Animal Welfare Grant Program

The Animal Welfare Grant Program, supported by the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, focuses on enhancing the well-being of companion animals in Maine. With an available funding pool of $1,515,000, this program aims to assist organizations that provide humane sheltering, veterinary care, and community support to keep pets with their owners. Priority is given to under-resourced organizations serving marginalized communities, ensuring that all animals are recognized for their intrinsic value and cared for responsibly.

A just, healthy, and sustainable Maine requires that all life is recognized for its inherent value. We will fund organizations working to reduce barriers to equitable pet ownership, keep pets with their owners, and humanely control pet populations. The focus of this funding is on cats and dogs.
With the adoption of the Sewall approach in 2024 we have further refined our priorities to focus on companion animals and the intersection of human and companion animal well-being.
Priorities
Our focus is on supporting organizations and efforts that are working on at least one of the following:
Provide humane sheltering and rehoming services primarily for cats and dogs (animal shelters)Provide supports to keep pets with their owners (animal shelters or social service agencies)Provide access to affordable veterinary careAdvocacy and field building Humanely controlling pet population
We will prioritize organizations that:
Are under-resourced and serve under-resourced communitiesProvide (or seek to) community supports designed to keep animals in homes and out of shelters (e.g. access to affordable neutering services, pet food pantries, veterinary assistance programs, training and humane-education, crisis management assistance such as temporary sheltering)Work collaboratively to meet animal and community needs
Funding
Available Funding: $1,515,000Generally, grant funding levels in this program area are:Animal Shelters: $10,000 to $50,000 per year
1–3-year proposals will be consideredField Building: $25,000 to $75,000 per year1–5-year proposals will be consideredSocial Services: $10,000 to $50,000 per year1–3-year proposals will be consideredPet Population Control: $10,000 to $50,000 per year1–3-year proposals will be considered

Eligibility

Operating, project, and capital requests will be considered.Applicants must be eligible to receive tax-deductible donations as outlined in Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. This includes: 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organizations; public schools; public agencies working for the State of Maine; Indian tribal governments (and their political subdivisions) recognized by the Department of the Interior. We accept applications from organizations and groups who work through a fiscal sponsor. A fiscally sponsored organization does not need to be a legal entity, but it must have a signed fiscal sponsorship agreement with a 501c3 nonprofit organization. The Sewall Foundation has funded 501(C)(4) organizations in the past for specific nonpartisan and charitable work, however it requires additional considerations and expenditure responsibility. We ask that any 501(c)(4) organization contact program staff to explore potential grant support. Organizations with 501(C)(4) status should not start or submit a grant application before speaking with program staff. Eligible organizations may apply regardless of their funding history with Sewall Foundation.

Ineligibility

The Sewall Foundation does not provide grant funding to private for-profit enterprises, cooperatives, or individuals.