ASPCA Grants for Shelters and Spay/Neuter Clinics is sponsored by ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). This program offers grants to support shelters and spay/neuter clinics, including funding for critical shelter infrastructure, strengthening shelter essentials, and increasing spay/neuter capacity. This is a very strong fit for Hands N Paws Animal Assistance.

2026 ASPCA Grants for Shelters and Spay/Neuter Clinics | ASPCApro You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

2026 ASPCA Grants for Shelters and Spay/Neuter Clinics Timeline: Monday, June 1, 2026, 9am ET - Friday, June 26, 2026, 8pm ET The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) is offering up to $14 million in grants to support shelters and spay/neuter clinics in meeting the needs of vulnerable animals throughout the United States, including addressing the shortfall in available spay/neuter surgeries.

We will fund qualified proposals that support: Critical shelter infrastructure Strengthening shelter essentials Increasing the number of spay/neuter surgeries year-over-year Major capital projects that increase spay/neuter capacity Special projects that increase spay/neuter capacity Individual grants will range from $10,000-$500,000, depending on category. Total funding available for this grant opportunity is up to $14 million.

Funding Parameters & Guidelines Only one application per agency/organization will be considered. Applicants may choose only one of the five funding categories. Our interest is in meeting your most pressing needs in one of the offered categories; we do not have our own preference for funding one category over another.

We will fund the most compelling proposals, regardless of category chosen. Critical Shelter Infrastructure Only one application per agency/organization will be considered. Applicants may choose only one of the five funding categories.

Our interest is in meeting your most pressing needs in one of the offered categories; we do not have our own preference for funding one category over another. We will fund the most compelling proposals, regardless of category chosen.

Applicants for this category of funding must: Be a nonprofit organization or municipal agency with a physical facility housing animals available for adoption, with regular/set hours open to the public for adoptions “Friends of” groups may apply for funding on behalf of their municipal agency partner Foster-based rescue organizations are not eligible Be registered and report data to Shelter Animals Count (SAC), unless prohibited by law By contributing to SAC, organizations help build a reliable national dataset.

Contributors to SAC also receive a wealth of information on national trends that may affect their organization. Register here if you are not already reporting data to SAC: https://data. shelteranimalscount.

org/login Recipients of a Critical Shelter Infrastructure grant will be required to: Opt in to an ASPCA 2026 Shelter Grants SAC Coalition Submit 2025 and 2026 YTD intake and outcome data to SAC within 3 months of grant approval date Find out more about SAC Coalitions here: https://www. shelteranimalscount.

org/coalitions/ All applicants must meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards: If a past ASPCA grant recipient, applicants must be current on all reporting requirements for such grant If a nonprofit organization, applicants must: Be an incorporated or organized legal entity in good standing with the Secretary of State in the state where the organization is incorporated or organized Have a board of directors consisting of at least 4 members with a majority of independent members and with neither board chair nor treasurer receiving compensation from the organization; and Have a current/active charitable registration in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants ≥$25,000) Funding Restrictions and Parameters: Individual grant amounts will range from $25,000 to a maximum of $100,000 Eligible funding options, outlined in more detail in the companion document , include (but are not limited to) facility repairs, sanitation and disease control , animal housing improvements , animal enrichment infrastructure , emergency preparedness, and shelter software.

Requests for new, permanent staff will be considered. Organizations applying for new, permanent staff will be required to provide a detailed plan for sustainability beyond the grant term when submitting their application. Critical Shelter Infrastructure grant funding is limited to proposals supporting cats, dogs, and equines.

Applicants selected for funding will be required to submit supplemental baseline data. Supplemental data may include self-assessments, shelter data metrics outside of Shelter Animals Count monthly aggregate data, etc. Grantees will be required to submit an interim and final report that includes follow-up data similar to the data requested in the application and supplemental baseline data. View the complete details in the companion PDF.

Be sure to prepare all information required to complete your application in one session. Progress cannot be saved and applications cannot be edited once submitted. Strengthening Shelter Essentials Only one application per agency/organization will be considered.

Applicants may choose only one of the five funding categories. Our interest is in meeting your most pressing needs in one of the offered categories; we do not have our own preference for funding one category over another. We will fund the most compelling proposals, regardless of category chosen.

Applicants for this category of funding must: Be a nonprofit organization or municipal agency with a physical facility housing animals available for adoption, with regular/set hours open to the public for adoptions “Friends of” groups may apply for funding on behalf of their municipal agency partner Foster-based rescue organizations are not eligible Be registered and report data to Shelter Animals Count (SAC), unless prohibited by law By contributing to SAC, organizations help build a reliable national dataset.

