How Ad Grants help UNCF connect to students and supporters

The Google for Nonprofits program and products like Ad Grants help thousands of nonprofit organizations gain visibility for their work, get their message in front of the right people, and connect with potential donors. One of those organizations is UNCF (United Negro College Fund), a U.S.-based organization that supports African American students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs.

I was personally fortunate enough to receive not one, but two UNCF scholarships that helped me attend and pay for college, so I know firsthand how UNCF scholarships can help Black students succeed. And I’m grateful that Google.org has supported the UNCF team for more than three years, helping them raise funds, publicize financial aid opportunities, and cultivate a larger community of supporters and students via Ad Grants.

Since UNCF started using Ad Grants, they’ve brought an additional 1.4 million visitors to the UNCF website — generating tens of thousands of clicks to scholarship applications, newsletter subscriptions, student registrations, donations and more. And in recent years, they’ve raised more than $150,000 in donations directly through Ad Grants.

Google has also supported UNCF in other ways, including hosting UNCF students at Google headquarters for in-person academic enrichment and working with UNCF on its HBCU STEM pipeline initiative.

Many Googlers also volunteer with UNCF to help future students learn about opportunities and what a career at Google could look like, including sharing their personal pathways to tech. For example, I co-lead a group for former HBCU graduates at Google and help organize opportunities to pay it forward to the next generation of young, Black professionals. My mentorship experience through UNCF helped prepare me for my career as a young professional and I want to help these students feel the same way.

Google’s support for UNCF is just one way we are partnering with community groups and institutions to help connect the Black community to higher education opportunities. From the Last Mile Education Fund and working with the NBA Foundation to support HBCUs to our ongoing commitment to increase Black+ representation in STEM fields, Google and Google.org are committed to helping close gaps for Black students navigating the education system.