Google offers free cloud services to UK charities

Google is offering UK charities access to its portfolio of cloud products for free, following on from the success of a similar scheme in the US.

The search giant's Google for Nonprofits programme will provide registered charities with free access to the firm's cloud-based suite of business productivity tools and storage services.

Users will also be able to take advantage of the firm's instant messaging tool Google Talk and its video calling service Hangouts.

We want to support the incredible work of charitable organisations in the UK by eliminating some of the technical challenges and costs they face.

Furthermore, third sector organisations that sign up to the programme will receive $10,000 (6620) a month in advertising credit for use on Google Adwords to make more people aware of the work they do.

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At the moment, the programme is open to charities registered in England and Wales, but will be opened up to non-profit organisations in Scotland and Northern Ireland soon.

The first iteration of the programme launched in the US two years ago, and in that time Google claims to have given away more than $1 billion in free and discounted services to charities.

Aside from Google products, charities will be provided with information about how other non-profit organisations have made use of the programme.

The news follows on from Google's recent 2.5 million pledge to provide hardware and mentorship services to ten non-profit organisations in the UK.

Dan Cobley, managing director of Google UK, said the programme's aim is to help charities reach more potential donors in a fast and efficient way.

"Through Google for Nonprofits, we want to support the incredible work of charitable organisations in the UK by eliminating some of the technical challenges and costs they face," said Cobley.

"We hope our technology will help them to reach more donors, improve operations and raise awareness so they can focus on changing the world for the better."

Caroline Donnelly was the news and analysis editor of IT Pro. Previously, she worked as a reporter at several B2B publications, including UK channel magazine CRN, and as features writer for local weekly newspaper, The Slough and Windsor Observer. She studied Medical Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism at PMA Training in 2006.