Contributors to SAC also receive a wealth of information on national trends that may affect their organization. Register here if you are not already reporting data to SAC: https://data. shelteranimalscount.

org/login Recipients of a Strengthening Shelter Essentials grant will be required to: Opt in to an ASPCA 2026 Shelter Grants SAC Coalition Submit 2025 and 2026 YTD intake and outcome data to SAC within 3 months of grant approval date Find out more about SAC Coalitions here: https://www. shelteranimalscount.

org/coalitions/ All applicants must meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards: If a past ASPCA grant recipient, applicants must be current on all reporting requirements for such grant If a nonprofit organization, applicants must: Be an incorporated or organized legal entity in good standing with the Secretary of State in the state where the organization is incorporated or organized Have a board of directors consisting of at least 4 members with a majority of independent members and with neither board chair nor treasurer receiving compensation from the organization; and Have a current/active charitable registration in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants ≥$25,000) Funding Restrictions and Parameters: Individual grant amounts will range from $25,000 to a maximum of $100,000 Eligible funding options, outlined in more detail in the companion document , include (but are not limited to) Return to Owner (RTO) strategies , open adoptions support, adoption promotions, foster expansion, operational optimization , and staff and volunteer training.

Requests for new, permanent staff will be considered. Organizations applying for new, permanent staff will be required to provide a detailed plan for sustainability beyond the grant term when submitting their application. Strengthening Shelter Essentials grant funding is limited to proposals supporting cats, dogs, and equines.

Applicants selected for funding will be required to submit supplemental baseline data. Supplemental data may include self-assessments, shelter data metrics outside of Shelter Animals Count monthly aggregate data, etc. Grantees will be required to submit an interim and final report that includes follow-up data similar to the data requested in the application and supplemental baseline data. View the complete details in the companion PDF.

Be sure to prepare all information required to complete your application in one session. Progress cannot be saved and applications cannot be edited once submitted. Increasing Spay/Neuter Surgeries Only one application per agency/organization will be considered.

Applicants may choose only one of the five funding categories. Our interest is in meeting your most pressing needs in one of the offered categories; we do not have our own preference for funding one category over another. We will fund the most compelling proposals, regardless of category chosen.

Applicants for this category of funding must: Be a nonprofit organization, governmental entity, tribal authority, or for-profit veterinary clinic and offer or facilitate affordable spay/neuter surgeries for owned dogs and cats, shelter dogs and cats, and/or community cats Shelter and rescue applicants must be registered with Shelter Animals Count (SAC), unless prohibited by law.

By contributing to SAC, organizations help build a reliable national dataset. Contributors to SAC also receive a wealth of information on national trends that may affect their organization. Register here if you are not already reporting data to SAC: https://data.

shelteranimalscount.

org/login All applicants must meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards: If a past ASPCA grant recipient, applicants must be current on all reporting requirements for such grant If a nonprofit organization, applicants must: Be an incorporated or organized legal entity in good standing with the Secretary of State in the state where the organization is incorporated or organized Have a board of directors consisting of at least 4 members with a majority of independent members and with neither board chair nor treasurer receiving compensation from the organization; and Have a current/active charitable registration in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants ≥$25,000) Funding Restrictions and Parameters: Individual grant amounts will range from $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000 Eligible funding options, outlined in more detail in the companion document , support increasing the annual number of spay/neuter surgeries performed year-over-year.

Requests for new, permanent staff will be considered. Organizations applying for new, permanent staff will be required to provide a detailed plan for sustainability beyond the grant term when submitting their application. Increasing Spay/Neuter Surgeries grant funding is limited to proposals supporting cats and dogs.

Applicants selected for funding will be required to submit supplemental baseline data. Supplemental data may include self-assessments, shelter data metrics outside of Shelter Animals Count monthly aggregate data, etc. Grantees will be required to submit an interim and final report that includes follow-up data similar to the data requested in the application and supplemental baseline data. View the complete details in the companion PDF .

Be sure to prepare all information required to complete your application in one session. Progress cannot be saved and applications cannot be edited once submitted. Spay/Neuter Major Capital Projects Only one application per agency/organization will be considered.

Applicants may choose only one of the five funding categories. Our interest is in meeting your most pressing needs in one of the offered categories; we do not have our own preference for funding one category over another. We will fund the most compelling proposals, regardless of category chosen.

Applicants for this category of funding must: Be a nonprofit organization, governmental entity, tribal authority, or for-profit veterinary clinic and offer or facilitate affordable spay/neuter surgeries for owned dogs and cats, shelter dogs and cats, and/or community cats Shelter and rescue applicants must be registered with Shelter Animals Count (SAC), unless prohibited by law.

