Animal Welfare Institute
Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) is a Washington, DC–based public charity, formed in 1951, that works to alleviate animal suffering caused by people. Its work addresses animal welfare in agriculture, commerce, homes and communities, research, and the wild.
Animal Welfare Institute at a glance
In short: Animal Welfare Institute gave $425K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), top state Florida. 61% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $424,924
- -31.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- -22.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,705
- -11.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $27,459,263
- -2.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 61% first-time grantees (14 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (27% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Animal Welfare Institute
- How to Apply
-
For the refinement awards, applications are submitted through AWI’s online system with the required proposal, budget, CV or resume, and host-institution letter. The website says funds cannot be used for indirect costs; the Refinement Research Award also excludes costs to disseminate results and the purchase of animals. The Christine Stevens and NIBRS cycles described above have passed.
- Next open deadline
- October 11, 2026 (AWI Implementing Refinement Grant)
- Contact
Mailing address: 900 Pennsylvania Ave Se, Washington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 337-2332
Website: https://awionline.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Animal Welfare Institute
AWI Implementing Refinement Grant
Animal Welfare Institute
Amount
Up to US $15,000
Deadline
Expected ~October
Based on past cycles
AWI Refinement Research Award Grant
Animal Welfare Institute
Amount
Up to US $15,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards
Animal Welfare Institute
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Animal Welfare Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sustainable Innovation Initiatives Inc (SII) ($104K). Together the top 10 received $291K.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 123 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
AWI’s stated mission encompasses animal welfare “everywhere.” Its 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in multiple states; the largest reported shares were Florida (27%), Oregon (11%), Illinois (9%), Montana (8%), and Virginia (7%). The refinement awards are limited to eligible residents and projects in the United States or Canada.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Animal Welfare Institute open to new grantees?
61%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 23 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 22% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $159K (2020) to $620K (2024). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $425K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Innovation Initiatives Inc (SII) Miami, FL | Animal Protection | $103,780 |
| People and Carnivores Bozeman, MT | Animal Protection | $35,000 |
| Agricultural Research Foundation Corvallis, OR | Animal Protection | $30,974 |
| Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance (BNGA) Lower Brule, SD | Animal Protection | $16,500 |
| American Bird Conservancy The Plains, VA | Animal Protection | $15,020 |
| Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (Gfas) Phoenix, AZ | Animal Protection | $15,000 |
| Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Christine Stevens Wildlife Award | $15,000 |
| Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Christine Stevens Wildlife Award | $15,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | Christine Stevens Wildlife Award | $15,000 |
| Princia Falls Church, VA | Christine Stevens Wildlife Award | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,459,263 | $6,170,763 | $7,585,554 | $424,924 | 24 | $1,138,925 |
| 2024 | $28,192,619 | $7,972,836 | $7,216,776 | $619,809 | 31 | $943,530 |
| 2023 | $26,162,099 | $11,353,156 | $6,118,926 | $569,176 | 26 | $710,188 |
| 2022 | $19,635,322 | $7,420,921 | $4,895,285 | $454,908 | 24 | $448,927 |
| 2021 | $19,708,511 | $5,322,785 | $4,242,269 | $357,231 | 18 | $890,388 |
| 2020 | $16,936,310 | $4,845,174 | $4,157,546 | $158,945 | 13 | $112,277 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
AWI’s stated mission is to alleviate animal suffering caused by people and improve animal welfare everywhere. Its website describes work across eight program teams: Animals in Laboratories, Companion Animals, Equines, Farmed Animals, Government Affairs, Humane Education, Marine Wildlife, and Terrestrial Wildlife. It seeks scientifically grounded protections for animals in all settings and robust enforcement of those protections.
AWI’s 2025 grant purposes included animal protection and the Christine Stevens Wildlife Award. Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantee work: People and Carnivores describes its mission as protecting and reconnecting Northern Rockies carnivores while working with local communities to prevent conflict; the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries says it promotes high standards of sanctuary management and animal care; and the Species Survival Network describes itself as a coalition promoting enforcement of the CITES treaty. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not AWI’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, AWI reported 24 grants totaling $424,924. Grants ranged from $5,250 to $103,780, with a median of $15,000. The largest listed awards were $103,780 to Sustainable Innovation Initiatives Inc. for animal protection, $35,000 to People and Carnivores for animal protection, and $30,974 to the Agricultural Research Foundation for animal protection. Other listed awards included $16,500 to Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance for animal protection and $15,000 each to the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries for animal protection and Lincoln Park Zoo for a Christine Stevens Wildlife Award.
