Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

I'm Traci from West Columbia Gorge Humane Society and I've only been in this community of animal helpers for the last year. I too wonder about how to go about building relationships with grant makers. Thanks for any ideas or maybe this is a topic for another conversation. Today's information was a great help. Thank you for coordinating and participating. 

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

I'm Traci from West Columbia Gorge Humane Society and I've only been in this community of animal helpers for the last year. I too wonder about how to go about building relationships with grant makers. Thanks for any ideas or maybe this is a topic for another conversation. Today's information was a great help. Thank you for coordinating and participating. 

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

I'm Traci from West Columbia Gorge Humane Society and I've only been in this community of animal helpers for the last year. I too wonder about how to go about building relationships with grant makers. Thanks for any ideas or maybe this is a topic for another conversation. Today's information was a great help. Thank you for coordinating and participating. 

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

Hi Traci, Irene and Nadia have provided great answers and a I'll echo: when foundations offer ways to engage with their awesome team,  take advantage of those opportunities.

I'll also offer some general tips from my POV as a grant writer. Building relationships with grant makers is like building any other relationship. Be yourself,  ask as many questions as you answer, and recognize that authentic relationships take time to form. 

When foundations have professional staff, there is usually contact information you can find for a program officer or grants specialist on the foundation's website or their 990 form. Reach out to the program officer, introduce yourself and your organization, and either ask for a call to learn more about the grantmaker--what do they fund, what is their decision making process, and what do they like for reporting and recognition--or ask these questions via email. Down the road (on the "third date") you can also invite them to come tour your facility, meet your leadership and staff, and play with some kittens. Invite prospective partners to a community event your organization is hosting, or to lunch to learn more about each other. They may say no, but you never know. 

Also, always take care to read a funder's website thoroughly (if they have one) before reaching out so you aren't asking questions you could have found answers to.  The number one rule in grant writing is to follow instructions. Take the time to read, research, and digest so you are prepared and make good use of a foundation's staff's time.

If a foundation doesn't accept unsolicited applications, then you'll want to tweak your questions to learn more about them and what it might take to be considered for their next round of invitations. Do NOT send in an application if they accept them only by invitation!

I hope that helps!

I'm Traci from West Columbia Gorge Humane Society and I've only been in this community of animal helpers for the last year. I too wonder about how to go about building relationships with grant makers. Thanks for any ideas or maybe this is a topic for another conversation. Today's information was a great help. Thank you for coordinating and participating. 

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

Hi Karina! Although our program is limited to CA-based shelters, I'll answer in case it helps you (or any CA orgs). Our program releases requests for proposals (RFP) but we also keep our "door" open to any organizations who want to share programmatic ideas that we might be able to fund. Another tool we use to invite organizations in are our Welcome Grants and Portal Grants. These are ongoing (almost guaranteed) funding opportunities. Lastly, we host biweekly calls for CA organizations, which allow us to get to know each other. (Here is the registration page for the call.) 

I think the effort to build relationships and trust needs to come from both parties, and I'd even argue that funders should take the lead in relationship-building (to the extent that they can). For instance, during our last RFP period, we searched and reached out to shelters and animal control agencies in counties we hadn't worked with yet - focusing on high and moderate to high vulnerability counties. The approach was similar to what we would encourage shelters to do with their communities - send a post card or a flyer to let them know about our program and what we offer.

Lastly, we talked about power dynamics and one way to dismantle this dynamic is by proactively initiating relationships with organizations who might not otherwise know they can pursue funding opportunities. 

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

------------------------------
Karina Reyes
President, CEO
Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue
IL
------------------------------

Hi, I'm Karina from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue. I really enjoyed today's presentation. Thank you to Nadia, Rory, and Irene for sharing information about the orgs you represent and your grant programs. How does one build the kind of relationships that would lead to an invitation to apply for a grant? The suggestion of building relationships is broad idea. With whom should these relationships be cultivated? It seems like a lot of this would have to be virtual. In the academic world, conferences where one could present their work was a main forum for nurturing such relationships. How does it work in the animal welfare context? Thanks!

