In this article, we’ll provide detail about these key questions:

  • What is Performance Max and how does it differ from Search-only Ad Grants campaigns?
  • How can nonprofits benefit from using Performance Max in their Google Ad Grants?
  • What should nonprofit teams consider before transitioning to Performance Max?
  • How do you measure success when running Performance Max campaigns?
  • What practical steps can nonprofits take to prepare for adopting Performance Max?

Introduction

Google Ad Grants provides nonprofits with up to $10,000 in free monthly advertising, allowing organizations to reach donors, volunteers, and supporters when they search online. Until now, Grants campaigns were confined to text-based Search ads, which meant nonprofits could only connect with users actively seeking their mission or services. With Performance Max, nonprofits can expand into Google’s other channels, such as Display, YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, using AI-driven ad delivery and automated asset optimization. This update creates new possibilities for storytelling and engagement through visuals and video, helping nonprofits reach a broader audience at different stages of the supporter journey. In this article, we will explain why Performance Max matters for nonprofit advertisers and outline key considerations for updating your Ad Grants strategy.

Why Performance Max Matters for Ad Grants

Performance Max moves Ad Grants beyond keyword-based Search ads by offering a true multi-channel approach. Nonprofits can now run campaigns on Display, YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, giving them access to formats like images and video that drive stronger engagement. Google’s AI automatically tests different headlines, visuals, and descriptions to serve the best combination in each channel, helping to maximize impact without constant manual adjustments. This technology also ensures that organizations can connect with potential supporters at multiple stages of the giving process, from initial awareness—when someone scrolls through YouTube or checks their Gmail—to final action when they search for a way to donate. By diversifying channels and relying on AI-driven optimization, nonprofits can reach new audiences more efficiently and tell their story in richer, more compelling ways.

Key Differences from Search-Only Campaigns

Performance Max offers channel diversity by extending beyond text-based Search ads to include visual and video placements. Nonprofits can display image-based banners on the Display Network, share short videos on YouTube, appear in Gmail promotions, and show content in Discover feeds. This variety of formats allows organizations to tell their story through graphics, photos, or motion instead of relying solely on text. By appearing in different environments, nonprofits can capture attention in moments when potential supporters may not be actively searching but are still open to engaging with a cause.

Instead of crafting ad groups around specific keywords and manually adjusting bids, Performance Max uses automated asset optimization. You simply provide a collection of headlines, descriptions, images, and optional video clips. Google’s AI then tests various combinations of these assets across channels to determine which creative resonates most with each audience segment. This process reduces the need for ongoing manual keyword management and bid adjustments, freeing nonprofit teams to focus on producing high-quality materials rather than constantly tuning settings.

Reporting under Performance Max is unified, meaning you see cross-channel performance metrics in a single dashboard rather than reviewing separate reports for Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. You can quickly identify which asset combinations drive the most conversions, whether that’s an image headline pairing on Display or a short video on YouTube. This holistic view makes it easier to compare success across channels, understand how each format contributes to your goals, and make data-driven decisions without juggling multiple siloed reports.

Benefits for Nonprofits

By expanding into channels like YouTube and the Display Network, nonprofits can share mission-driven stories with a much wider audience than through keyword-based Search alone. Visual and video placements capture attention in moments when potential supporters are browsing content rather than actively searching, bringing awareness to your cause in new contexts. This exposure allows organizations to connect with individuals earlier in the donor journey, increasing top-of-funnel engagement and driving more qualified visitors to donation or volunteer pages.

Efficiency Through Automation

With Performance Max, Google’s AI automatically allocates budget across different channels and selects the best-performing ad creatives. Nonprofit teams spend less time manually adjusting bids or rotating assets. The system continuously learns which combinations of headlines, images, and videos drive the most donations or sign-ups, then shifts spending toward those high-impact placements. This allows staff to focus on crafting compelling messaging and creating quality assets rather than micromanaging campaign settings.

