Grants

Applying for Grants

Fifteen to twenty percent of the average established nonprofit’s budget comes from grants.  Equine oriented grants may be offered by the following:

  • National animal welfare organizations
  • Corporate foundations
  • Family foundations
  • Private foundations

www.Grantspace.org, a service of the Foundation Center, offers a free webinar entitled  Introduction to Finding Funders which helps listeners utilize the Foundation Center Directory.  This Directory will be your key to finding local and regional funders as well as the national funders that consider applications from nonprofits all over the country – or even the world.  The Foundation Center Directory can be accessed on-line by paying a monthly or annual fee or by going to one of the 470 Funding Information Network locations across the world.  To find the location nearest you, go to www.foundationcenter.org.

In addition to the organizations at www.animalgrantmakers.org that fund equine projects, a partial list of equine welfare funders includes the following:

  • Albert Schweitzer Animal Welfare Fund
  • AHIMSA Foundation
  • ASPCA Equine Fund
  • Blue Horse Charities
  • Botstiber Animal Rescue Fund (Pennsylvania)
  • Brennan Equine Welfare Fund
  • Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation/Build-A-Bear Bear Hugs Foundation
  • Emily Vernon Foundation
  • Equus Foundation
  • Horse Aid Live
  • Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance
  • Thoroughbred Charities of America

Additional sources of grants may be found on this Equine Grant Maker List.

Important things to remember when applying for a grant:

  • Carefully read all directions, requirements and deadlines and then adhere to them.
  • When there are submission deadlines, don’t wait until the last minute to apply.
  • Make sure to include all requested documents.
  • Before submitting, review for spelling, typing and grammatical errors.
  • If declined, respond in a gracious manner – or chances for future funding may be ruined.
  • If accepted, personally thank and publicly acknowledge the grant in a timely manner.
  • Get progress and/or final reports in on time and in the manner requested.