Find Grants for Animal Shelters and Rescues in 2010

As 2009 draws to a close, many foundations and charitable groups will be posting guidelines for 2010 grants on their websites. Make time to research now any grants your animal rescue or shelter may qualify for. Be ready to submit your applications after the first of the year.

Previous posts and articles about grants are listed at the end of this post. Following are more grants to research.

ASPCA Grants are explained here. Sometimes you may feel that so many are applying for these grants that it isn’t worth your time. Not so! Animal advocacy group APNM (Animal Protection of New Mexico) received a $5000 ASPCA grant for its Equine Protection Fund. This group established this fund this summer at the New Mexico Community Foundation, a public charity that funds many causes. Horses in our state are being abandoned and starved; this grant will be used to help those in dire financial situations feed their horses.

The Humboldt Area Foundation brings together a variety of funds to help animal welfare and rescue causes in the Humboldt County region of California. Bookmark this page to get the details when they’re available in January. The application deadline is March 1, 2010.

Foundation for Protection of Animals in Durango, CO hasn’t posted its 2010 grant guidelines yet. This group serves primarily the four corners area of the Southwest. Grants generally range from $500 to $3000 and in 2009 primarily funded spay and neuter programs.

Summerlee Foundation explains in its Grant Application Guidelines that this foundation’s grants are for cat spay/neuter programs in rural communities in the western US and the Midwestern US. No grants will be over $5000. Carefully read the guidelines for more details.

Grey Muzzle Organization gives grants for senior dogs

Read the story about the SPCA of Wake County, NC receiving a grant of $3,000 for their AniMeals and Pet Food Pantry programs from the Grey Muzzle Organization.

GMO is a national nonprofit group dedicated to helping at-risk senior dogs through grants to programs run by non-profit animal welfare organizations. This grant will go a long way to help owners in Wake County keep their senior dogs during the economic downturn. Take a look at GMO’s grant program and how to apply. To donate to this group, go here.

Read about the SPCA of Wake County and its AniMeals program and learn about this group’s Pet Food Pantry.

The next two ideas don’t involve grants, but they’re easy to do.

Ask your local newspaper for help

The head of a local no-kill cat rescue group (Felines and Friends) stated in our local newspaper on October 18 that “for the first time in seven years, the group is critically short of cash. In fact the group is looking at running out of operating funds before the end of the year.” Three weeks later an article about the same group said they had received $10,000 in donations since that article was published.

Reach out to your local media to publicize your financial needs. Try to state a specific need, ie., your operating budget is running out, the pet food pantry is empty, loss of foster pet parents, etc. Ask the reporter to visit your shelter or rescue for photos.

Puppy cam raises awareness and finds homes for shelter dogs

How can one college student find homes for eight puppies? Northern Arizona University college student Morgan Sharman set up a website with a 24 hour streaming live video of eight foster puppies in her care. Her puppy cam was a part of her own efforts to bring attention to homeless pets. Read her story here. All the puppies found their forever homes.

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