Thanks to the 177+ people who joined us on today's Community Conversations call! The recording is now available to watch on-demand and you can find a recap of the agenda, national updates and highlights from the chat below. Congratulations to the October Community Conversations Grant Giveaway winner @Karina Reyes from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue in La Grange Park, IL who received a $5,000 grant for attending the calls! Also congrats to the Maddie's Pet Forum October grant winner @Steve Gorski from Animal Care League in Oak Park, IL. 

You can enter to win a grant for the month of November by completing this giveaway form each time you join us live or watch a recording: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-nov23-giveaway.htm

As a reminder, we will be taking a two week break for the upcoming holiday. We will see you again on Monday, December 4th at 11am PT. 

Recap

• Welcome From Hosts
  • @Clare Callison, Director of National Operations, Austin/American Pets Alive 
  • @Shonyae Johnson, Behavior Manager / Trainer, Operation Kindness
    
    
• Maddie's Fund October Grant Winners
  • Weekly Community Conversations 1 winner of $5k is Karina Reyes, Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue in La Grange Park, IL
  • Maddie's Pet Forum $3k winner is Steve Gorski, Animal Care League in Oak Park, IL
    
    
• National Updates
  • The Maddie's Fund Annual Report 2022 - 2023 https://www.maddiesfund.org/annual-report.htm has been published on our website. Kudos to Sharon Fletcher, Wendy Frink, Brittany Ransonet and Craig Coryell for their beautiful work – go Team Maddie! It was a year filled with fantastic progress to be proud of - #ThanksToMaddie
  • CAMP MADDIE: FOSTER EDITION on December 7 - half-day virtual symposium Registration for Camp Maddie is now open and free. This is where expanding your dog foster program begins! Learn more and register here https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiefoster
  • Register for Animal Care Expo 2024 in San Antonio!! A large discount will be offered on Black Friday for subscribers to the HumanePro newsletter and members of the Facebook Expo Attendee Group. https://humanepro.org/join https://www.facebook.com/HSUSHumanePro https://humanepro.org/expo
  • Open Arms Challenge 2024 - https://www.maddiesfund.org/open-arms-challenge-2024.htm
  • Special 30-minute morning meditation session hosted by Journey You Own tomorrow at 6:30 AM PT/10:30 AM EST.  This is a free, guided meditation practice. We invite you to extend this invitation to your staff and colleagues, as we come together to prioritize and support our mental wellbeing. The link to register is: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsceGpqDgiHtLStvFshSuZJ5hLJUJcTV-D
  • California for All Call Join our biweekly call - https://sheltermedicine.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tceihrT8vGdT9sEyMRsVmm98qZQekawqV#/registration
  • Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways!  Enter here for a chance to win CA$H: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-nov23-giveaway.htm Open to all who are watching live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend!
  • Maddie's Pet Forum monthly give-away:  Maddie's Fund® is giving away a $3,000 grant each month to one lucky Maddie's® Pet Forum member. You'll automatically be entered to win each month when you start a new discussion, reply to a new post. More info: https://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2022/11/new-monthly-grant-opportunity/
    
    
• Today's Presentation: Changing the Game in Animal Grantmaking
  • Moderated by: Stephanie Macgill, Founder, 615oracles.com https://www.615oracles.com/
  • Panelists:
    • Irene Chansawang, Senior Grants Specialist, Maddie's Fund, https://www.maddiesfund.org/
    • Nadia Oseguera, California Program Manager, California for All Animals https://www.californiaforallanimals.com/
    • Jen Naitaki, Sr. Director of Programs, Michelson Found Animals https://www.foundanimals.org/
      • "If you're interested in connecting, please don't hesitate to email me at j.naitaki@foundanimals.org"
    • Rory Adams, Senior Manager of Adoption Initiatives, PetSmart Charities https://petsmartcharities.org/
      • roradams@petsmartcharities.org
  • Related Links:
    • 11/6/23: Community Conversation on Reimagining Fundraising: Ethics, Empathy, and Equity
    • Maddie's Fund 2022-2023 Annual Report  
    • 2024 Open Arms Challenge
    • Maddie's Million Pet Challenge
    • Join the California for All Animals Call
      
