Grants for Animal Welfare Projects

Before you explore any grant a letter of inquiry is recommended. You do not want to waste your time writing a grant that is not the focus of the foundation or if the funding has been already allocated for that year. Many foundations have specific deadlines for the grant application and often it is only once a year.

This list was complied from many resource lists describing animal welfare grants. The list is focused in to twelve sections; Adoptions, Animal Rights, Animal Specific, Cruelty, Education, General, Management, Miscellaneous, Regional, Shelter, Spay and Neuter, and Wildlife. The foundations have specific requirements within the focus listed here and do not exclusively focus on one area alone. The largest sections are the general section and the regional section. The regional section includes foundations that mention animal related grants but does not include every state.

Adoption programs are the key to getting rescued animals placed in loving homes. The following foundations are interested in fulfilling grants focused on adoption campaigns: Company of Animals Fund, Edith J. Goode Residuary Trust, PETCO Foundation, Petfinder.com Foundation, PEDIGREE Foundation and the Laura J. Niles Foundation.

Legal rights of animals and the ethics of how livestock is cared for are just two of the considerations of the animal rights movement. Grant makers interested in organizations addressing animal rights topics include: William and Charlotte Parks Foundation for Animal Welfare, Ahimsa Foundation, Animal Welfare Trust, Glaser Progress Foundation, Foundation for Protection of Animals, FARM Sabina Fund (Vegan Diet), Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation, and Alternatives Research and Development Foundation.

Foundations interested in groups requesting grants focusing on apes and primates are the Arcus Foundation, the Barbara Delano Foundation, the David Bohnett Foundation and the Foundation for Protection of Animals. The Pajeau Wildlife Foundation is interested in hearing about grants focused on birds and mammals. The Winn Feline Foundation is interested in cat specific needs and the Summerlee Foundation is interested in providing aid to help feral cats. The Laura J. Niles Foundation has a strong interest in funding search and rescue dogs and other dog interests. The Rio Vista Fund is interested in dog abuse and neglect and groups that need help with funding for horse programs. The Foundation for Protection of Animals and the ASPCA Equine Program also have interest in horse related programs.

Service animals animal welfare groups can request funding for their specialities with the American Humane Hearing Dog Fund for hearing dogs, the Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation for seeing eye dogs and handicapped service animals, the Banfield Charitable Trust for pet therapy and senior aid dogs and the Snyder Foundation for Animals for senior aid dogs.

Cruelty investigation and prevention programs seeking aid should inquire with the Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation, Elinor Patterson Baker Trust Fund, Helen V. Brach Foundation, Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, the Company of Animals Fund and the Summerlee Foundation. If your program is specifically interested in animals in need of rehabilitation of criminal acts inquire with Second Chance Fund American Humane Association or the Company of Animals Fund if your program is focused on the rescue and emergency care of animals.

Making change requires education. The Animal Welfare Trust, Edith J. Goode Residuary Trust, William and Charlotte Parks Foundation for Animal Welfare, Planet Dog Philanthropy, Gladys W. Sargeant Foundation, Albert Schweitzer Animal Welfare Fund, and the World Society for the Protection of Animals are all interested in programs seeking to educate the public on animal welfare issues.

General animal welfare, among other interests, are often listed in the prospectus of foundations that are not focused on animal welfare issues alone. Some foundations are interested in animal welfare but are not focused on animal issues alone. Other foundations are interested in all animal issues. If you have an animal welfare issue that does not fit into any other category explore the requirements of the following foundations: Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Blanche T. Enders Charitable Trust, David Bohnett Foundation, Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation, Cecil Mauger Charitable Trust, Columbus Foundation, Doris Day Animal League, Foundation for Protection of Animals, Gladys W. Sargeant Foundation, Glaser Progress Foundation, Haskell Fund, Helen Brach Foundation, Irene C. Evans Charity Trust, Lamson & Sessions Foundation, Ralph & Virginia Mullin Foundation, Narragansett Number One Foundation, Ryan Newman Foundation, Ohrstrom Foundation, PETCO Foundation, Petfinder.com Foundation, PETsMART Charities,Planet Dog Philanthropy, Snyder Foundation for Animals, PEDIGREE Foundation, ASPCA grants, T.S. & K.D. Glide Foundation and the Laura J. Niles Foundation.

Management is the back bone of every operation. Daily general operations can be much of a organizations budget. Turn to the William and Charlotte Parks Foundation for Animal Welfare, Gladys W. Sargeant Foundation, Albert Schweitzer Animal Welfare Fund or the Marguerite Doe Foundation for help. Most importantly organizations have to start somewhere and the Ralph & Virginia Mullin Foundation is the place to go when creating a non-profit. If your programs is interested in organizing with other organizations across the state and want to put on a conference look to Animal Care Equipment & Services ACES Foundation for some aid.

