The online advertising industry, at least when measured in terms of the big four (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL), is no longer immune from the economic downturn. The good news for nonprofits and foundations in this is the fact that ad rates will likely be driven down even further than the already are. Online advertising, which is already quite affordable, is about to get even cheaper. Here are the growth rates for the past four quarters.

Despite this apparent downturn in online advertising, Google continues to push the envelope. At the end of last week, Google introduced a new way to advertise on their wildly popular video sharing website Youtube: sponsored videos.

So how does Sponsored Videos work? Easy-to-use automated tools allow content owners to decide where they’d like their videos to appear, place bids in an automated online auction, and set daily spending budgets. Then, when people search for videos, YouTube will display relevant videos alongside the search results. These videos are clearly labeled as “sponsored videos” and are priced on a cost-per-click basis.

Learn more by watching this video or visiting ads.youtube.com.