      
• Highlights from the Chat
  • "Earlier this year, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington started hosting a foster social event once a month. Since they started, every event has resulted in getting at least 4 dogs into foster homes! Their Director of Behavior and Pathway Planning will be telling us about these events on December 7th at Camp Maddie. Learn more at https://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2023/10/join-us-in-december-for-camp-maddie/" - Kelly Duer
    • "This is such a great idea!" - Jennifer Salan
  • "Ayyyyy for trans folks in Animal Well-Being spaces! 🏳️‍⚧️" - Miguel Ruelas
  • "Looking forward to more nationwide funding opportunities for spay/ neuter! So needed." - Liz Jones
    
    • "Agreed. It seems like grantmakers have been drifting away from plain ol' spay & neuter funding in the last 5-8 years, and we as a country are simply not ready to move past that yet!" - Amanda Coburn
    •  "I agree with that, so this is a very helpful discussion." - Ernest Hagan
  • "Tough times to measure euthanasia rates. The dynamics have changed so much post COVID." - Michelle Russillo
  • "Rory:  Our shelter had 3 adoptions from Petsmart Myrtle beach this weekend 🐶🐱🐱" - Ami Feller
  • "Yay FIV and Felvie cats in stores!!" - Amanda Gra
  • "We LOVE our CAC adoptions 🐱" - Shonyae Johnson
  • "Good to hear about FIV acceptance in the stores!" - June Thomas
  • "Special place in my heart for "FeLVies" 🙂" - Jenna Riedi
  • "I'm confused, Irene. So does Maddie take unsolicited apps or not? Maybe I misunderstood." - Karina Reyes
    • "Hi Karina, Maddie's Fund does not generally accept unsolicited applications or grant requests outside of our application cycle.  The best way to stay up-to-date on our grant cycles is to join the Maddie's Mailing List: https://www.maddiesfund.org/maddies-mailing-list.htm" - Amber Eby
    • "No, Karina.  We don't accept unsolicited applications.  The Open Arms challenge is a request for applications.  Any other projects we are funding in the shelter medicine, access to care, etc. spaces have been a result of us working directly with a specific group." - Mary @ Maddie's Fund
    • "Strategic grantmaking is sometimes what it's referred to as, but echoing Amber and Mary. Thanks for asking for clarification, Karina!" - Irene Chansawang
  • "I am so inspired by the Maddie's Fund huddles; we are hoping to learn more about that and incorporate in our reporting." - Rory Adams
  • "It's also our responsibility as funders to know what the numbers are telling us, and where the need and opportunity is." - Rory Adams
  • "How can other surrender prevention programs apply at Michelson?" - Kristin Moro
    • "Hi Kristin, we, like Maddie's Fund do not accept unsolicited grant requests. Historically, our grant making progress has been by invitation only. We are working on developing an open grant cycle for our SN programs which may include facets of surrender prevention. The best way to stay in touch with us right now is to follow us on social media and our newsletter. Thanks so much for your question." - Jen Naitaki
  • "The work now has a heavy aspect of being social work not just animal welfare work." - Michelle Russillo
  • "Great panel! Thank you!" - Natasha Orslene

Are there any other "get started in grants" resources available or more "streamlined" grants available that are easier to apply for? 

For our shelter, our biggest challenge is not having dedicated staff or bandwidth to learn all the ins and outs of grant writing and putting together the necessary materials to submit for a grant.  

I suspect many smaller rescues have the same issue and these are the organizations that could benefit greatly.  Many do not have the ability to put together elaborate proposals or programs and simply need money for day to day operations.   

