For most non-profit profiles the best primary category is Non-profit organization — use it when: registered non-profit. Choose Charity instead if registered charity (UK/AU). Hospitality and event categories should describe the venue or service guests book. One-off events and seasonal offers are better as Google posts.
Open the free tool for a non-profit → tick what you really offer and get a copy-ready setup sheet
Primary category
- Non-profit organization — Registered non-profit
- Charity — Registered charity (UK/AU)
Secondary (additional) categories
Add one only if the condition is genuinely true at this location. Fewer, accurate categories beat a full list of nine.
- Food bank — only if: food bank
- Thrift store — only if: thrift shop who else uses it
- Volunteer organization — only if: volunteer programmes
Categories to avoid
These are often added to non-profit profiles but usually describe a different or broader business:
- Government office
- Church (unless a congregation)
Address or service area?
Usually a storefront: show the full address exactly as it appears on your signage, and keep it identical on Google, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places and your website. Service-area vs storefront rules.
Starter services to add
Categories say what you are; services say what you do. Good first entries:
- Volunteer opportunities
- Donations
- Community programmes
Check before you change anything
Search “charity” on Google Maps in your own area, open the top few profiles and note their primary category (shown under the business name). Use what's common as a sanity check, not a template — your categories must describe your business. Ready to switch? How to change your category safely.
Profile problems?
Suspended, stuck in verification, or not showing on Maps? See the free fix guides: suspended profile · verification failed · not on Maps · name rules.