Grants for Dog Rescues

About BISSELL Pet Foundation

BISSELL Pet Foundation exists to support animal welfare organizations and provide resources to underserved communities. This includes helping to reduce the number of animals in shelters and rescues through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, vaccinations, microchipping, and emergency support.

To become eligible to receive funding from BPF, your organization must become a member of Partners for Pets.

BISSELL Pet Foundation Partners for Pets Guidelines and Eligibility Requirements

Partners for Pets is BISSELL Pet Foundation's growing network of 5,650+ animal welfare organizations. This program is designed to support shelters, rescue groups and spay/neuter organizations that are working to reduce the number of homeless animals across the United States. Being accepted into BISSELL Pet Foundation's Partners for Pets program will allow organizations the opportunity to be funded by BISSELL Pet Foundation. Funding opportunities include grants, participation in Empty the Shelters events, assistance with emergencies on case-by-case basis and various sweepstakes or other contests. More information will be provided if accepted into Partners for Pets.

Benefits of Partners for Pets: Why should you join?

• Eligibility for various funding:
  • Partner grants (spay/neuter, microchipping)
  • Empty the Shelters adoption events (participation is by invite only)
  • Assistance with emergencies
  • Consideration for Feed the Shelters
• Increased visibility through inclusion on the Partners for Pets participating partners webpage
• Chance to win funding through giveaways and sweepstakes
• Opportunities to participate in surveys/focus groups and network with other animal welfare organizations

Mission

The primary mission of the Laura J. Niles Foundation is to encourage and support efforts to improve the lives of animals. The Foundation seeks to benefit animals in general, and dogs in particular, by supporting research, training, and adoption programs and projects. Programs which enhance the human-animal bond are viewed with favor.  

Primary Program Interests

Animals - The Foundation is seeking ways to benefit animals, particularly dogs, and is especially interested in programs that help animals and people, simultaneously. The Foundation is targeting areas that include animal medical research, animal protection, adoption, search & rescue, assistance dogs, equine therapy and similar areas of endeavor. Currently, the Foundation does not consider spay/neuter programs to be a priority, given the limited funds which are available. 

Education - a secondary area of focus for the Foundation is the education of economically disadvantaged youth. This program area includes primary, secondary and higher education.

Guiding Principles and Considerations 

• The goal of the Foundation's Board is to pursue a deliberate and proactive course of "strategic philanthropy"
• Favors programs addressing long-term solutions to the causes of problems, as distinguished from programs that simply treat the symptoms.
• Added emphasis on programs and organizations that address the intersection of its various interests.
• Encourages pilot initiatives that test new program models.
• Particular interest in organizations that promote collaborative efforts among groups and organizations.
• Qualities sought by the Foundation in its grantee organizations are: effective and dynamic personnel; passionate leadership; a bias against bureaucracy; prudent managements & governance practices; and commitment to results and overall assessment of program impact.

See FAQ for additional guidelines

About Us

The Petfinder Foundation has been helping animal shelters and rescue groups since 2003. We are the ONLY national organization that does nothing but give cash and product grants to adoption groups.

Our programs are designed to keep homeless pets physically and mentally healthy so they can find loving forever homes.

Our grants put food in bowls, provide medical care, and help rescue animals from disasters. When pets are in need, we’re there to help.

We’ve given more than $25 million in cash and product grants since 2003. Our grant recipients include more than 10,000 adoption groups, caring for more than 250,000 homeless pets – from cats and dogs to birds and horses – throughout North America.

Disaster Grant

The Petfinder Foundation disaster-relief program was designed to assist Petfinder members and their adoptable pets who have been struck by a natural disaster. Funding from this program must support natural or human-made disasters that hit a community like hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, earthquakes, extreme weather (freezing temps, significant snowstorms, extreme heat), and other events that devastate animal shelters and rescue groups. 

About Us

The Petfinder Foundation has been helping animal shelters and rescue groups since 2003. We are the ONLY national organization that does nothing but give cash and product grants to adoption groups.

Our programs are designed to keep homeless pets physically and mentally healthy so they can find loving forever homes.

Our grants put food in bowls, provide medical care, and help rescue animals from disasters. When pets are in need, we’re there to help.

We’ve given more than $25 million in cash and product grants since 2003. Our grant recipients include more than 10,000 adoption groups, caring for more than 250,000 homeless pets – from cats and dogs to birds and horses – throughout North America.