Thanks to the 177+ people who joined us on today's Community Conversations call! The recording is now available to watch on-demand and you can find a recap of the agenda, national updates and highlights from the chat below. Congratulations to the October Community Conversations Grant Giveaway winner @Karina Reyes from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue in La Grange Park, IL who received a $5,000 grant for attending the calls! Also congrats to the Maddie's Pet Forum October grant winner @Steve Gorski from Animal Care League in Oak Park, IL. 

You can enter to win a grant for the month of November by completing this giveaway form each time you join us live or watch a recording: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-nov23-giveaway.htm

As a reminder, we will be taking a two week break for the upcoming holiday. We will see you again on Monday, December 4th at 11am PT. 

Recap

• Welcome From Hosts
  • @Clare Callison, Director of National Operations, Austin/American Pets Alive 
  • @Shonyae Johnson, Behavior Manager / Trainer, Operation Kindness
    
    
• Maddie's Fund October Grant Winners
  • Weekly Community Conversations 1 winner of $5k is Karina Reyes, Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue in La Grange Park, IL
  • Maddie's Pet Forum $3k winner is Steve Gorski, Animal Care League in Oak Park, IL
    
    
• National Updates
  • The Maddie's Fund Annual Report 2022 - 2023 https://www.maddiesfund.org/annual-report.htm has been published on our website. Kudos to Sharon Fletcher, Wendy Frink, Brittany Ransonet and Craig Coryell for their beautiful work – go Team Maddie! It was a year filled with fantastic progress to be proud of - #ThanksToMaddie
  • CAMP MADDIE: FOSTER EDITION on December 7 - half-day virtual symposium Registration for Camp Maddie is now open and free. This is where expanding your dog foster program begins! Learn more and register here https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiefoster
  • Register for Animal Care Expo 2024 in San Antonio!! A large discount will be offered on Black Friday for subscribers to the HumanePro newsletter and members of the Facebook Expo Attendee Group. https://humanepro.org/join https://www.facebook.com/HSUSHumanePro https://humanepro.org/expo
  • Open Arms Challenge 2024 - https://www.maddiesfund.org/open-arms-challenge-2024.htm
  • Special 30-minute morning meditation session hosted by Journey You Own tomorrow at 6:30 AM PT/10:30 AM EST.  This is a free, guided meditation practice. We invite you to extend this invitation to your staff and colleagues, as we come together to prioritize and support our mental wellbeing. The link to register is: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsceGpqDgiHtLStvFshSuZJ5hLJUJcTV-D
  • California for All Call Join our biweekly call - https://sheltermedicine.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tceihrT8vGdT9sEyMRsVmm98qZQekawqV#/registration
  • Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways!  Enter here for a chance to win CA$H: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-nov23-giveaway.htm Open to all who are watching live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend!
  • Maddie's Pet Forum monthly give-away:  Maddie's Fund® is giving away a $3,000 grant each month to one lucky Maddie's® Pet Forum member. You'll automatically be entered to win each month when you start a new discussion, reply to a new post. More info: https://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2022/11/new-monthly-grant-opportunity/
    
    
• Today's Presentation: Changing the Game in Animal Grantmaking
  • Moderated by: Stephanie Macgill, Founder, 615oracles.com https://www.615oracles.com/
  • Panelists:
    • Irene Chansawang, Senior Grants Specialist, Maddie's Fund, https://www.maddiesfund.org/
    • Nadia Oseguera, California Program Manager, California for All Animals https://www.californiaforallanimals.com/
    • Jen Naitaki, Sr. Director of Programs, Michelson Found Animals https://www.foundanimals.org/
      • "If you're interested in connecting, please don't hesitate to email me at j.naitaki@foundanimals.org"
    • Rory Adams, Senior Manager of Adoption Initiatives, PetSmart Charities https://petsmartcharities.org/
      • roradams@petsmartcharities.org
  • Related Links:
    • 11/6/23: Community Conversation on Reimagining Fundraising: Ethics, Empathy, and Equity
    • Maddie's Fund 2022-2023 Annual Report  
    • 2024 Open Arms Challenge
    • Maddie's Million Pet Challenge
    • Join the California for All Animals Call
      