By contributing to SAC, organizations help build a reliable national dataset. Contributors to SAC also receive a wealth of information on national trends that may affect their organization. Register here if you are not already reporting data to SAC: https://data.

shelteranimalscount.

org/login All applicants must meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards: If a past ASPCA grant recipient, applicants must be current on all reporting requirements for such grant If a nonprofit organization, applicants must: Be an incorporated or organized legal entity in good standing with the Secretary of State in the state where the organization is incorporated or organized Have a board of directors consisting of at least 4 members with a majority of independent members and with neither board chair nor treasurer receiving compensation from the organization; and Have a current/active charitable registration in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants ≥$25,000) Funding Restrictions and Parameters: Individual grant amounts will range from $100,000 to a maximum of $500,000 Eligible funding options, outlined in more detail in the companion document , include major capital projects to increase spay/neuter capacity, such as expansions, new clinic openings, and remodeling to increase the number of spay/neuter surgeries performed.

Requests for new, permanent staff will be considered. Organizations applying for new, permanent staff will be required to provide a detailed plan for sustainability beyond the grant term when submitting their application. Spay/Neuter Major Capital Projects grant funding is limited to proposals supporting cats and dogs.

Applicants selected for funding will be required to submit supplemental baseline data. Supplemental data may include self-assessments, shelter data metrics outside of Shelter Animals Count monthly aggregate data, etc. Grantees will be required to submit an interim and final report that includes follow-up data similar to the data requested in the application and supplemental baseline data. View the complete details in the companion PDF .

Be sure to prepare all information required to complete your application in one session. Progress cannot be saved and applications cannot be edited once submitted. Spay/Neuter Special Projects Only one application per agency/organization will be considered.

Applicants may choose only one of the five funding categories. Our interest is in meeting your most pressing needs in one of the offered categories; we do not have our own preference for funding one category over another. We will fund the most compelling proposals, regardless of category chosen.

Applicants for this category of funding must: Be a nonprofit organization, governmental entity, tribal authority, or for-profit veterinary clinic and offer or facilitate affordable spay/neuter surgeries for owned dogs and cats, shelter dogs and cats, and/or community cats Shelter and rescue applicants must be registered with Shelter Animals Count (SAC), unless prohibited by law.

By contributing to SAC, organizations help build a reliable national dataset. Contributors to SAC also receive a wealth of information on national trends that may affect their organization. Register here if you are not already reporting data to SAC: https://data.

shelteranimalscount.

org/login All applicants must meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards: If a past ASPCA grant recipient, applicants must be current on all reporting requirements for such grant If a nonprofit organization, applicants must: Be an incorporated or organized legal entity in good standing with the Secretary of State in the state where the organization is incorporated or organized Have a board of directors consisting of at least 4 members with a majority of independent members and with neither board chair nor treasurer receiving compensation from the organization; and Have a current/active charitable registration in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants ≥$25,000) Funding Restrictions and Parameters: Individual grant amounts will range from $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000 Eligible funding options, outlined in more detail in the companion document , include special projects that increase spay/neuter capacity through creative, out-of-the-box ideas that do not fit within the “Increasing Spay/Neuter Surgeries” or “Spay/Neuter Major Capital Projects” categories—be specific!

Requests for new, permanent staff will be considered. Organizations applying for new, permanent staff will be required to provide a detailed plan for sustainability beyond the grant term when submitting their application. Spay/Neuter Special Projects grant funding is limited to proposals supporting cats and dogs.

Applicants selected for funding will be required to submit supplemental baseline data. Supplemental data may include self-assessments, shelter data metrics outside of Shelter Animals Count monthly aggregate data, etc. Grantees will be required to submit an interim and final report that includes follow-up data similar to the data requested in the application and supplemental baseline data. View the complete details in the companion PDF.

Be sure to prepare all information required to complete your application in one session. Process cannot be saved and applications cannot be edited once submitted.

RFP opens Monday, June 1, 2026, at 9am ET RFP closes Friday, June 26, 2026, at 8pm ET Application status updates will be emailed on or around August 24, 2026 Grantees will be notified of final decisions on or before October 21, 2026 Register to attend live office hours to learn more about these grants directly from ASPCA grants team members.

Shelter Grants Office Hours June 3, 12pm ET- Watch the recording June 16, 3pm ET- Watch the recording Spay/Neuter Grants Office Hours June 4, 3pm ET - Watch the recording June 15, 2pm ET- Watch the recording For spay/neuter grant inquiries, please contact ASNA. spayneutergrants@aspca. org .

For shelter grant inquiries, please contact shelter. grants@aspca. org .

For application submission inquiries/technical difficulties, please contact grants@aspca. org . More Opportunities: Browse all grants