Resource Acknowledgement
The following resource was created by The Open Sanctuary Project staff in collaboration with our board member Peggy Cusack. Peggy is an attorney and the Acting Executive DirectorThe individual formally in charge of final decision making at an organization, who sometimes works closely with the organization’s Board of Directors. Sometimes a Founder is an Executive Director, especially early in a nonprofit’s growth stages. of The Nonhuman Rights Project.

The Open Sanctuary Project is frequently asked where animal organizations can seek grant funding for their programming. Incorporating grants into your fundraising strategy can not only help diversify your funding, but also help you receive specific funding for projects and programs that might be difficult to fund from other forms of fundraising. 

If you’re looking for potential funders, the following list of funders and grant databases may prove helpful in finding suitable matches for your organization! Make sure you also review our comprehensive resource on developing a grant program so that you can get valuable guidance on what grants and foundations are, on hiring grant professionals, on grant research, on writing letters of inquiry, and all other aspects of grant writing! 

We Are Not Affiliated With And Do Not Endorse Any Of The Organizations Listed
Please note that the following lists are not exhaustive. We will add to them as we learn about more opportunities over time. Also, note that the inclusion of any given organization does not constitute The Open Sanctuary Project’s endorsement of that organization. Similarly, omitting any particular organization does not constitute our disapproval of that organization. Make sure that you research potential funders carefully, as their guidelines may change over time! Check factors such as whether they accept unsolicited inquiries, whether they have geographical limitations, and look into their areas of focus (for example, whether they prefer to fund direct care or education) and all relevant application deadlines!

Are you aware of grant opportunities for animal sanctuaries and rescue organizations that we have not listed here? Contact us to let us know! 

Grant Databases:

Candid Foundation Directory (Database access by subscription)

Farmed AnimalA species or specific breed of animal that is raised by humans for the use of their bodies or what comes from their bodies. Funders: Request for Funding

Farmed Animal And Food Systems Funding Sources  (Google Spreadsheet)

Grant Gopher (Database access by subscription)

Humane Society of the United States Humane Pro Grants Database

Society For NonprofitsNon-governmental organizations whose primary purpose is something other than selling goods or services. Funding Alert: Animals And Wildlife

 Individual Funding Organizations:

Acton Family Giving

Albert Schweitzer Foundation

American Anti-Vivisection Society

Animal Charity Evaluators Movement Grants

Animal WelfarePractices and policies that promote the well-being of nonhuman animals, specifically their health and comfort. Fund

Arcus Foundation

Arnall Family Foundation

ASPCA

The Builders Initiative Foundation

Culture & Animals Foundation

David Bohnett Foundation

EA Funds Animal Welfare Fund

Equus Foundation

Greenbaum Foundation

Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust

Lush

Maddie’s Pet Forum

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

Mercy for Animals The People’s Fund

MicrosanctuaryA microsanctuary is a small scale community of human and nonhuman (generally “unconventional or farmed”) animal companions, who live together in a chosen shared lifestyle and in commitment to ending the oppression of all beings. Microsanctuaries adhere to the notion that no nonhuman member of the community should “serve a purpose.” Microsanctuaries can exist in any context: rural, suburban, or urban. A microsanctuary can consist of as small a community as one animal and one human caregiver. For more information on microsanctuary please refer to the Microsanctuary Resource Center. Resource Center

Mobius

Open Philanthropy

Park Foundation

The Pegasus Foundation

Phauna Project

The Pollination Project

Richard Reed Foundation

Stray Dog Institute

Tipping Point Private Foundation 

VeganAn individual that seeks to eliminate the exploitation of and cruelty to nonhuman animals as much as possible, including the abstention from elements of animal exploitation in non-food instances when possible and practicable as well. The term vegan can also be used as an adjective to describe a product, organization, or way of living that seeks to eliminate the exploitation of and cruelty to nonhuman animals as much as possible (e.g., vegan cheese, vegan restaurant, etc.)..Org

VegFund

William and Charlotte Parks Foundation

Women Funders In Animal Rights
The concept of providing nonhuman animals greater ethical and/or legal consideration to their basic interests, especially the avoidance of suffering and exploitation by humans.

Sources

Developing A Grant Program At Your Animal Sanctuary