Local humane societies are not affiliated with the HSUS in any way.
There are hundreds of grant opportunities for small, independent humane societies all over the country and the Internet is the best place to start when searching for grant opportunities. Humane societies, rescue organizations, spay/neuter clinics, humane education programs and many other animal-related organizations rely on public and private donations as well as grants to allow them to continue offering critical programs and services to the community.
American Humane Association
Rescue assistance in the event of disasters is one of the services the HSUS offers to shelters.
The American Humane Association, based in Denver, Colorado, is a national association similar to the Humane Society of the United States but has a number of significant differences. It awards several grants, including the Foreclosure Grant, the Meacham Foundation Grant and the Second Chance Fund. The Foreclosure Grant is available to help animal victims of foreclosure when the homeowner loses his home and cannot take his animal to a new home. The Meacham Foundation Memorial Grant awards money for shelters for improvement projects and other undertakings that directly affect animal care. The Second Chance Fund assists in the rehabilitation of animals that have been abused, neglected or abandoned.
PetSmart Charities
Animal victims of domestic violence are helped by a grant program offered through AHA.
PetSmart Charities awards grants to animal welfare organizations to assist in their day-to-day operations and programs. Among the grants it offers is sponsorship of educational conferences, spay-neuter programs for feral cats and spay-neuter programs in underprivileged neighborhoods, to purchase or upgrade clinic equipment, promote model volunteer programs and emergency relief. The Emergency Relief Grant is for victims of large-scale disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes, animals hurt because of living conditions such as a puppy mill and single-animal victims of domestic violence or cruelty.
Maddies Fund
Perhaps the best known grant offered for humane society organizations is Maddies Fund. The mission of Maddies Fund is to build a no-kill nation where dogs and cats are no longer being euthanized simply because there are not enough homes for them. The Maddies Fund awards grants ranging from $500 to millions of dollars. It only accepts grant proposals from shelters because it generally does not award grants to individuals. Its grant money is to be used only for dogs and cats, and the requesting humane society must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization licensed in one of the 50 states.
HSUS
The Humane Society of the United States is a national organization with more than 11 million members. Its mission is "celebrating animals, confronting cruelty." The HSUS supports local shelters through its Shelter Partners program, which provides an array of resources and benefits for local humane societies. But the HSUS is not affiliated with the local shelter or humane society in your town except perhaps as a Shelter Partner. According to its website, the HSUS offers "Financial assistance in the form of scholarships, periodic grants and other opportunities" from time to time. Its training programs, disaster assistance teams, educational conferences and assistance with everything from fundraising to educating the community about the importance of spay/neuter are a valuable resource for local humane societies.
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