Before You Start:
If your organization has 501(c)(3) status, you may qualify for Google Workspace at no cost through the Google for Nonprofits program. Even if you don't have 501(c)(3) status, you can still sign up for a paid Google Workspace plan (Business Starter runs approximately $7–8/user/month).
For churches: Google for Nonprofits welcomes churches and religious organizations as long as they hold their own independent 501(c)(3) status. If your church is covered under a denominational group exemption (a shared umbrella EIN), you may run into problems.
Step 1: Apply to Google for Nonprofits
Head to google.com/nonprofits and click Get Started.
Google verifies nonprofit status through a third-party organization called Percent (formerly TechSoup). If you're not already registered with them, you'll do that first at techsoup.org. Here's what you'll need handy:
- Your EIN
- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter
- Basic info about your organization (legal name, address, contact)
Approval usually comes through within a few business days, though it can sometimes take 2–3 weeks. You'll get a confirmation email from Google when approved
Step 2: Activate Google Workspace
Log into your Google for Nonprofits dashboard and activate Google Workspace for Nonprofits. This gives you Gmail, Drive, Meet, Calendar, and shared storage — all at no cost (If you're on a paid plan: Go to workspace.google.com, pick your plan, and get started).
Either way, during setup you'll be asked to enter your domain name (yourchurch.org, etc.). Go ahead and enter it — the next step is where we come in.
Step 3: Verify Your Domain
To confirm that you actually own the domain, Google will give you a short verification code in the form of a TXT record — it'll look something like:
google-site-verification=AbCdEfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUvWxYz
What to send us: Just copy or screenshot that value from the setup screen and send it our way. We'll add it to your DNS behind the scenes.
Once we let you know it's done, head back to the setup screen and click Verify. It usually goes through within a few minutes.
Step 4: Turn On Gmail (MX Records)
This is the step that actually routes your email through Gmail. Google will show you a set of records to add to your domain — we handle that part.
What to send us: Just let us know you're ready to make the switch. We'll take care of removing any old email records and adding Google's in their place.
Already using another email provider? Make sure you make a migration plan if you plan to keep old emails. Mere cannot help with email migration but we can recommend a vendor if you'd like to migrate emails.
Step 5: Make Sure Your Emails Don't Land in Spam
Without a few extra DNS records in place, emails from your new Google Workspace addresses can end up in recipients' spam folders. Here's what we'll set up:
SPF — Tells email servers that Google is authorized to send on your behalf. We add this automatically.
DKIM — A digital signature that helps prove your emails are legitimate. To generate it, go to Admin Console → Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Authenticate email and click to generate a key. Send us the record it creates and we'll add it to your DNS. Then head back to that same screen and click Start Authentication.
DMARC — A policy that tells receiving servers what to do if something looks off. We'll start you with a basic, safe configuration that you can tighten up over time.
Step 6: Add Your Team
Once everything is set up, adding people is straightforward. In the Google Admin Console:
- Go to Directory → Users → Add new user
- Enter their name and email address, and set a temporary password
- They'll be prompted to create their own password the first time they log in
If your organization has multiple departments, campuses, or teams, you can organize people into groups under Directory → Organizational units to manage settings for each group separately.
Step 7: You're Done!
At this point, you're good to go! Here are a couple of extra security recommendations you may want to take a look at:
- Turn on 2-Step Verification — This adds a simple layer of security for all accounts. Find it under Admin Console → Security → Authentication.
- Save a recovery email and phone for your admin account — If you ever get locked out, you'll be glad you did this.
- Review your file sharing settings — Under Apps → Google Workspace → Drive and Docs → Sharing settings, you can decide whether people inside your organization can share files with folks outside of it.
As always, if you are a Mere client and run into issues, feel free to email our support desk. We'd love to help you out!