Senior Pet Adoption Grants

The Petfinder Foundation Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant program helps Petfinder members provide the adopter with financial assistance when adopting a senior pet or a bonded senior pair. Awarded grant funds from this program will motivate a potential adopter to choose a senior pet or bonded senior pair and benefit both the sweet senior pet and adopter.

Funding must support one senior pet or bonded senior pet pair’s adopter to cover the adoption fee and/or after adoption expenses such as vet visits, training, medication, supplements, food, enrichment, and supplies. If awarded and when a senior pet or bonded senior pet pair outlive grant funding, the adopter must agree to care and pay the senior pet or bonded senior pair’s expenses for the duration of the pet’s lifetime. 

NOTE: Prior to submitting a proposal, the Animal Protection Program Director must be contacted by telephone or email to discuss the proposed project.

Founded in 1988 by Dallas philanthropist, Annie Lee Roberts, The Summerlee Foundation is a mission driven, proactive organization with a strong desire to address significant issues in animal protection and Texas history. Since inception, the Foundation has awarded 30 million dollars to grantees.

The Foundation makes grants for two specific purposes:

• To alleviate fear, pain and suffering of animals and to promote animal protection and the prevention of cruelty to animals.
• To research, promote and document all facets of Texas History.

Animal Protection Program

Since its establishment, The Summerlee Foundation has promoted a new ethic towards our fellow beings through its national and international grantmaking programs supporting rescue, research, rehabilitation, and advocacy. Our grants have assisted a wide variety of programs, including second chances for companion animals, protection of wild carnivores, sanctuary and refuge, and endangered species protection and advocacy. While many of these projects have been controversial, all have been critically important. Collectively, we have alleviated fear, pain and suffering in countless animals’ lives, advanced and expanded the rights of all non-human animals, defended the laws that protect them, and created new policies to address new grievances against them. We have rescued, re-homed, relocated, and rehabilitated these animals.

And while we can celebrate our many successes, we must also confront the emerging and expanding threats to our most vulnerable animal populations: climate change, persecution and exploitation on a global scale, wildlife extinction and disease, companion animal abandonment, and intentional cruelty and torture. The challenges are serious and many.

By working together, creatively and opportunistically, with vision and with wisdom, we will continue to protect and give sanctuary and refuge to the underserved, the voiceless, the persecuted, and the helpless.

The Summerlee Foundation is enormously proud of the dedication and achievements of its grantseekers and congratulates all of you for your vision, your commitment, and your ability to make a difference in the lives of so many.

Funding Priorities

Geographically:

The Americas with special emphasis on those communities which are the most underserved and the most challenged.

Programmatically:

• Cats only in the United States and Canada –
• The tragedy of cat overpopulation and homelessness in this country results in intense and immense suffering due to disease, starvation, and inhumane practices by some local communities and agencies. 
• Funding emphasis is on sterilization and vaccination primarily in rural or underserved communities.
• Dogs outside of United States, primarily in Latin America –
• Emphasis on sterilization, vaccination, and humane euthanasia.
• Wildlife –
• Primarily mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, and black bears, funding only those programs which protect through ethical-based research and advocacy/educational campaigns.
• Marine Life –
• Emphasis on addressing marine mammal issues, health and well-being and anti-captivity (dolphins and orcas).
• Sanctuary for Captive Animals –
• Captive wild animal sanctuaries should be verified or accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
• Wildlife Rehabilitation –
• Emphasis on hands-on animal care (emergency rescue, food, medications, housing improvements).
• Emergency funding –
• May be awarded through the Annie Lee Roberts Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) fund administered by the Humane Society of the United States

About Rachael Ray Foundation™

The Rachael Ray Foundation™ is funded by a portion of proceeds from each sale of Rachael's pet food, Nutrish®. The Foundation was launched by Rachael in 2016 to better support the causes she cares for most such as helping animals in need.

The Rachael Ray Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society are committed to helping Best Friends Network Partners increase lifesaving in their communities through impactful, innovative, and inclusive programming. Every year, there are two types of Rachael Ray grants for which partners can apply.   

Grants for Animal Rescue to Save More Lives: The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants

The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants fund projects to reduce the lifesaving gap of cats and dogs in U.S. shelters. We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations that enable lifesaving in a community.  

The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants fund projects that increase lifesaving of cats and dogs in U.S. shelters. We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, as well as rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations focused on impacting lifesaving at shelters. 

Your organization can apply for a grant of up to $50,000, with the amount requested not exceeding 10% of your operating budget. The average grant awarded last year was just under $13,000, therefor granting may only cover partial funding needed for your project. 

