Google Grants Available for Nonprofit Organizations

Google Grants Available for Nonprofit Organizations
12 Mission Main Street Grant Winners Get Trip to Google Headquarters
What Makes You Stand Out When Job Hunting?
After Big Investment, Has Tumblr Stopped Growing?
Be Honest – Are You Acting Fake?

Posted: 28 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST

google grants

Every few months I come across something for marketers that I had absolutely no idea existed. This time, it's the Google Grants program, an AdWords program for nonprofit organizations that falls into this category.

Whether you own a nonprofit or not, it's interesting to see what Google has to offer and what others in your industry might be using in order to advertise. Knowing how it all works could also help you make your decision one way or the other if starting a nonprofit was ever something you considered.

Understanding this program is just another way to create well-rounded knowledge about Google.

How the Google Grants Program Works

The idea is that nonprofits can advertise with Google at no cost.

If your organization qualifies for the program, you get $10,000 per month in AdWords to advertise on Google to help accomplish your goals.

Sounds great, right?

It is an excellent program, but qualifying is strict and takes some time. As expected there is an application process, but you also need to make sure you're following all of the program details to a tee or you could lose the grant money.

Google Grants Eligibility

In most cases if you're a nonprofit organization you're going to be eligible without having to do any extra work. But it helps to know all of the qualifications before you spend time getting started.

Knowing the eligibility requirements, shown below, is also a good place to start if you're still in the planning stages:

You must have a current and valid charity status. In the U.S., this means you have a current 501(c)(3) status.
You have to agree to the Google Grant requirements. You will be prompted to accept, which is where you can read all of the requirements. How to use the donations, how to receive them, etc. Remember, you have to agree and follow them. If you don't like one, tough break.
You must have a website that is kept up-to-date and has enough information about your nonprofit for visitors to see (and those giving you the grant money).

While you have to possess the above to get involved, there are also strict organizations who cannot get involved, which might help you determine where your organization fits into the equation.

If you're working with a hospital, medical group, government organization, school and/or academic program, or childcare centers, you are NOT eligible for the grant.

Maintaining Your Google Grant

Once you've got the grant, step #2 is, of course, keeping it. There are quite a few things you need to do to make sure you don't lose the grant you worked so hard to get:

When you go to advertise, you have to link back to the URL that you cited in your application. On that same note, your ad has to be centered around sending people to your website.
You have to login to your AdWords account once every few weeks in order to show that you are active (otherwise Google might pause the account).
You cannot display ads from Google AdSense.
You can sell products, but they cannot be financial products, such as credit cards.
You cannot ask for donations in the form of large products, and all proceeds must go to your organization.

I recommend checking out this WordStream article that includes some extra restrictions and tips. The official Google Grants webpage also has more details and eligibility information for those wanting to learn.

Have you used the Google Grants program in the past?

Image: Video Still, Google

The post Google Grants Available for Nonprofit Organizations appeared first on Small Business Trends.

12 Mission Main Street Grant Winners Get Trip to Google Headquarters

Posted: 28 Jan 2014 01:30 PM PST

robot garage

Twelve U.S. small businesses will be visiting Google headquarters in California. All twelve are part of a program aimed at investment in small community businesses with a plan for growth. The businesses have been awarded a share of $3 million in Mission Main Street Grants.

The grants, offered by Chase, are intended to enable them to make huge leaps in their development that would not be possible without additional funding.

Recipients include businesses like Edibles Rex, a company dedicated to providing nutritious food for children in Detroit’s charter schools. Learn more about the company in the video below:

Each of the 12 businesses received $250,000 from the Main Street Mission Grants program. The funding will allow each business to significantly grow some aspect of their operations over the next two years.

In a prepared release on the grants, Chase Business Banking CEO Scott Geller explained:

"We hope these twelve exceptional businesses take their innovative products and creative approaches to new heights through their Mission Main Street grant."

Businesses were chosen from among 35,000 applicants from all 50 states seeking to be considered for the funding. They were then voted on by the general public and their supporters who were all able to view applicants’ profiles on the Main Street Mission Grants website.