AWI’s website describes two awards related to improving the welfare of animals used in experimentation. The Implementing Refinement Grant offers up to $8,000 for implementation costs such as equipment or staff training; the Refinement Research Award offers up to $15,000 for research to develop, study, or validate refinement methods. Both are open to residents of the United States or Canada, and projects must be conducted in one of those countries. Applications require a proposal, budget, CV or resume, and host-institution support letter. The website states that the 2026 application cycle will open later in the year, typically from mid-August to mid-October, and that awardees are selected and notified in December. It also says applicants may reapply, but AWI generally funds no more than one project per applicant per cycle across these two awards.
AWI’s Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards support humane, nonlethal wildlife-conflict management and improved methods of wildlife study, with awards of up to $15,000. The cited 2025 application cycle, which had a March 3, 2025 deadline, has passed. AWI also describes two $5,000 NIBRS Animal Cruelty Data Research Awards for master’s and doctoral students whose research centrally uses NIBRS animal-cruelty data; the stated January 15, 2026 deadline has passed.
AWI states that grants are awarded based on proposals and that grantees are expected to describe project outcomes. For overseas grantees, AWI requires reports at project completion or, for ongoing grants, regular progress reports.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan Millward as executive director/CEO; Cathy Liss as chair; Caroline Griffin Esq. as vice chair; Alan Kessock as treasurer; and Mary Lee Jensvold PhD as secretary. Directors listed are Chris Miller DVM, Jill Carey, and William Stokes DVM. Paul Marchione is listed as chief operations officer, and Robin Jacobsohn as general counsel.
Animal Welfare Institute is led by Susan Millward, Executive Director & CEO on every filing since 2023; 9 of 15 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Millward
Executive Director & CEO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$126K (2023) → $181K (2025)
Cathy Liss
Chair
President → Chair & President, 2023
Chair & President → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$115K (2020) → $65K (2025)
Annmarie Blaney
Director of Government Affairs
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$104K (2023) → $123K (2025)
Johanna Hamburger
Director of Terrestrial Wildlife
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$109K (2024) → $118K (2025)
Georgia Hancock
Marine Wildlife Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$118K (2025)
Chris Miller Dvm
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jill Carey
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Stokes Dvm
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Tilford
Senior Writer & Editor
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$104K (2023) → $115K (2025)
Robin Jacobsohn
General Counsel
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$62K (2023) → $171K (2025)
Paul Marchione
Chief Operations Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$80K (2024) → $154K (2025)
Naomi Rose
Senior Scientist
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$112K (2025)
Alan Kessock
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Griffin Esq.
Vice Chair
Chair & Vice President → Vice Chair & Vice President, 2023
Vice Chair & Vice President → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Lee Jensvold PhD
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Dena Jones (2023–2024) — Director of Farmed Animal Programs
- Former: Donald J. Schubert (2024) — Senior Policy Advisor
- Former: William Stokes (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Cynthia Wilson (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Nadia S. Adawi (2020–2022) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $181K, to Susan Millward (Executive Director/CEO). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Animal Welfare Institute
How much does Animal Welfare Institute give each year?
Animal Welfare Institute gave $425K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $620K across 31 grants.
What is Animal Welfare Institute's typical grant size?
Animal Welfare Institute's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $17,705, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Animal Welfare Institute that year got $14K on average.
Where does Animal Welfare Institute give grants?
Animal Welfare Institute's top state is Florida, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Oregon (11%) and Illinois (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants) and Manhattan, KS (2 grants).
Does Animal Welfare Institute give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Animal Welfare Institute's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Animal Protection" (15 grants) and "Christine Stevens Wildlife Award" (8 grants).
Who are Animal Welfare Institute's largest grantees?
Animal Welfare Institute's largest 2025 grantees include Sustainable Innovation Initiatives Inc (SII) ($103,780), People and Carnivores ($35,000) and Agricultural Research Foundation ($30,974), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Animal Welfare Institute?
Animal Welfare Institute reported $27.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.2M.
What does Animal Welfare Institute fund?
AWI’s stated mission is to alleviate animal suffering caused by people and improve animal welfare everywhere. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Animal Welfare Institute?
For the refinement awards, applications are submitted through AWI’s online system with the required proposal, budget, CV or resume, and host-institution letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Animal Welfare Institute's EIN?
Animal Welfare Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-5655952. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Animal Welfare Institute's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Animal Welfare Institute funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/animal-welfare-institute-morg_28ac17709da44884b4cfce5feaaf1d69
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_135655952_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Animal Welfare Institute funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/animal-welfare-institute-morg_28ac17709da44884b4cfce5feaaf1d69},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Animal Welfare Institute's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Animal Welfare Institute down — hundreds of funders to go?