Ozzy’s Fund

Ozzy’s Fund is administered by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, a private philanthropic institution that supports charitable initiatives across the region. This specific fund is named in honor of Ozzy, a rescued cat from Atlanta whose story of survival and recovery symbolizes the Fund’s mission to enhance animal welfare. Ozzy's Fund was created to address the direct needs of animals in Central Georgia and throughout the state, focusing on support for rescue, medical care, and other essential services for animal well-being. The primary objective of Ozzy’s Fund is to promote the welfare of animals through grants that support initiatives such as animal rescue and adoption, spay/neuter programs, Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) operations, and cruelty prevention. The Fund does not support awareness campaigns, fundraising activities, or media/marketing projects, emphasizing instead hands-on, actionable interventions that directly improve the lives of animals. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations whose missions align specifically with animal rescue, adoption, TNR, or spay/neuter services. Eligible applicants must operate in Central Georgia or provide services within the state of Georgia. Geographic focus is not limited to specific cities or counties but applies to the broader state. All applicants must be nonprofit entities; individuals and other entity types are not eligible under this program. The grant awards typically do not exceed $2,500 per applicant. Funding decisions are made semi-annually, with applications due by 12:00 PM on June 30 and December 31 each year. Reviews take place in July and January, respectively, with award announcements made soon after. While the grant is not rolling, it is recurring, allowing applicants to reapply in future cycles, provided reporting requirements are fulfilled. Applicants must submit their proposals through the Community Foundation’s online portal, which requires registration in advance. New registrations take at least one business day to process, and applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the week of the deadline to create an account. All grantees are required to submit a final report detailing project outcomes and fund usage within sixty days of fund depletion, or within one year of the award date—whichever comes first. Starting January 1, 2024, all reports must be submitted via the online portal, and paper submissions are no longer accepted. To publicly acknowledge receipt of funding, awardees must refer to the grant as support from “Ozzy’s Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia.” The Foundation encourages recipients to use its logo on promotional materials and to include them in any media outreach. Contact information for the Foundation includes an email address ([email protected]), local phone (478-750-9338), toll-free number (866-750-9338), and their office located at 577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1600, Macon, GA 31201.