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Grants for Animal Rescue

Learn about animal rescue and welfare grants by exploring our curated list of top animal and wildlife funders below. For an at-a-glance view of grants for animal welfare, see IP’s Grants for Animal Rescue page. Grantseekers can also research funding opportunities using the search tool for Grant Finder. Become a member.

Key Funders

Funding trends for animal welfare

In the first half of 2024, more than 3.1 million dogs and cats entered animal shelters in the United States, per Shelter Animals Count. Eight percent more animals arrived at shelters than left during that period, representing hundreds of thousands of companion animals in need of homes. There are about 4,000 animal shelters, and 7,000 or more animal rescue organizations, in the United States, according to Animal Grantmakers. Shelter Animals Count reports even higher figures of about 4,900 shelters and 9,500 rescues. 

While these animals are in need of care and shelter, only a very small portion of philanthropy is dedicated to their rescue and welfare. Just 73 American foundations made grants for animal protection in 2022, Animal Grantmakers found. And while it is hard to separate animal-focused grants from environmental giving in most available data sets, Animal Grantmakers has made a valiant effort to tease out how much funding goes to companion animal protection as distinct from wildlife conservation or the environment. The funder affinity group estimates that grantmaking for animal rescue and protection amounts to less than 1% of overall U.S. philanthropy. 

That said, this is a fast-growing sector of philanthropy. “Overall income raised by animal protection groups has grown three-fold since the beginning of the 21st century,” Animal Grantmakers says. While 73 may be a small number of foundations making grants for animal protection, more than 30 of those joined the field between 2000 and 2022, per Animal Grantmakers, who connect this growth to “the movement’s growing political sophistication and impact.”

Historically, this philanthropic area has struggled with the prevailing notion that animal protection and welfare is lower-priority than myriad human-focused causes. But there are a few dedicated funders who are committed to making grants for animals, and animal protection organizations are broadening the field by making more connections between human and animal concerns.

IP’s Michael Kavate notes that in recent years, some funders have supported a movement to reimagine animal shelters as community hubs that offer services to struggling families and work to equitably serve the entire community.

In addition to private foundations that make grants for animal protection, two other types of grantmakers are important to know about in this philanthropic space. Corporate foundations such as PetSmart Charities are substantial contributors to animal nonprofits, via funds raised from customer check-out donations at pet-related retail stores. Large national animal nonprofits such as the Humane Society, ASPCA, and PETA are also important in this grantmaking space, as they make grants in addition to their work providing services and advocacy for animal welfare.

Another nonprofit to be aware of is Animal Charity Evaluators, which helps donors decide where to make contributions to benefit animals through the lens of effective altruism. And while the project is no longer active, the Animal Funding Atlas, created by Animal Grantmakers members the ASPCA, Maddie’s Fund, Summerlee Foundation and Tigers in America, is still online and a source of some data about this funding space.

Where are animal rescue grants going?

According to an analysis by Animal Grantmakers of the “imperfect” existing data on this philanthropic space, the lion’s share of philanthropic giving in this area supports animal shelters and rescues. About 80% of all U.S. philanthropy for animal protection goes to animal welfare programs, the funder forum further estimates. These types of nonprofits are often small and locally focused, though there are a few large national nonprofits in the field. The ASPCA is the only nonprofit in this space that raises more than $200M per year from charitable giving, while the average annual revenue for a shelter or rescue is closer to $244,000, reports Animal Grantmakers.

Veterinary organizations, animal services organizations and animal societies are the next-most-funded categories, though at a significantly smaller scale. While shelters and rescues collectively receive more than $6 billion annually, for example, veterinary organizations have collective revenues around $450 million, per Animal Grantmakers. 

Within the broad categories of animal shelters, rescues and services, grants support services like animal fostering and adoptions, spay-and-neuter services, and humane education. A small number of grants fund advocacy for the legal rights of animals.

Gaps in animal rescue funding

Equine animal protection is the least funded category in this philanthropic space, Animal Grantmakers reports. “It is a puzzle why fundraising for equine protection is so challenging in the US,” the group says, while in the UK horse and donkey organizations have been much more successful at fundraising. 

There is much less grantmaking today related to ending animal testing than there was in the past, IP found in our State of American Philanthropy report on Giving for Animals and Wildlife. This area is now mostly funded by individual donors. Animal Grantmakers, too, finds that campaigns against animal research and testing receive only a “tiny portion” of animal protection philanthropy.

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Additional Resources

Animal Grantmakers is the lone overarching affinity group in this space, welcoming all funders whose giving benefits animals, regardless of issue.

Farmed Animals Funders is intended for funders who can make a substantial commitment, with membership limited to individuals and institutions who give $250,000 a year or more to end factory farming. 

Environmental Grantmakers Association, which has the widest focus among these groups, also counts members that support animals and wildlife through their grantmaking.

Animal Charity Evaluators rates nonprofits on their perceived effectiveness in helping animals are influential within this space.