Target grants that specifically focus on what your program needs. Some animal welfare grants that do not fit into any other category mentioned are: equipment grants from the Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant and World Society for the Protection of Animals; William and Charlotte Parks Foundation for Animal Welfare and the FARM Sabina Fund has interest in people seeking grassroots grants; the Bernice Barbour Foundation is focused on hands on care projects; start up and new programs can look to Elinor Patterson Baker Trust Fund, Edith J. Goode Residuary Trust or PETsMART Charities for aid; the Laura J. Niles Foundation and the Morris Animal Foundation are interested in health research for animals; the Snyder Foundation for Animals is seeking to help professionals with training that is offered statewide; American Humane offers a Foreclosure Pets Grant to help shelters with the influx of animals surrendered due to foreclosures; and the United Animal Nations offers a LifeLine Grant Program to help individuals and non-profits care for animals coming from life-threatening situations.

Grant requests focusing on a particular region can be the solution to your grant needs. Some internationally focused foundations are: the William and Charlotte Parks Foundation for Animal Welfare, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Brigitte Bardot Foundation. Two foundations that are interested in seeing nationally focused grant requests are the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Inc. and the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust. The Antonio Haghenbeck Foundation, Inc. is interested in supplying grants that focus on Mexico.

Many foundations that mention animal related grants are focused on a specific area, usually a state, but sometimes a specific area within a state. Contact Nestlé Purina PetCare if your project is within 100 miles of Flagstaff, Arizonia. California has many organizations interested in providing grants, they include: Adobe Philanthropy Council, Thelma Doelger Trust for Animals for the San Francisco area, Handsel Foundation, David Bohnett Foundation for southern California, Harden Foundation in Monterey County, Found Animals Foundation in Los Angeles, Toby Wells Foundation in San Diego County, Nestlé Purina PetCare within 100 miles Maricopa.

Programs in Colorado should explore opportunities from the Animal Assistance Foundation or Nestlé Purina PetCare if you within 100 miles of Denver. The Katharine Matthies Foundation in very focused on the towns of Seymour, Oxford, Beacon Falls, Ansonia, Shelton and Derby in Connecticut. In Delaware aid can be found at the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation. In Washington, DC the Pegasus, Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation, and the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region have grants available for the area. In Sarasota, Florida and surrounding counties help can be found with the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation. Nestlé Purina PetCare supplies grants within 100 miles of Atlanta, Georgia. In Illinois looked to the Helen Brach Foundation or the D.A.S. Charitable Fund which is explicitly focused on Lake County. The Nestlé Purina PetCare supplies grants within 100 miles of Clinton, Davenport or Fort Dodge, Iowa where their manufacturing facilities are. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation focuses on the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana. In Maine the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation supplies grants and specifically in the Buxton area the Narragansett Number One Foundation may be of aid. In Maryland the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation offers aid.

In Massachusetts the Pegasus Foundation is focused on the Cape Cod area, the Fuller Foundation in the Boston area, and the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation in Hampton & Hampshire Counties. The Arcus Foundation is concerned with the state of Michigan. The Nestlé Purina PetCare will consider grant requests within 100 miles of their many facilities located in Missouri and within 100 miles of operations Crete, Nebraska. In Northern Nevada and the Reno area the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation will consider grant requests. In New Hampshire the Fuller Foundation is focused on the seacoast area. In New Jersey the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Inc. may be of aid. In New York the Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation is focused on the NYC area and the Nestlé Purina PetCare within 100 miles of Dunkirk. In Ohio the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust and Nestlé Purina PetCare within 100 miles of Zanesville. In Oklahoma the Nestlé Purina PetCare considers grant application for projects within 100 miles of Oklahoma City. In Oregon and Washington state explore grant opportunities from the Handsel Foundation. Consider the Nestlé Purina PetCare in Pennsylvania if your project is within in 100 miles of Allentown or Mechanicsburg.

Explore the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation if your project is in Rhode Island. In Texas grants are considered by the Meadows Foundation, Inc. In Virginia the Ohrstrom Foundation. The Nestlé Purina PetCare considers grants if they are if they are within 100 miles King William in Virginia, Weirton in West Virginia, or Hager City or Jefferson in Wisconsin.

Construction and improvement of animal shelters aid can be found with the Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant, the Marguerite Doe Foundation, the William and Charlotte Parks Foundation for Animal Welfare, the Gladys W. Sargeant Foundation, the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the Elinor Patterson Baker Trust Fund. The Summerlee Foundation is interested in aiding shelters in low income areas and the Ahimsa Foundation seeks to help out smaller shelters.

Spaying and neutering companion animals is important to put an end to the surplus population. Spay and neuter grants can be found at: the Ahimsa Foundation, the Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation, the Company of Animals Fund, the Edith Goode Foundation, the Elinor Patterson Baker Trust Fund, DJ & T Foundation, the Helen V. Brach Foundation, Maddie's Fund, the William and Charlotte Parks Foundation for Animal Welfare, PETCO Foundation, the Gladys W. Sargeant Foundation, the Albert Schweitzer Animal Welfare Fund, the Snyder Foundation for Animals and the Meow Bow Wow Fund.

Companion animals are not the only creatures in need of assistance. FishAmerica Foundation has interest in helping out fish. Wildlife Without Borders, Planet Dog Philanthropy and the Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation focus on proving aid to programs that help rare and threatened species. General wildlife grants are awarded by: the Albert Schweitzer Animal Welfare Fund, the Summerlee Foundation, the Barbara Delano Foundation, the Foundation for Protection of Animals, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation, the Snyder Foundation for Animals, the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.