Project Requirements

• Projects can be focused on just one event/program or can include multiple events/programs.   
• Proposed projects should align with regional priorities. Projects that satisfy these priorities will have the largest impact on lifesaving in each region.   
• We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations that enable lifesaving.
• If the applicant that is applying is an organization that is already no-kill, their project needs to be impacting a shelter that has a lifesaving gap and has not achieved a 90% save rate.  
• If awarded, the applying organization will need to submit quarterly impact statistics of how many lives were impacted through the project.  
• The impacted shelter’s intake and outcome data will need to be submitted as well, in order to calculate the reduction in gap to 90%, which will measure success of the project.  
• Best Friends will make calculations for reduction in lifesaving gap after all data points are submitted. These two metrics (impacts and reduction number in lifesaving gap) will be used for grant accountability and measuring success.  

Regional Priorities

Before you begin an application, please review the priorities for your region to ensure that your project aligns. 

Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina 

South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Great Plains: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Mountain West: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming

Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Mid-Atlantic: District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia

About Grey Muzzle Grants

Guided by its vision - a world where every senior dog thrives and no old dog dies alone and afraid - The Grey Muzzle Organization makes grants throughout the United States expressly for programs designed to improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs. We invite shelters, rescue groups, sanctuaries, and other nonprofit organizations, whose activities include helping senior dogs, to apply for these grant funds. Since 2008, Grey Muzzle has provided $2,500,000 in grants to senior dog programs nationwide! Grants typically range from $2,500 to $10,000. Our ability to make grants to help senior dogs depends entirely on the generosity and support of the public and other donors. 

Examples of the Types of Programs We Fund

Please note that innovative programs not specifically listed may also be considered.

• Create or help expand foster programs specifically focused on finding homes for senior dogs.
• A program to prevent owners from surrendering senior dogs to shelters as a result of economic circumstances.
• Medical care and other programs that increase the potential for senior dogs to be adopted.
• Medical expenses for in-home, short-term hospice care for senior dogs who are unable to be medically rehabilitated but who can live their final days in a place of love, security and peace.
• Long-term, in-home care programs for senior dogs who are not adoptable.
• A program to help people find new homes for senior dogs when they can no longer keep them. In particular, working with senior citizens who must relinquish their senior dogs due to a change in circumstances, such as moving to assisted living.
• Helping senior dogs give back to society; for example, training senior dogs as therapy dogs or involving the dogs in activities sponsored by assisted care facilities.
• Building a Seniors-for-Seniors adoption program.

About Us

PEDIGREE Foundation is working to find a solution to the problem of the millions of homeless dogs in this country. Through our grant programs, we support organizations that save the lives of dogs that would otherwise be lost.

The Foundation was established in 2008 by dog lovers with a passionate belief that every dog deserves a loving home. PEDIGREE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation that supports shelters and rescue organizations, as well as encouraging people to ADOPT, VOLUNTEER, and DONATE.

PEDIGREE Foundation grants are funded by the PEDIGREE® Brand and contributions from dog lovers like you. Your tax-deductible donation* helps us reach even more dogs in need.

Dogs Rule Grant

One grant is available in to support an innovative initiative that focuses on increasing adoptions rates with a requirement to deliver a manual or toolkit by the end of the program to share with the animal welfare community.

Specifically, our grants are intended to:

• help improve the quality of care of dogs while in shelter or rescue to increase adoption potential
• increase adoption rates within shelters or rescues through programs and/or new initiatives in the animal welfare community

About Us

PEDIGREE Foundation is working to find a solution to the problem of the millions of homeless dogs in this country. Through our grant programs, we support organizations that save the lives of dogs that would otherwise be lost.

The Foundation was established in 2008 by dog lovers with a passionate belief that every dog deserves a loving home. PEDIGREE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation that supports shelters and rescue organizations, as well as encouraging people to ADOPT, VOLUNTEER, and DONATE.

PEDIGREE Foundation grants are funded by the PEDIGREE® Brand and contributions from dog lovers like you. Your tax-deductible donation* helps us reach even more dogs in need.

Program Development Grants 

To increase adoption rates, with a priority on the following types of programs: transport, matching and foster.

Specifically, our grants are intended to:

• help improve the quality of care of dogs while in shelter or rescue to increase adoption potential
• increase adoption rates within shelters or rescues through programs and/or new initiatives in the animal welfare community