      
• Highlights from the Chat
  • "Earlier this year, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington started hosting a foster social event once a month. Since they started, every event has resulted in getting at least 4 dogs into foster homes! Their Director of Behavior and Pathway Planning will be telling us about these events on December 7th at Camp Maddie. Learn more at https://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2023/10/join-us-in-december-for-camp-maddie/" - Kelly Duer
    • "This is such a great idea!" - Jennifer Salan
  • "Ayyyyy for trans folks in Animal Well-Being spaces! 🏳️‍⚧️" - Miguel Ruelas
  • "Looking forward to more nationwide funding opportunities for spay/ neuter! So needed." - Liz Jones
    
    • "Agreed. It seems like grantmakers have been drifting away from plain ol' spay & neuter funding in the last 5-8 years, and we as a country are simply not ready to move past that yet!" - Amanda Coburn
    •  "I agree with that, so this is a very helpful discussion." - Ernest Hagan
  • "Tough times to measure euthanasia rates. The dynamics have changed so much post COVID." - Michelle Russillo
  • "Rory:  Our shelter had 3 adoptions from Petsmart Myrtle beach this weekend 🐶🐱🐱" - Ami Feller
  • "Yay FIV and Felvie cats in stores!!" - Amanda Gra
  • "We LOVE our CAC adoptions 🐱" - Shonyae Johnson
  • "Good to hear about FIV acceptance in the stores!" - June Thomas
  • "Special place in my heart for "FeLVies" 🙂" - Jenna Riedi
  • "I'm confused, Irene. So does Maddie take unsolicited apps or not? Maybe I misunderstood." - Karina Reyes
    • "Hi Karina, Maddie's Fund does not generally accept unsolicited applications or grant requests outside of our application cycle.  The best way to stay up-to-date on our grant cycles is to join the Maddie's Mailing List: https://www.maddiesfund.org/maddies-mailing-list.htm" - Amber Eby
    • "No, Karina.  We don't accept unsolicited applications.  The Open Arms challenge is a request for applications.  Any other projects we are funding in the shelter medicine, access to care, etc. spaces have been a result of us working directly with a specific group." - Mary @ Maddie's Fund
    • "Strategic grantmaking is sometimes what it's referred to as, but echoing Amber and Mary. Thanks for asking for clarification, Karina!" - Irene Chansawang
  • "I am so inspired by the Maddie's Fund huddles; we are hoping to learn more about that and incorporate in our reporting." - Rory Adams
  • "It's also our responsibility as funders to know what the numbers are telling us, and where the need and opportunity is." - Rory Adams
  • "How can other surrender prevention programs apply at Michelson?" - Kristin Moro
    • "Hi Kristin, we, like Maddie's Fund do not accept unsolicited grant requests. Historically, our grant making progress has been by invitation only. We are working on developing an open grant cycle for our SN programs which may include facets of surrender prevention. The best way to stay in touch with us right now is to follow us on social media and our newsletter. Thanks so much for your question." - Jen Naitaki
  • "The work now has a heavy aspect of being social work not just animal welfare work." - Michelle Russillo
  • "Great panel! Thank you!" - Natasha Orslene

Hi Jenna,

I understand what you're saying. I often recommend folks look to their local foundations (including corporate) to see if there are more responsive grantmaking approaches within their community. 

We'll also try to feature more speakers on the topic of fundraising. 

Are there any other "get started in grants" resources available or more "streamlined" grants available that are easier to apply for? 

For our shelter, our biggest challenge is not having dedicated staff or bandwidth to learn all the ins and outs of grant writing and putting together the necessary materials to submit for a grant.  

I suspect many smaller rescues have the same issue and these are the organizations that could benefit greatly.  Many do not have the ability to put together elaborate proposals or programs and simply need money for day to day operations.   

