ASPCA Pro: ASPCA Grants

ASPCA Grants

kittens ASPCA grants provide support to a variety of animal welfare organizations through cash awards, sponsorships, executive and technical assistance, and training.

While the bulk of our grants program supports ASPCA^® Mission: Orange™ partnerships in selected communities across the country, grants may also be awarded to qualifying organizations in other U.S. communities.

Funding Priorities
Restrictions
Grants Administration
Helpful Tips
How to Apply
Emergency and Disaster Grants

Funding Priorities

Funding priorities outside the ASPCA^® Mission: Orange™ target communities include grants for the following purposes:

Training
Spay/neuter programs
Equipment
Capital improvements
Humane education programs
Conference or training sponsorships
Shelter programs for companion animals
Disaster recovery and preparedness

While we do not place a ceiling on grant amounts, most grants range between $500 and $5,000. Please bear this in mind when submitting your request.

Restrictions

The ASPCA generally will not support:

Organizations whose mission is unrelated to animal welfare
Multi-year grants in excess of three (3) years
Individuals, private foundations, endowments, churches or religious programs, fraternal, social or labor organizations
Grants to groups with unusually high fund raising or administrative expenses
Political parties, candidates or lobbying activities
Travel funds for tours, exhibitions or trips by individuals or special interest groups
Organizations that discriminate because of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin or any areas covered by any applicable federal, state or local laws
International organizations
Organizations based outside the United States
Individual animals
Start-up organizations

The ASPCA does not pay for overhead expenses.

Grants Administration

The ASPCA staff accepts and reviews grant requests on an ongoing basis. There are no particular deadlines to meet. Decisions are made by regional managers and program executives. Proposals funded in one year are not always assured of future funding and will generally not be considered for more than one grant per 12-month cycle.

A Letter of Inquiry is not an application. It is the first stage of a two-stage process designed to save applicants the time of submitting a full proposal if our grant officers are able to establish up front that a request is ineligible for funding. Following submission of an online Letter of Inquiry from this website, we will reply with a declination or an invitation to formally apply for a grant, which is also completed online. An invitation remains open until the application is completed; however, we recommend submitting the application as soon as possible after receipt of an invitation.

Because the ASPCA receives far more proposals than it can possibly support, some requests are declined and every effort is made to provide notification of the decision promptly.

Helpful Tips

The ASPCA carefully considers a number of factors in our grant review process. Among those factors is an organization’s ability to demonstrate its stability and professionalism.

Organizations who can demonstrate the following qualifications in their applications are in the best position to receive funding from the ASPCA in a timely manner:

Collaboration with other animal welfare organizations
Active fundraising efforts
Access to other sources of funding
Up-to-date and accurate website

In addition, you should submit the following documentation with your application:

Professional references
Photographic or other evidence of property and/or animals to be served by a grant award
Audited financial statements

The use of correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your application is also an indicator of your organization’s professionalism.

How to Apply

U.S.-based non-profit animal welfare organizations are invited to submit a Letter of Inquiry. Please click the appropriate link below to submit your inquiry online. For general questions or clarification, email Michael Barrett at grants@aspca.org.

Letter of Inquiry for Animal Shelters and Spay/Neuter Groups

Letter of Inquiry for Avian Organizations (Before submitting a letter of inquiry, we recommend that you review the guidelines for Avian Fund grants.)

Letter of Inquiry for Greyhound Organizations (Befire submitting a letter of inquiry, we recommend that you review the guidelines for Greyhound Fund grants.)

Letter of Inquiry for Non-Shelter/Other Animal Welfare Organizations

Letter of Inquiry for Equine Grants (Before submitting a letter of inquiry, we recommend that you review the guidelines for Equine Fund grants and Emergency Hay Support grants.)

The ASPCA does not accept unsolicited grant proposals by mail, electronically, or in any other format.

If a representative of the ASPCA has invited your organization to apply for a specific grant, please contact grants@aspca.org for the correct application link.

Emergency and Disaster Grants

The ASPCA provides emergency funding to qualified animal welfare organizations whose communities suffer the impact of natural and other disasters.

To apply, please email grants@aspca.org for instructions on how to submit an online letter of inquiry. Be sure to specify in your message that your request is disaster or emergency related.

Emergencies and disasters that affect individual organizations and organizations that seek funding for disaster preparedness should submit an online letter of inquiry via one of the links above.

In order to expedite your request, please make every effort to follow the online application procedure. If circumstances of the disaster prevent or substantially inhibit your ability to apply online, call (212) 876-7700 x4394 for assistance.