Improved Conversion Potential

Visual formats such as images and videos create an emotional connection that text alone often cannot achieve. When nonprofits showcase real impact, like a short clip of a volunteer in action or a powerful photograph of a community you have served, viewers feel invested and are more likely to donate or sign up. Performance Max uses these rich media assets across multiple channels, so someone scrolling through YouTube or checking their Gmail might pause to watch a compelling story and then click through to contribute. By focusing on emotion-driven content, nonprofits can turn casual viewers into engaged supporters more effectively than with standard text ads.

Data-Driven Insights

With Performance Max, all channel data is combined into a single dashboard, making it easy to see which visuals, headlines, and formats drive the most engagement. Nonprofits can quickly identify top-performing images or videos and understand which channels deliver the highest return on investment. This comprehensive view allows teams to make informed decisions about where to invest resources and which assets to refresh for maximum impact.

Considerations Before Adopting Performance Max

Before shifting to Performance Max, nonprofit marketers should review a few key factors to ensure a smooth transition and effective campaigns.

Asset Preparedness

Performance Max relies on diverse creative assets—images, short videos, headlines, and descriptions—to engage audiences across multiple channels. Nonprofits should gather high-quality photographs that tell impactful stories, create brief video clips showcasing mission work, and craft concise messaging that drives action. Without a robust asset library, AI-driven optimization cannot fully leverage cross-channel opportunities.

Goal Alignment

Clear conversion objectives are critical for Performance Max to succeed. Nonprofits must define specific goals such as donation completions, newsletter sign-ups, or volunteer inquiries. Setting up distinct conversion actions allows the AI to optimize toward your primary objectives rather than generic clicks or impressions. Review existing tracking setups to confirm that all desired conversion points accurately feed into Google Ads.

Budget Pacing & Policy Compliance

Ad Grant accounts must maintain a monthly spend of $10,000 to maximize the free advertising benefit. Nonprofits should plan budgets to avoid underspending and remain within the $2 maximum cost-per-click limit. It is also essential to stay current on Google’s nonprofit guidelines, as any policy violation can lead to account suspension. Regularly auditing campaigns for compliance and pacing ensures sustained access to Ad Grant funds.

Learning Curve for AI

Performance Max’s AI-driven approach requires an initial learning period before it optimizes fully. Nonprofits should anticipate a two- to four-week adjustment phase during which the algorithm collects sufficient data to identify winning asset-channel combinations. Avoid making significant changes to creative assets or campaign settings during this learning window. Patience during this phase leads to stronger performance once the AI has adapted to your goals.

By preparing high-quality assets, aligning clear conversion goals, planning budgets around policy requirements, and allowing time for AI learning, nonprofits can set the stage for a successful Performance Max rollout.

Measuring Success in a Performance Max Era

In a Performance Max campaign, success is determined less by traditional keyword-focused metrics like click-through rate or Quality Score and more by channel-agnostic conversion data. Nonprofits should track overall donation volume, volunteer inquiries, and event registrations both before and after launching Performance Max. Comparing these aggregated results makes it possible to see whether the multi-channel approach drives more supporters to take action, regardless of which platform they encountered first.

Google Ads’ unified reporting shows which combinations of headlines, images, and videos perform best across Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, and Gmail. By reviewing those aggregated asset reports, you can identify top-performing creative elements and understand how each channel contributes to your conversion goals. This insight allows you to reallocate resources toward the visuals and messaging that effectively engage donors and volunteers, while also pruning underperforming assets to maximize your Ad Grant budget.

Conclusion

Performance Max opens new channels and automation advantages for nonprofits, allowing organizations to expand reach beyond text ads and engage supporters with visual storytelling. By experimenting with images, videos, and AI-driven asset optimization, nonprofits gain valuable insights into which formats resonate most. Embracing this multi-channel approach encourages data-driven iteration—continually refining creative elements to boost donations, sign-ups, and event participation. Nonprofit marketers should view this update as an opportunity to diversify outreach, tell richer stories, and connect with audiences at every stage of the giving journey.

Get a free Google Ad Grant audit or consultation to identify where your site stands and how you can improve.