Thanks to the 177+ people who joined us on today's Community Conversations call! The recording is now available to watch on-demand and you can find a recap of the agenda, national updates and highlights from the chat below. Congratulations to the October Community Conversations Grant Giveaway winner @Karina Reyes from Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue in La Grange Park, IL who received a $5,000 grant for attending the calls! Also congrats to the Maddie's Pet Forum October grant winner @Steve Gorski from Animal Care League in Oak Park, IL. 

You can enter to win a grant for the month of November by completing this giveaway form each time you join us live or watch a recording: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-nov23-giveaway.htm

As a reminder, we will be taking a two week break for the upcoming holiday. We will see you again on Monday, December 4th at 11am PT. 

Recap

• Welcome From Hosts
  • @Clare Callison, Director of National Operations, Austin/American Pets Alive 
  • @Shonyae Johnson, Behavior Manager / Trainer, Operation Kindness
    
    
• Maddie's Fund October Grant Winners
  • Weekly Community Conversations 1 winner of $5k is Karina Reyes, Citizen Canine Senior Dog Rescue in La Grange Park, IL
  • Maddie's Pet Forum $3k winner is Steve Gorski, Animal Care League in Oak Park, IL
    
    
• National Updates
  • The Maddie's Fund Annual Report 2022 - 2023 https://www.maddiesfund.org/annual-report.htm has been published on our website. Kudos to Sharon Fletcher, Wendy Frink, Brittany Ransonet and Craig Coryell for their beautiful work – go Team Maddie! It was a year filled with fantastic progress to be proud of - #ThanksToMaddie
  • CAMP MADDIE: FOSTER EDITION on December 7 - half-day virtual symposium Registration for Camp Maddie is now open and free. This is where expanding your dog foster program begins! Learn more and register here https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiefoster
  • Register for Animal Care Expo 2024 in San Antonio!! A large discount will be offered on Black Friday for subscribers to the HumanePro newsletter and members of the Facebook Expo Attendee Group. https://humanepro.org/join https://www.facebook.com/HSUSHumanePro https://humanepro.org/expo
  • Open Arms Challenge 2024 - https://www.maddiesfund.org/open-arms-challenge-2024.htm
  • Special 30-minute morning meditation session hosted by Journey You Own tomorrow at 6:30 AM PT/10:30 AM EST.  This is a free, guided meditation practice. We invite you to extend this invitation to your staff and colleagues, as we come together to prioritize and support our mental wellbeing. The link to register is: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsceGpqDgiHtLStvFshSuZJ5hLJUJcTV-D
  • California for All Call Join our biweekly call - https://sheltermedicine.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tceihrT8vGdT9sEyMRsVmm98qZQekawqV#/registration
  • Maddie's Fund Monthly Giveaways!  Enter here for a chance to win CA$H: https://www.maddiesfund.org/weekly-community-conversations-nov23-giveaway.htm Open to all who are watching live or on-demand! Be sure to enter each week you attend!
  • Maddie's Pet Forum monthly give-away:  Maddie's Fund® is giving away a $3,000 grant each month to one lucky Maddie's® Pet Forum member. You'll automatically be entered to win each month when you start a new discussion, reply to a new post. More info: https://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2022/11/new-monthly-grant-opportunity/
    
    
• Today's Presentation: Changing the Game in Animal Grantmaking
  • Moderated by: Stephanie Macgill, Founder, 615oracles.com https://www.615oracles.com/
  • Panelists:
    • Irene Chansawang, Senior Grants Specialist, Maddie's Fund, https://www.maddiesfund.org/
    • Nadia Oseguera, California Program Manager, California for All Animals https://www.californiaforallanimals.com/
    • Jen Naitaki, Sr. Director of Programs, Michelson Found Animals https://www.foundanimals.org/
      • "If you're interested in connecting, please don't hesitate to email me at j.naitaki@foundanimals.org"
    • Rory Adams, Senior Manager of Adoption Initiatives, PetSmart Charities https://petsmartcharities.org/
      • roradams@petsmartcharities.org
  • Related Links:
    • 11/6/23: Community Conversation on Reimagining Fundraising: Ethics, Empathy, and Equity
    • Maddie's Fund 2022-2023 Annual Report  
    • 2024 Open Arms Challenge
    • Maddie's Million Pet Challenge
    • Join the California for All Animals Call
      
