We are hazel Run

Established in 2025, Hazel Run is a laser-focused digital media practice designed to help nonprofits make the most out of Google Ad Grants.

We partner with organizations whose missions matter and who need to get the most out of their advertising dollars, granted or otherwise.

Hazel Run is led by Stephen Roy Watkins, a growth and performance media specialist with a strong foundation in fundraising. Most recently, he led digital advertising fundraising efforts at PBS member station WETA in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to that, he worked in multichannel strategy and activation at a global media agency’s Chicago office, in support of Nestlé-Purina. That agency experience instilled a disciplined, performance-first approach that now informs our work with Google Ad Grants: clear goals, clean structure, and consistent attention.

Stephen’s nonprofit experience began early in his career, working as a cold caller for Northwestern University’s alumni fundraising office. It became hands-on when he created and managed his first nonprofit campaign, supporting an HIV testing initiative funded through an Illinois Department of Public Health grant. Since then, his work has stayed rooted in the same idea: digital advertising should support real outcomes, not just activity.

Hazel Run was created to serve nonprofits that don’t need a large agency, but do need someone who understands how Google Ad Grants work in practice, and who will take responsibility for setting them up correctly and managing them over time.