Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grants
Funding Amount
Up to US $60,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Grant Type
Foundation
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Other requirements
- To be eligible for a Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grant, organizations must be a part of the Best Friends Network AND must have also reached a 90% Save Rate.
- Programs must be implemented within the United States.
- Awarded grant funds must be spent within a one-year period.
- You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member.
Not eligible / not funded
- Not eligible: At this time our grant opportunities are not open to U.S.
- Not eligible: Territories.
Overview
The Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grants, funded by the Rachael Ray Foundation, support Best Friends Network partners in maintaining a 90% Save Rate for animals. These grants encourage innovative projects that enhance community partnerships and mentorships, helping organizations achieve sustainable lifesaving outcomes. Eligible organizations can apply for grants up to $60,000, with a focus on scalable programs that benefit animals and promote no-kill initiatives across the United States.
NOTE: Organizations must be a part of the Best Friends Network. Click here to see if your organization is already a network partner. If your organization is not yet a Network partner, you must apply by the Pre-Proposal deadline above.
About Rachael Ray Foundation™
The Rachael Ray Foundation is funded by a portion of proceeds from each sale of Rachael's pet food, Nutrish. The Foundation was launched by Rachael in 2016 to better support the causes she cares for most such as helping animals in need.
The Rachael Ray Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society are committed to helping Best Friends Network Partners increase lifesaving in their communities through impactful, innovative, and inclusive programming. Every year, there are two types of Rachael Ray grants for which partners can apply.
Animal Welfare Grants that Celebrate No-Kill: The Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grants
Best Friends’ Network partners that have already reached a 90% Save Rate face new challenges as they strive to sustain their lifesaving numbers. As leaders in the field, no-kill organizations are critical to our collective goal of making the entire country no-kill by 2025.
The Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grants fund projects that help no-kill organizations maintain their lifesaving while also assisting other organizations in their community reach the 90% threshold. These grants celebrate groups that are leading the movement through innovative partnerships, mentorships, and progressive collaborations within their community.
We anticipate that funded projects will be related, but not exclusive, to:
Helping hard-to-place animalsMeeting critical staffing and medical needsImpacting regional growthCommunity mentorship programs Innovative animal shelter operations
No-Kill Excellence Grants will fund scalable programs that support positive outcomes for animals in other network partner cities and emerging no-kill communities.
Your organization can apply for a grant of up to $60,000.
Eligibility
Eligibility:To be eligible for a Rachael Ray No-Kill Excellence Grant, organizations must be a part of the Best Friends Network AND must have also reached a 90% Save Rate. Programs must be implemented within the United States.
Awarded grant funds must be spent within a one-year period.
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member.
Ineligibility
At this time our grant opportunities are not open to U.S. Territories.
What Best Friends Animal Society actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 418
- Total given
- $14.26M
- Median grant
- $13K
- Range
- $2,500–$1.12M
- 0% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 48% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Austin Pets Alive
Program service support
$1.12M
Jacksonville Humane Society
Program service support
$855K
Operation Kindness
Program service support
$726K
MSPCA
Program service support
$520K
San Diego Humane Society
Program service support
$410K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Nonprofits
- Animal rescue
Categories
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