      
• Highlights from the Chat
  • "Earlier this year, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington started hosting a foster social event once a month. Since they started, every event has resulted in getting at least 4 dogs into foster homes! Their Director of Behavior and Pathway Planning will be telling us about these events on December 7th at Camp Maddie. Learn more at https://chewonthis.maddiesfund.org/2023/10/join-us-in-december-for-camp-maddie/" - Kelly Duer
    • "This is such a great idea!" - Jennifer Salan
  • "Ayyyyy for trans folks in Animal Well-Being spaces! 🏳️‍⚧️" - Miguel Ruelas
  • "Looking forward to more nationwide funding opportunities for spay/ neuter! So needed." - Liz Jones
    
    • "Agreed. It seems like grantmakers have been drifting away from plain ol' spay & neuter funding in the last 5-8 years, and we as a country are simply not ready to move past that yet!" - Amanda Coburn
    •  "I agree with that, so this is a very helpful discussion." - Ernest Hagan
  • "Tough times to measure euthanasia rates. The dynamics have changed so much post COVID." - Michelle Russillo
  • "Rory:  Our shelter had 3 adoptions from Petsmart Myrtle beach this weekend 🐶🐱🐱" - Ami Feller
  • "Yay FIV and Felvie cats in stores!!" - Amanda Gra
  • "We LOVE our CAC adoptions 🐱" - Shonyae Johnson
  • "Good to hear about FIV acceptance in the stores!" - June Thomas
  • "Special place in my heart for "FeLVies" 🙂" - Jenna Riedi
  • "I'm confused, Irene. So does Maddie take unsolicited apps or not? Maybe I misunderstood." - Karina Reyes
    • "Hi Karina, Maddie's Fund does not generally accept unsolicited applications or grant requests outside of our application cycle.  The best way to stay up-to-date on our grant cycles is to join the Maddie's Mailing List: https://www.maddiesfund.org/maddies-mailing-list.htm" - Amber Eby
    • "No, Karina.  We don't accept unsolicited applications.  The Open Arms challenge is a request for applications.  Any other projects we are funding in the shelter medicine, access to care, etc. spaces have been a result of us working directly with a specific group." - Mary @ Maddie's Fund
    • "Strategic grantmaking is sometimes what it's referred to as, but echoing Amber and Mary. Thanks for asking for clarification, Karina!" - Irene Chansawang
  • "I am so inspired by the Maddie's Fund huddles; we are hoping to learn more about that and incorporate in our reporting." - Rory Adams
  • "It's also our responsibility as funders to know what the numbers are telling us, and where the need and opportunity is." - Rory Adams
  • "How can other surrender prevention programs apply at Michelson?" - Kristin Moro
    • "Hi Kristin, we, like Maddie's Fund do not accept unsolicited grant requests. Historically, our grant making progress has been by invitation only. We are working on developing an open grant cycle for our SN programs which may include facets of surrender prevention. The best way to stay in touch with us right now is to follow us on social media and our newsletter. Thanks so much for your question." - Jen Naitaki
  • "The work now has a heavy aspect of being social work not just animal welfare work." - Michelle Russillo
  • "Great panel! Thank you!" - Natasha Orslene

This was a very informative conversation but are there any suggestions on how "for profit" organizations can apply for these grants?  We LOVE helping the strays in our community but at some point we won't be able to shoulder that burden.  There have been some great ideas shared with me but in the grant making scheme of things, is there anything I can do to make our organization and what we're doing an option for those entities that ONLY give to non profits?

This was a very informative conversation but are there any suggestions on how "for profit" organizations can apply for these grants?  We LOVE helping the strays in our community but at some point we won't be able to shoulder that burden.  There have been some great ideas shared with me but in the grant making scheme of things, is there anything I can do to make our organization and what we're doing an option for those entities that ONLY give to non profits?