Google AdWords is a way to advertise to Google users who search key terms relevant to your product or service. As an advertiser, you have control over the advertising budget by paying only when people click on an ad in the search results. Nonprofits have an added advantage because they can apply for a free account through Google.
Once accepted to the program, nonprofits need to think through a strategy for their advertising even though they do not have to worry about the budget (since it’s free).
This involves 1) Knowing your goals, 2) Choosing good keywords, 3) Creating targeted ads, and 4) Monitoring your account. Check my article on eHow.com for more detail about each of these steps.