The $500 Question: What Nonprofits Are Paying For That They Don't Have To
Every dollar your nonprofit spends is a dollar that didn't go to your mission.
You already know that. It's the tension that runs underneath every budget conversation, every board meeting, every grant application. You're not a corporation with a margin to protect, you're an organization trying to make something real happen in the world, and every line item has weight.
Which is why it always stops me for a moment when I'm working with a nonprofit, and I find something they've been paying for that they simply didn't have to.
It happened recently with an organization I work with closely, a community nonprofit doing incredibly meaningful work. During a strategy workshop, I asked a question I ask most new clients: "Are you using Google Workspace? What are you paying for it?"
The answer: over $500 a month.
The reality: Google offers its full Workspace suite — Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar, all of it — completely free to qualifying nonprofits through Google for Nonprofits.
One application. A few weeks of processing time. Zero dollars a month going forward.
But the savings were only the beginning.
Once we were inside the Google for Nonprofits ecosystem, we looked at what else was available. That's when we got to the Google Ad Grant — a program that gives eligible nonprofits up to $10,000 per month in free Google advertising.
Not a one-time thing. Every month.
This organization is now in the process of activating that grant. The potential impact on their visibility, donor acquisition and ability to reach the families and community members they serve is huge.
And it was sitting there, unclaimed,
because no one had asked the question.
This isn't a story about waste.
I want to be clear about something. The leaders of this organization are smart, dedicated, and financially careful. They weren't being careless. They just didn't know what they didn't know — which is true of almost every nonprofit I work with.
The digital landscape for nonprofits is full of programs, grants, and tools specifically designed to stretch your dollar further. But most nonprofit leaders are too busy doing the actual work of their mission to go hunting for them. That's not a failure of leadership. It's just reality.
So, what’s the question worth asking?
If you're running a nonprofit, or if you're on a board, or you're a donor who cares about operational efficiency — here's the question worth sitting with:
What would you find if someone finally sat down and looked?
It might be software. It might be advertising. It might be a platform that charges a transaction fee when a fee-free alternative exists. It might be a website that looks fine but isn't doing any actual work for you.
The answers are usually out there. All it takes is for someone to ask.
If you'd like to have that conversation about your organization, I offer a free 15-minute Clarity Call. There’s no pitch, just questions. You can book it here.
And if this story resonated with you, share it with a nonprofit leader you know. The questions are free. The savings could be real.
