Kevin Lee from ClickZ wrote an article about how the experts in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) are doing so well these days, they're ready and willing to give back to the community.

There's even a network, SEMcares, which, according to its mission statement, helps "connect volunteer and discount search engine marketers with nonprofit and other deserving organizations that could benefit from search engine marketing to drive donations or further their cause and awareness." Kevin also pointed out SEMPO, which is the nonprofit professional association of search engine marketers; he's urged them to step up the service options to benefit nonprofits.

Kevin points out that, even with the help of the Google Grant program, nonprofits continue to hire professional marketers to manage their marketing efforts. Nonprofit organizations generally need help not only with implementing ads, but with effectively developing and tracking online marketing strategies that consider both the traditional business models as well as their unique missions.

Thanks, Kevin, for talking about this and promoting this kind of effort.

I'd love to hear from the nonprofits out there who have had good and bad experiences with outsourcing SEM efforts, as well as from the experts who are volunteering their services.