Google Ad Grants: Pro-Bono Project "House of One Foundation"

A church, a synagogue, and a mosque under one roof. Not just as a spectacle, but as truly lived institutions. Is this possible?

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Fig. 1: This is what the “House of One” project is expected to look like upon completion. It will house a synagogue, a mosque, and a church.[/caption]

The “House of One” foundation says: absolutely. Creating a common meeting space for dialogue between religions, people, and ideas: that’s the goal of the “House of One” foundation, which is launching a globally unique peace project by constructing a building in Berlin. For the first time, three communities of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism come together to build a shared house of prayer and education.

In the eyes of the internetwarriors, a highly commendable project, as we also place a high value on diversity and intercultural dialogue. That’s why, since 2019, we have been supporting the “House of One” foundation as a pro-bono case, offering our expertise in online marketing as support. With the help of Google Ad Grants and training, internetwarriors help foundations and other nonprofit projects generate reach and expand their offerings.

What exactly is behind “House of One”?

“House of One” is a donation-based foundation that seeks to enable long-term and consistent interreligious dialogue through the construction of a building. This building will house a mosque, a church, and a synagogue. All three houses of worship can only be accessed through a shared foyer. Here, an exchange in conversations can occur, bringing the religions closer together not only physically but also spiritually.

It is not only aimed at believers of the three religions who practice their faith here. Everyone is warmly invited to engage in exchanges at this place, visit the prayer rooms, learn, and connect with one another. To form their own impression and be inspired by the diversity of religions and cultures, as all three religions carry the same values of mercy, brotherly love, and community.

Mutual assistance is another core element that connects. Away from political events, a neutral place is to be created that allows for an uncharged and open meeting and encounter.

Moreover, religion will become visible and tangible: A representative of all religions will be available at all times for questions and concerns. Thus, the House of One is not only enormously important for intercultural communication but also the first point of contact for questions on religious topics. The “House of One” serves as a hub between believers, interested individuals, media, and community members.

Google Ad Grants and pro-bono support from internetwarriors

In 2019, internetwarriors began pro-bono support for the project. Together, the option of the Google Ad Grants Program was discussed. The Google Ad Grants Program allows associations, nonprofit organizations, and foundations to open a free advertising account with Google, with the monthly costs covered by Google.

Certain requirements and guidelines must be followed in the creation and use of the account. Additionally, specific criteria must be met. More on this topic can be found in this blog article.

Especially with donation-based project financing, organizations with little staff can use any help with consulting, showcasing possibilities, and implementing marketing strategies. Often there is little to no budget for marketing, which can only be sparsely operated due to a lack of capacity. Internetwarriors intervene precisely here and support the projects with industry knowledge in their endeavors.

Despite generous donations from the federal and state governments as well as individual donors, the project relies on the contribution of additional donations from private individuals. Google Ad Grants aims to find further donors worldwide. Currently, individuals from over 60 countries have donated to the construction. Donations are possible from as little as 10 euros, for which a symbolic stone can be purchased. More information on donation options can be found on the “House of One” website.

How can free ads from Google Ad Grants support the project?

Primarily, the foundation wants to expand its reach to spread the message of the project and gain greater attention. The free ads from Google Ad Grants provide the perfect basis, as a certain budget is available free of charge each month. Users’ interest can be piqued and the foundation can educate about the project and the intentions behind it.

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Fig. 2: Potential goals of Google Ad Grants campaigns that can be achieved with free ads.[/caption]

Of course, the foundation is also dependent on donations for the construction financing, for which the free ads are also used with Google Ad Grants. Google’s offering is well-received and is, according to Kerstin Krupp, the foundation’s press spokeswoman, a “great thing.”

Pro-Bono Support: Collaboration with internetwarriors

The pro-bono support with the years of expertise from internetwarriors was found to be very pleasant by Kerstin Krupp.

Due to the personal interest in the project's success, internetwarriors decided to take on the project pro-bono, offering not only the creation of the account but also a free training for the foundation so that it can long-term benefit from the program's advantages with free ads.

Of course, as with conventional Google Ads accounts, there are a few things to consider and developments to assess and evaluate when using Google Ad Grants. Sharing this knowledge is one of the goals of the training sessions.

From our side, the collaboration has also been a lot of fun. Working together on projects like this, which promote the integration of cultures and the exchange of religions and their followers, is seen as an important component of the community, and we are happy to offer our services pro-bono. We are looking forward to the further development of the project and future collaboration.

At this point, we would like to sincerely thank Mrs. Krupp from the foundation for the short interview and the kind words. We wish the project all the best for the future.

What we can do for you

Do you want to learn more about the project or are you yourself looking for support or consultation for your project? You can contact us here and we will show you the possibilities for supporting foundations and nonprofit projects.

We look forward to your inquiry!