Insights

Eligibility to receive $10,000 per month in Google AdWords is predicated on the applying organization meeting the Google program eligibility guidelines. While the program is called Google Grants for non-profts, in Canada the distinction between non-profits and charities is different than in the United States.

The Google Grants program is available to only ‘registered charities’ in Canada as defined by the Income Tax Act. Organizations must be registered under the Canada Income Tax Act, able to issue charitable receipts to donors, and are exempt from income tax in order to be considered for this program. Is your Canadian organization eligible for Google Grants? It is if it is a registered charity in Canada as described in the the table below from Revenue Canada, but may not be if your organization is simply a registered non-profit.

Registered charities are often referred to as non-profit organizations (NPOs). However, while both types of organizations operate on a non-profit basis, the two types are defined differently under the Income Tax Act.