Grants for animal shelters

5,597 animal shelters and animal welfare organizations received at least $86.9 million in grants for the most recent fiscal year. This includes 11,357 grants made from 4,253 grantmaking organizations, with a median grant amount of $1,000. Of these 4,253 foundations, 66% made just a single grant to animal shelters, and 9% made grants to four or more animal shelters. This analysis is based on grantmakers that e-file their Form 990s, and likely is an undercount of grants.
$86,867,300
Total grant dollars given to animal shelters
11,357
Number of grants made annually to animal shelters
4,253
Number of grantmakers funding animal shelters
$1,000
Median grant size to animal shelters

Foundations that support animal shelters and animal welfare organizations

Out of all grants made to animal shelters, 84% came from small foundations with less than $10 million in assets. The top 10 grantmakers accounted for 81% of the dollar-value of grants to animal shelters. Foundations funding animal shelters also made grants to water and wetland protection organizations, food banks, homeless shelters, land conservation groups, and trade / professional associations.

Foundation size

Foundation sizeNumber of grantmakers
Small
 
3,597
Medium
 
411
Large
 
244
Small foundations have <$10M in assets. Medium foundations have $10M to $50M in assets. Large foundations have >$50M in assets.

Foundation type

Foundation typeNumber of grantmakers
Community
 
77
Private
 
3,821
Corporate
 
193
Other
 
162

Grants made

Grants made to animal sheltersNumber of grantmakers
1
 
2,820
2-3
 
1,020
4-10
 
323
11+
 
90

Top 10 foundations supporting animal shelters and animal welfare organizations

GrantmakerStateGeographic focusPercent of grant dollars to animal sheltersNumber of grants made to animal sheltersMedian grant size
Abbvie FoundationILNational0.6%424$100
Chubb Charitable FoundationPANational1.5%323$50
Shell Oil Company FoundationTXNational1.2%223$500
Pedigree FoundationTNNational30.6%221$1,000
Carmax FoundationVANational2.1%216$500
JP Morgan Chase FoundationNYNational0.1%192$490
Greatergoodorg Good CharitiesWANational4.6%190$2,848
Salesforce Com FoundationCANational0.1%166$100
Synchrony FoundationCTNational0.3%154$125
Charity Partners FoundationMANational5.7%150$19

Animal shelters and animal welfare organizations grantees

Animal shelters with more than $5 million in total revenues received 80% of all grant dollars. These larger organizations accounted for 30% of all animal shelters.

Grant amounts

Size of grantNumber of grants
<$10k
 
11,340
$10k-$25k
 
0
$25k-$100k
 
0
$100k+
 
17

Grant amount by grantee size

Grantee annual revenueMedian grant size
<$100k
 
$1,000
$100k-$500k
 
$1,000
$500k-$1M
 
$1,000
$1M-$5M
 
$1,000
>$5M
 
$600

Grantee states

State of granteeNumber of grants
California
 
1,222
New York
 
989
Florida
 
713
Texas
 
667
Other
 
7,766

Grantee metros

Metro area of granteeNumber of grants
New York City
 
1,004
Washington DC
 
659
Chicago
 
426
Los Angeles
 
346
Other
 
7,513

Top 25 grants made to animal shelters

GranteeGrant sizePurposeGrantmaker
The Humane Society of the United States$8,153,353Cash TransfersThe Fund For Animals
Humane Society International (HSI)$6,026,650Program GrantThe Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society International (HSI)$6,026,650General Support Including Care of Liberia ChimpsThe Humane Society of the United States
Mercy for Animals$5,601,200Animal WelfareSilicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)
The Humane League$5,015,000Animal WelfareSilicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)
The Humane Society of the United States$4,927,207Intercompany ActivityThe Fund For Animals
The Humane Society of the United States$4,853,582Intercompany ActivityHumane Society International (HSI)
Wayside Waifs$4,050,930Animal-RelatedGreater Kansas City Community Foundation
Gigi's Shelter for Dogs$4,000,000ConservationThe Columbus Foundation
Humane Society International (HSI)$3,129,242SalariesThe Humane Society of the United States
The Fund For Animals$2,916,932SalariesThe Humane Society of the United States
American Humane - First To Serve$2,905,873General SupportSag-Aftra Producers Industry Advancement and Cooperative Fund
Columbia Animal Shelter$2,700,000Rescue of Unwanted AnimalsThe Harold and Judy Mckonly Family Foundation
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation$2,573,344Conservation and ScienceDavid and Lucile Packard Foundation
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)$2,543,944Animal WelfareSilicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)
Gigi's Shelter for Dogs$2,500,000ConservationThe Columbus Foundation
Bubye Valley Conservation Research$2,500,000To Describe and Understand the General Ecology and Conservation of African Lions in A Large Fenced ReserveWalter Family Foundation
Dane County Humane Society$5,000Animal Welfare SupportBerbeewalsh Foundation
Animal Friends$5,000General SupportRalph and Dorothy Hartwell Schugar Charitable
Mary S Roberts Pet Adoption Center$5,000Unrestricted GeneralEthel Frends Charitable Foundation
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals$5,000Unrestricted GeneralEthel Frends Charitable Foundation
The Humane Society of the United States$5,000Support Pets for LifeEthel Frends Charitable Foundation
Operation Blankets Of Love$5,000Support 'help' ProgramEthel Frends Charitable Foundation
Pets Are Wonderful Support Los Angeles$5,000Unrestricted GeneralEthel Frends Charitable Foundation
Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter$5,000Support Medical ProgramEthel Frends Charitable Foundation
Methodology: To determine grants and grantees, Cause IQ analyzes electronically-filed Form 990, Form 990-EZ, and Form 990-PF financial disclosure documents, matching grantees to specific organizations using EINs and fuzzy matching logic. The "Animal shelters" category for this page is determined by the "D20: Animal Protection and Welfare" National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code. Cause IQ determines NTEEs for organizations by its own internally-developed secret-sauce algorithms.