The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is offering the 2025 ASPCA The Rescue Effect Campaign Grants to support adoption and operational efforts at animal welfare organizations across the United States. ASPCA, a longstanding leader in animal welfare, aims to foster a nationwide movement called The Rescue Effect, emphasizing the positive ripple effect created when individuals adopt, foster, volunteer, advocate, and donate.
Through this funding opportunity, $2 million in grants will be distributed, with $1.8 million available through an application process. Grant amounts are based on the applicant’s 2024 intake of cats and dogs and their commitment to hosting fee-waived adoption days during the campaign months of August, September, and October 2025. Depending on the intake tier, grants will range from $3,300 to $30,000. Specific tiers are outlined based on the organization's annual intake numbers.
Eligible applicants must be nonprofit or municipal organizations within the United States that offer dogs and/or cats for adoption. Additional eligibility criteria include meeting ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards, such as maintaining good standing with their state of incorporation, having an active charitable registration (for grants of $25,000 or more), and satisfying board governance requirements. Past ASPCA grantees must also be current with all reporting obligations.
The grant funds can be used for a variety of expenses, including animal make-ready costs (such as spay/neuter surgery and vaccinations), marketing and advertising, fee-waived adoption costs, foster program expansion, and operational support associated with The Rescue Effect campaign. Organizations are required to offer at least two fee-waived adoption days per month during the campaign period and will need to report adoption and foster metrics at the conclusion of the grant term.
The application window opens on April 7, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. ET and closes on May 5, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Applicants will be notified of their selection around July 1, 2025. Selection will occur on a first-come, first-served regional basis with between 115 and 135 awards anticipated, depending on applicant volume. Interested applicants should be aware that applications must be completed in a single sitting, as progress is not saved, and submissions cannot be revised once entered.
For inquiries, applicants are directed to contact the ASPCA Grants Team. There is also a veterinary emergency hotline available at 888-426-4435, but this is for animal poison emergencies rather than grant-related inquiries.
