Customer story: Devon Air Ambulance

For Devon Air Ambulance, every supporter matters. Every donation, fundraising event, lottery player and charity shop purchase helps fund its life-saving service, making digital visibility an essential part of its fundraising strategy.

The charity recognised the value of Google's Ad Grant programme, but keeping pace with Google's constantly evolving policies and technical requirements quickly became a challenge. Managing campaigns alongside a busy marketing workload meant there was always a risk of missing compliance updates or losing valuable visibility in search.

As Naomi Palmer, Content Creative at Devon Air Ambulance, explains:

"Unless you're managing Google Ads every day, the rules can change so quickly it's difficult to stay on top of what's needed for the grant to perform well."

Before partnering with Access, the charity attempted to manage Google Ad Grants internally, but the programme soon slipped down the priority list and warning emails from Google began arriving. For a charity with limited time and resource, dedicating a member of the team to managing Google Ad Grants simply wasn't sustainable.

Devon Air Ambulance partnered with Access Charity Ad Grants to ensure its Google Ad Grant was managed by specialists who live and breathe the platform.

Rather than relying on one individual internally, the charity now benefits from a dedicated team that continuously monitors campaigns, responds to Google's frequent updates and optimises performance throughout the year.

The service includes:

• Ongoing campaign optimisation
• Continuous compliance with Google's changing requirements
• Quarterly strategic reviews
• Advice on campaign and landing page improvements
• Fast implementation of new campaigns
• Responsive expert support whenever it's needed

For the communications and marketing team, the biggest benefit is peace of mind.

"Having that team of experts available means we can rest easy knowing our Google Ad Grant is being looked after and deployed as effectively as possible."

Today, Google Ad Grants has become a hardworking digital channel, bolstering Devon Air Ambulance's wider digital marketing activity and helping the charity reach the right supporters.

Using GA4, the team can clearly see that Google Ads is a strong driver of traffic to the charity's website, helping supporters quickly find fundraising events, appeals, volunteering opportunities and the information they need.

Despite increasing competition for online visibility and the rise of AI-generated search results, the charity continues to maintain strong visibility where it matters most.

Key benefits include:

• Increased visibility in Google Search
• Strong-performing fundraising and awareness campaigns
• Rapid deployment of urgent appeals and seasonal campaigns
• Expert optimisation that ensures every available Google Ad Grant dollar is working as hard as possible

From fundraising appeals to awareness campaigns, the communications and marketing team has confidence that its Google Ad Grant is continually being monitored and optimised to maximise visibility and reach the right audiences.

Google Ad Grants isn't a platform that can simply be set up and left to run.

Policies change, compliance requirements evolve and new opportunities regularly emerge. Keeping on top of those changes requires specialist knowledge and constant attention.

For Devon Air Ambulance, having Access manage the programme means far more than simply running adverts. It provides reassurance that specialists are continually monitoring performance, responding to Google's changes and ensuring no opportunities are missed.

Whether Google introduces additional grant funding, a new fundraising campaign needs launching at short notice or an emergency appeal requires immediate promotion, the charity knows experienced support is only a phone call away.

"It takes the weight off your mind. You know it's in good hands, you know it's working hard and that it's reaching the audiences you want to reach."

Every pound spent by Devon Air Ambulance is carefully scrutinised to ensure it delivers value for the charity and, ultimately, for the supporters who make its life-saving work possible.

Today, the communications and marketing team can clearly see through GA4 and the Access dashboard that Google Ad Grants continues to be a valuable source of website traffic. When the charity previously tracked online donations through its former website, the income generated through Google Ad Grants comfortably covered the cost of the service, giving the team confidence in its return on investment.

When the service later came under review, Naomi benchmarked Access against freelance alternatives. While the pricing was broadly comparable, none could offer the same level of resilience, continuity and specialist expertise as a dedicated team managing Google Ad Grants every day.

As Naomi explains:

"It's actually more expensive to use my time trying to do something I'm not an expert in than to have a whole team looking after it."

She continues:

"When I looked at other freelancers, they were coming in at about the same cost, but they didn't have the resilience of a whole team. With Access, there's always someone keeping an eye on our account, making sure it's working hard for us."

For Devon Air Ambulance, Access Charity Ad Grants isn't simply another supplier. It's a trusted extension of the team, providing measurable value, dependable support and the confidence that every available grant pound is working as hard as possible.

Having worked with Access for almost a decade, Devon Air Ambulance sees the relationship as far more than a service provider.

Regular strategic reviews, proactive recommendations and exceptionally responsive support mean the communications and marketing team can quickly adapt campaigns whenever priorities change. Whether launching a new fundraising campaign, preparing an emergency appeal or planning future activity, they know expert advice is always available.

As Devon Air Ambulance plans its future fundraising and awareness activity, Access Charity Ad Grants continues to provide the specialist expertise needed to maximise its online visibility and help more supporters discover the charity.

For the communications and marketing team, the value of the partnership goes beyond managing digital advertising. It's about knowing the charity's Google Ad Grant is in expert hands, allowing the team to focus on creating compelling campaigns that inspire people to donate, volunteer and support the life-saving work of Devon Air Ambulance.

Every eligible charity has access to Google's advertising grant, but unlocking its full potential takes time, expertise and ongoing optimisation. Whether you're applying for Google Ad Grants for the first time, struggling to meet Google's compliance requirements or simply want to maximise your return, Access Charity Ad Grants can help.

Our team of certified specialists manages every aspect of your account, helping you increase visibility, attract more supporters and make every grant pound work harder for your cause. Discover how Access Charity Ad Grants can help your charity reach more people, maximise the value of Google's free advertising programme and spend less time managing campaigns, so you can focus on delivering your mission.