More than four years ago I first wrote about a new Google program called Google Grants that was just starting up. The idea then (as it is now) is to provide free advertising space for charitable causes.

The program is still in Beta (but hey what isn't a Beta at Google?) and Google has now put a number to it's generosity, and it's not too shabby.

After years of giving away free AdWords, Google figures they've 'granted' $273.3 million worth.

According to the Google Grants Blog, the program provides grants to over 4,000 groups. Perhaps equally as staggering is the fact that on the Google end there are almost 1,000 Google volunteers that support the effort.

To date, the combined value of the clicks accrued by grantee advertisers on Google.com is approximately $273.3 million. But the impact on our grant recipients is immeasurable.

Certainly AdWords are the core of Google's revenue model, but as the Google Grants program is showing it's also at the core of Google's generosity as well.