A total 1.7 million people online participated in voting for their favorite business and each business needed at least 250 votes to qualify for the final phase of the contest where winners were selected, Chase reports.

The trip to Google headquarters is also part of the prize. There business leaders will take part in a marketing workshop designed to help them market their products and services more effectively.

The other 11 winners of the Chase Mission Main Street Grants include:

ABL Denim, Manufacturing, Los Angeles, CA

Axelo Inc., Healthcare, Austin, TX

buzzy4painrelief.com, Healthcare, Atlanta, GA

Chemo Beanies, Retailers, Covington, LA

Curious Jane, Education & Training, Brooklyn, NY

Living Design Studios, Inc, Builders & Construction, Lafayette, CO

Milagros de México, Retailer, San Francisco, CA

Overnight Success Inc., Builders & Construction, Miami, FL

Rolling in Dough Pizza, Restaurants/Bars, Greenport, NY

Shaktea Kombucha, Manufacturing, Fairfield, IA

The Robot Garage, Retailers, Birmingham, MI

Image: Mission Main Street Grants

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What Makes You Stand Out When Job Hunting?

Posted: 28 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

how to stand out when job hunting

“You have to become a premium item in a generic market.” ~ Tom Hopkins

This is one of my favorite quotes from world renown motivational speaker Tom Hopkins, that has guided and motivated me over my career.

Millions of Americans are currently unemployed, which makes the job environment very competitive. But now is also the most optimistic, opportune time to change or find work since 2010.

So how do you become perceived as, and known for, being a premium item in a generic market?

Below are some significant statistics that show the importance of developing your in-person networking skills, social media footprint and using social recruitment when job hunting:

21% of full time employees plan to change jobs.
92% of employers are using social media for hiring.
73% of employers have successfully hired a candidate through social media.

One of the most interesting statistics is 29% of surveyed hiring managers found something positive on a profile that drove them to offer the candidate a job. So, more proof that your social media platforms are branding opportunities that are being monitored and used to qualify people and do impact being noticed and hired.

Here are a few things that can help you stand out when job hunting, that should be obvious and common sense to most job seekers but a reminder is always good.

How to Stand Out When Job Hunting

Right Job, Right Fit, Right Culture

Your best approach and mindset going into your job search should be to go for and find the right job, right fit and right culture. Bring all your relevance and value to the process, employer and workplace.

This ensures ultimate job satisfaction and longevity and that you will be a great hire for a company.

Update Your Professional Image

Make sure you have a current, professional and appropriate headshot. Make sure your professional image conveys who you are and how you want to be perceived.

No flip flops, crinkled and tight clothes, low necklines or bad grooming.

Tell Your Career Story

Create a functional resume that tells your career story, accomplishments and achievements more personally instead of a long list vertical bullet points.

Use your first person “I” voice on your LinkedIn profile.

Be Mindful of Your Social Media Footprint and Social Recruitment

Take your social media footprint, technology savvy and social recruitment very seriously. Presenting both your hard and soft skills is very effective on social media and there are jobs that are posted only on social networks between connections that are not on job boards.

If you are not engaging - you won't see them.

Network in Person

Blend your online and in-person networking. Get out and meet people through chambers, meet ups, professional organizations and referrals.

Nothing replaces face-to-face time with the right people to build your likeability so that you are more memorable.

Convey Clearly What You Do

Prepare a concise, articulate branding statement, when someone asks you, “What do you do?” Be specific and focus on one or two things you want people to remember about you. This can be a "door opener."

In today's competitive job environment you have to have every advantage you can in your arsenal to stand out and get noticed. So take the initiative and responsibility for your career development, direction and job search.

Get prepared, be professional and stay laser focused on moving yourself and your career in the direction you want it to go.

Hire Me Photo via Shutterstock

The post What Makes You Stand Out When Job Hunting? appeared first on Small Business Trends.

After Big Investment, Has Tumblr Stopped Growing?

Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

tumbler

Has Tumblr, the social blogging site Yahoo acquired for what was reported to be $1.1 billion last year, stopped growing? The social blogging network reached 47.49 active users in May 2013, the month the sale was announced, reports Forbes. The news source is now saying the sale to Yahoo was closer to $990 million.

Yahoo acquired Tumblr looking to add some “cool” to its audience since Tumblr’s users are typically younger. At the time of the sale, both companies touted Tumblr as the fastest growing media network on the Web.

Since the sale, though, growth has remained fairly flat, only once spiking close to the 50 million user mark in July, Forbes reports. The analysis is based on comScore data of both desktop and mobile users, according to Forbes.

Tumblr has disputed Forbes’ read of a plateau in user growth. In a recent email responding to the comScore data, a spokeswoman explained:

“Comscore does not fully capture mobile traffic, as it does not include in-app traffic (and that number you reference also only accounts for US). For Tumblr, 1 in 2 active users access Tumblr content through the mobile app. In addition, in the past year we've seen a 55% total engagement growth and on mobile this number is 251% growth.”

So are the stagnant numbers a sign that Tumblr has stopped growing? It depends on who you ask and what numbers they’re using.

For example, a GlobalWebIndex survey of 170,000 Internet users worldwide also reported by Forbes may tell a slightly different story. The number of people in the global survey who described themselves as active users of the site remained flat at 4 percent from the second through the fourth quarter of 2013. Nothing new there.

But the number of Internet users who said they had a Tumblr account jumped from six percent in the first quarter to 12 percent in the second quarter of 2013. That number dropped to 11 percent in the third quarter, but rose again to 13 percent to finish the year.

So comScore numbers may not tell the whole story since they obviously leave some users out. Also, other numbers suggest that, whether they are all active or not, the number of Tumblr users seems to still be growing.

Image: Tumbler

The post After Big Investment, Has Tumblr Stopped Growing? appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Be Honest – Are You Acting Fake?

Posted: 28 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

Sponsored Post

are you fake

Many small business owners suffer from the imposter syndrome. They feel that their customers or employees will find out “who they really are” and lose confidence in their ability to run the company. This fear holds many people back from displaying who they really are at work. This becomes a problem in the transparent world of the Internet where “being human” and authentic are highly valued by customers.

Customers buy from those who they believe, like and trust. Without being authentic as a leader and a company, this will never happen and it will become impossible to build a profitable company. Here is what to do.

Are You Fake? Here’s How to be Authentic

1. Tell the Truth

This is more difficult than it first seems in small business. Most owners have good intentions, but sometimes are afraid to disclose to employees and customers what is really happening.

How to be authentic: Focus on the companies strengths. Always deliver good and bad news in a timely fashion. Don’t be afraid to be humble and show personal or company warts. Build a culture of openness and frequent communication.

2. Stick to the Brand

Many times, companies want to be everything to everybody. This leads to telling the customer that the company can do things that they really can’t. This leads to frustrated employees, disappointed customers and an unprofitable businesses.

How to be authentic: Determine the exact customer segment served and the pain solved. Get clear on what the company cares about. Stay focused on delivering outstanding results in this niche area.

3. Hire Employees that Want to be Part of the Company’s Culture

Too many times, owners hire a person to fit a particular job. They rush into a decision and don’t understand how that person would work in the overall company culture.

How to be authentic: Hire for attitude over skill. Think about how the new employee will complement the rest of the team. Have team members give feedback on prospective employees.

4. Be Consistent

Too many times, the company’s brand does not match it’s culture. The friendly company persona contradicts the cut throat office atmosphere. The boss is sometimes an angel and other times an ogre.

How to be authentic: Live the company brand. Be the same person inside and outside the office. Be the same in front of managers, staff and customers. Have no hidden agendas. Set an example by practicing whatever is preached.

Are you authentic and how do you demonstrate it?

This article, provided by Nextiva, is republished through a content distribution agreement. The original can be found here.

Authenticity Photo via Shutterstock

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014