Grants to Help Animal Shelters

Find ways to help animal shelters.

For animal shelters, the need is never-ending. Besides funding for daily food and routine cleaning and maintenance, monies are needed for adoption promotion, veterinary care, spaying and neutering, training and other services. Grants are available to help animal shelters meet some of these needs and improve adoption rates. The goal is to find a home for every pet.

Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant

The Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant, administered by the American Humane Association, provides funding for animal shelters for a number of projects. These include kennel renovations, veterinary equipment purchases, capital campaign donations, and animal environmental improvements. Grants cannot be used for general operating expenses, vehicle purchases or regular maintenance. Only nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations may apply, and applications are due by the end of February. The review process for approval takes approximately six months.

Petsmart Charities

Petsmart Charities, the foundational arm of the national pet store chain, funds the Model Volunteer Program for animal shelters. Nonprofit 501(c)3 animal shelters may submit a plan for a model volunteer program that fits their organization and $1,000 awarded by Petsmart Charities quarterly. The program's goal includes using volunteers to increase adoptions, transportation to and from veterinary clinics or adoption sites, post-adoption monitoring, e-mail and letter campaigns and creation of websites with biographies of adoptable pets.

Second Chance Fund

Also administered by the American Humane Association, the Second Chance Fund provides grants to animal shelters for veterinary care for abused animals. Funding is limited to $2,000 per agency per year, and must be used on animals that can be adopted into new homes. Routine veterinary procedures and behavior modification training are ineligible for funding. Applicants must include veterinary diagnoses, receipts or estimates in the application, along with photos of the animal.

Petco Foundation

The Petco Foundation offers several grants to help animal shelters. These include capital grants for building construction or renovation and equipment purchases, along with product support grants, in which the pet store company provides food and other necessities to shelters. The We Are Family Too grant supports spay/neuter services and product donations, while the 4 Rs Project Support grant provides money for adoption events, training, trap/neuter/return programs for ferals and general veterinary services.

References

• American Humane Association: Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant
• Petsmart Charities: Model Volunteering Program
• American Humane Association: Second Chance Fund
• Petco Foundation: Grant Types