and Google Earth designed to raise awareness of an organisation. Qualified groups also have access to educational videos and case studies, Zhao said.

Several UK nonprofit organisations are already using Google’s tools, including anti-online bullying charity BeatBullying, which uses Google Apps for collaboration amongst its colleagues; the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which uses AdWords and YouTube for recruiting supporters; and WaterAid, which uses Google mapping technologies to demonstrate its work.

Organisations can apply to join Google for Nonprofits via the programme’s web page.

In June Google presented awards of £500,000 each to four British organisations under through the Global Impact Challenge, an annual competition run by Google Giving, the company’s charity arm, which spends $50m per year on technology projects designed to have a social benefit.

The winning charities – SolarAid, Integrity Action, Apps for Good and the Zoological Society for London – will also get mentorship and support from Google volunteers.

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