Google wants to help

On Tuesday, Google launched Google for Non-Profits, a collection of free tools to "promote your work, raise money, and operate more efficiently.". While most of the applications are already available free to anyone, there are two additions, Google Checkout and Google Grants, which should be of interest to you if you run an NGO and are looking to improve the way you do things.

The standard applications included in the package that are already available free to anyone are Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Blogger, Analytics, Groups, Gadgets, Maps & Earth, & You Tube.

But even here, Google offers to host your email free should you have your own domain (e.g. children-of-bangalore.com), and even help you get one (for $10) should you not have one. Also, once you have a few videos, YouTube will help you create a YouTube non profit channel, with "premium branding capabilities, and increased uploading capacity, rotation of your videos in the "Promoted Videos" areas throughout the site, and the option to drive fundraising through a Google Checkout "Donate" button"

What is really interesting in Google Non-Profit, however, are these two:

1. Google Checkout, which will collect donations online and process them for free, with no monthly, setup, or gateway fees, till at least 2009.
2. Google Grants, which will provide you with free advertising, using Google AdWords.
   

I think this is a fairly good package, and if you know how to use these tools as part of a well thought out marketing program, you should be able to get great results.

But be warned; being an NGO does not automatically entitle to you to these goodies:

1. To be eligible, your organization must have 501(c)(3) status, as assigned by the IRS, if you are in the United States. If you are in India, you must be a charitable institution that is either a Registered Society, Public Charitable Trust or company under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, as provided for under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
2. Also, "...organizations that are either religious or political in nature are not eligible, including those groups focused primarily on lobbying for political or policy change."

And who decides whether you fulfill the eligibility criteria? A team of about 250 Google employees who volunteer to work on the project.
I think that's fair.