Causa Digital: pro bono digital help for health charities in Australia
Since 2014, Medical Marketing has focused solely on health clinics and never anything else. Causa Digital is our way of returning a portion of that work. Every year we handle the digital side for a small number of health charities and patient organisations free of charge: we create or repair the website, get the Google Business Profile set up correctly and, where the charity qualifies, submit for Google Ad Grants and manage the account.
The programme runs with five places each year in Spain. For 2026 we are making two places available to Australian charities, beginning on the Gold Coast and across South East Queensland.
Why we take this on
Most small health charities are kept going by just a few people, frequently families who live with the very condition that led to the charity being formed. Their understanding of their community goes well beyond anything an agency could match. The one thing they seldom have is time for search results, donation pages and advertising accounts, so the free support open to registered charities sits idle because no one has the spare hours to establish it and keep it going.
For clinics, this is work we carry out daily. Doing it properly for a charity runs into weeks, and that is the reason the places on offer are few.
What is covered by Causa Digital
Your website, created or assessed
Where no website exists, we create one and maintain it. Where one already exists, we assess it and carry out whatever changes are required: pages that explain the condition and the support you provide more clearly, a donation page that functions on a phone, a form for volunteers or members, and the technical groundwork so Google can locate and read each page. Charities endorsed as Deductible Gift Recipients should have a donation page stating plainly that gifts of $2 or more are tax deductible. That short line is something plenty of donors look for.
Your Google Business Profile, sorted out
A complete, verified profile carrying the correct address, phone number, opening hours and website, so that the families, volunteers and donors searching for you arrive at accurate information.
Google Ad Grants, from the application through to live campaigns
Through Google for Nonprofits, Google provides free search advertising to charities that qualify. We confirm whether you are eligible, manage the application and put together campaigns that draw in the audiences you are after: families seeking support, volunteers, donors and anyone wanting to understand the condition.
Keeping the account compliant
Google applies minimum quality standards to Ad Grants accounts and will suspend any that drop beneath them. To prevent that, we go through the account each month. Should your account already be running or have been suspended, we assess it and set about restoring it.
Being found in search and in AI assistants
We ensure the website responds to the questions people raise about your cause, giving it the chance to show up in Google results and within the replies of AI assistants.
A brief monthly report
Each month brings you a concise report covering what was changed and the results it produced, prepared so you can put it in front of your board and include it in your annual report.
The way it works
- Tell us about your charity. Who you are, the cause behind your work and your current online position: website, Google Business Profile and social media.
- We review it and put our proposal in writing. In a matter of days you receive an outline of what we would do, under no obligation, and we confirm your eligibility for Google for Nonprofits.
- We do the work. We repair the website and the profile, submit the programme applications and get the campaigns live. Those first 90 days are hands-on.
- We keep it running. From then on, light monthly upkeep alongside the monthly report, so the ground gained is held.
Who is eligible to apply
- Health charities, patient organisations and support groups serving people who live with a condition together with their families.
- Registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), which is likewise where Google for Nonprofits begins in Australia.
- A single point of contact able to spare us roughly two hours a month for decisions and reviews.
- A website and a Google Business Profile, or the desire to set them up.
- Prepared to tell the story after the work is finished, with your sign-off on each piece.
Under Google's rules, government bodies, hospitals and healthcare providers are excluded from Google for Nonprofits. If you cannot tell which category applies to you, get in touch regardless, since checking is free.
What we ask of you in return
No invoice will be sent, either now or down the track. To avoid any surprises, here are the three things we ask for before we begin:
- That Medical Marketing is listed as a supporter on your website and within your annual report, with a link.
- That we may share the story of the work, after you have approved it.
- That you put us in touch with other charities, where it makes sense.
We also enter into a straightforward agreement with you setting out how we treat any personal information held on your website and in your accounts.
How to put yourself forward
Send an email to info@medicalmarketing.digital giving your charity's name, your website should you have one and two or three lines on where you would welcome help. The two Australian places for 2026 are being assigned right now. Any charity we are unable to accept this year joins the list for 2027.
There is more about us on the team page, and you can see what we offer Australian clinics on the Medical Marketing in Australia page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Causa Digital genuinely free of charge?
Yes. Charities on the programme pay nothing, now or in the future, for building the website, for the Google Business Profile, for managing Ad Grants or for the monthly reporting. In exchange, we ask for a mention as a supporter, with a link back to us, permission to tell your story once you sign it off, and any introductions you can make to other charities that seem a natural fit.
Does our charity need ACNC registration?
ACNC registration is the entry point for Google for Nonprofits in Australia, which is why it counts for Google Ad Grants. If you're not yet registered, get in touch anyway and we'll see what we can do with the website and the Google Business Profile.
How much of our team's time will this need?
Roughly two hours each month from a single point of contact, spent answering questions, signing off changes and reading the monthly report. Everything else sits with us.
We are already on Google Ad Grants, or our account has been suspended. Is that something you can assist with?
Yes. We audit the account, sort out whatever is holding it under Google's requirements and take over the ongoing management. Where an account has been suspended, it can generally be restored after those problems have been dealt with.
How many spots are available?
In 2026 we are offering Australian charities two of these places, beginning on the Gold Coast and across South East Queensland. In Spain the programme offers five spots each year. Any charity we cannot fit in this year is added to the 2027 list.