Where to Find Grants for Animals
Go online to find grant opportunities:
GrantSpy, "the grant seeker's intelligence source"
You can use this resource to find grants available for animal welfare. Receive every business day summaries of grant opportunities from federal, foundation and state funders. A basic subscription is $18.95 per month.
Grants from American Humane Association including:
-- Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant (funding up to $4,000 for capital campaigns, building improvements, and equipment purchases that directly affect the welfare of animals in shelters).
-- Second Chance Fund (for animal victims of abuse, neglect or homelessness to have a second chance at life).
Grants from PETCO FoundationYou can download forms to apply from here.
Please visit our blog for more ideas on finding grants.
Grants from PetSmart Charities' Grants Program
Download forms to apply for grants from PetSmart. Read some wonderful successful grant stories from recipients of PetSmart Charities, including how 285 cats of low-income guardians were spayed and neutered at a subsidized rate in Boulder County and the incredible story of an emergency grant to rescue a Peruvian horse from squalor and neglect.
Grants from Banfield Charitable Trust
Read the guidelines and download an application from Banfield Charitable Trust. This trust lists its priorities as preventive healthcare for pets, educating children about pets and veterinary medicine, disaster response and more.
Grants Information Collection
The University of Wisconsin publishes the Grants Information Collection, A Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center Library Network. Go to Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation: Funding and Fundraising for a comprehensive list of of grant makers and information sources for animal welfare.
This page states that only a small sampling of grant makers and information sources are listed and suggests you also check your local Foundation Center Cooperating Collection. There you can search the Foundation Directory Online database for many more relevant funding opportunities.
To do this go to the Foundation Center and click your state to go directly to the website of a Cooperating Collection in your area.
Once you locate this resource, ask the librarian for help getting started. Be specific. Are you looking for help with a spay/neuter clinic, adding more kennels, etc? The grant makers are very specific concerning their missions.
Please visit our blog for more ideas on finding grants.
The Foundation Center has a Foundation Directory Online connecting grant seekers and grant makers. There is a subscription fee; the basic plan starts at $19.95 per month which allows a keyword search and daily philanthropy news and requests for proposals.
This is a
well funded organization supporting animals with millions of dollars. Go to Grant Guidelines to read about applying for new grants in these areas: starter grants, lifesaving awards, spay/neuter grants, and medical equipment grants.
Planet Dog Foundation
The Planet Dog Foundation allocates funding to promote and financially support service-oriented canine programs including service dogs, therapy dogs, animal assisted therapy, search and rescue dogs, police, fire, and military dogs.
United Animal Nation
United Animal Nations offers a Lifeline Grant Program for animal rescue organizations and for individuals. Carefully read the requirements to verify if the particular grant is for one animal or for several. You can apply online for a variety of needs as stated on the UAN website.
-- LifeLine Rescue and LifeLine Individual. These grants help Good Samaritans, animal rescuers and low-income families with the high cost of caring by providing grants to meet emergency veterinary expenses they otherwise couldnt afford.
-- LifeLine Crisis Relief Grants for Individuals.
These grants help animals in need of assistance after their caregiver has suffered a personal tragedy such as a house fire, domestic violence situation or natural disaster.
-- LifeLine Crisis Relief Grants for Organizations. These grants help deserving grassroots animal welfare organizations that have jumped in to assist with an animal emergency involving a group of animals.
AAHA Helping Pets Fund
The American Animal Hospital Association provides veterinary care for pets in need through its AAHA Helping Pets Fund. According to the website The Fund does not accept applications from individuals. Only AAHA-accredited veterinary practices can apply for a grant on behalf of the pet in need. Assistance is limited to $700 per AAHA-accredited practice per calendar year. The maximum available to each family is $500 per year and $1000 lifetime. This fund helps veterinarians who act as good Samaritans for homeless pets. Pet owners having financial hardships can also be helped through this fund. Go to Guidelines for Grant Seekers for more information.
Cats in Crisis
Cats in Crisis is
based in Lititz, PA. Victoria Kline started this organization in 2004 in memory of Mesa, her beloved cat who succumbed to renal failure in October 2003.
Read the guidelines here.
The mission of Cats in Crisis is to assist individuals who have exhausted all other financial means to provide the necessary medical care their cat needs. Funds are disbursed directly to veterinarians, pharmacies or animal welfare organizations.
In Memory of Magic
In Memory of Magic helps with medical bills for pets in need. The mission as stated on the website is to better the lives of sick, injured and abused companion animals. We are dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged. Find out how to proceed at the Financial Aid page.
Help a Pet
Help a Pet was established in 1999 with a single purpose: to provide financial assistance nationwide for the medical care of pets whose owners are unable to afford the expense. Read about the requirements and access the application at How to Get Help.
Mosby Foundation
The Mosby Foundation is organized exclusively for charitable purposes, to assist in the care of sick, injured, abused and neglected dogs through financial support and public education. A licensed veterinarian must contact the foundation with case details.
Get the details at the Financial Aid page.
Goldstock Fund
The Goldstock Fund provides funds to rescue organizations or individuals to pay for transportation, boarding, evaluations and medical costs of golden retrievers and golden hearted dogs taken into rescue. The Goldstock Fund also provides educational information and materials to rescues and the public. Five different funds are listed on the website with guidelines and applications.
The DJ & T Foundation, founded by television personality Bob Barker, makes grants at the grassroots level to deserving organizations that provide low cost or free spay/neuter services or voucher programs. Read more about the program and download the application at the FAQ page.
Pedigree Foundation
Animal shelters can apply for a grant from the Pedigree Foundation. Read the guidelines and instructions first. You may recognize shelters in your area as recipients of grants from this foundation.
Find more grant ideas on our blog.
How to write grant requests:
-- Community colleges often offer classes in grant writing.
-- Contact an instructor who teaches grant writing and ask for the name(s) of someone in your community who writes grant requests and/or may be willing to volunteer grant writing for your group.
-- How to Write a Grant Proposal by Joanne Fritz at about.com
-- "The business of getting a grant" by the Boulder Valley Humane Society (on American Humane's site).
Take time to carefully read the mission of grant makers and past grants they've made. Make sure your request complies with the stated mission.
Please visit our blog for more ideas on finding grants.
