The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has established the 2025 ASPCA California Wildfire & Disaster Preparedness Fund in response to the devastating wildfires affecting Southern California. Through this initiative, ASPCA has made a total of $5 million available, with $1 million allocated to immediate direct response efforts and nearly $4 million reserved to support animal welfare organizations in California with preparedness and capacity-building initiatives against future disasters.
Grants generally range from $25,000 to $100,000, although other funding requests outside this range may be considered. The funds aim to enhance emergency preparedness, including costs related to training, emergency shelter and veterinary equipment, field rescue gear, animal transport supplies (excluding vehicles), pet supply caches for community distribution, and generators. The fund also includes provisions for supporting shelters recovering from direct fire damage and providing longer-term operational support where fundraising and adoption rates have been adversely affected.
Eligible applicants must be nonprofit animal welfare organizations or municipal agencies focused on animal welfare or general disaster response organizations providing support to animals. Organizations must be located within California, meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards, and be in good standing with their state of incorporation. Organizations must also have a properly composed board of directors and, for grants of $25,000 or more, an active charitable registration.
Applications for preparedness and capacity-building grants will close at 5:00 p.m. PT on June 30, 2025. Applications will be reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis, with funding decisions communicated within four to six weeks after the close of the RFP. Applicants are required to submit their applications in one sitting as the system does not save progress or allow revisions once submitted.
Organizations can also apply for both direct response and preparedness grants but must complete separate applications for each. For all inquiries, applicants are encouraged to contact the ASPCA Grants Team via grants@aspca.org.
