The Grey Muzzle Grant Program               Updated 2/4/2010

The Grey Muzzle Organization makes grants to shelters, rescue groups, sanctuaries, and other non-profit organizations, expressly for programs designed to improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs. This page included detailed information about our grant priorities and processes so that donors and future grant applicants can learn more about our grant procedures. If you would like to be notified when we update essential information about grants, please stay in touch by joining our mailing list and indicate an interest in grants.

2010 Grant Priorities

In 2009, the majority of Grey Muzzle's funding was awarded to rescue organizations and sanctuaries and addressed two needs:  medical care for adoptable senior dogs and those in hospice or long-term care; and community programs to keep senior dogs with their owners. For more information on the grants we have awarded, see our Annual Report.

With our ongoing commitment to the lives of at-risk senior dogs, Grey Muzzle has set the following priorities for 2010 funding:

1. Assisting shelters with a goal of increasing adoptions of senior dogs. We are currently working on a pilot program with like-minded organizations to benefit senior dogs in shelters. Our goal is use this pilot as a springboard for expansion to other shelters. The Grey Muzzle report Old Dogs and Animal Shelters, completed in early 2008, highlights the issues and obstacles senior dogs face at shelters. We have made it a priority to commit funding and resources to this area of need.

2. Continued support for the organizations that we are currently funding. As shared in grant progress reports and success stories, Grey Muzzle’s currently funded programs with rescue organizations and sanctuaries are making a tremendous difference in the lives of senior dogs. We are committed to supporting their good work  and ongoing commitment to help senior dogs. See our Dogs page and past newsletters for success stories.

Guided by our 2010 priorities, Grey Muzzle anticipates approving only a limited number of grants to new applicants this year, especially for our Spring/Summer grant period. As we approach our Fall/Winter funding period and as additional funding becomes available, we may award funds for additional rescue organizations and sanctuaries.

When do you make grants?

We currently have two funding periods per year: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Grants for these periods are awarded in June and December, preceded by several months of application review.

Who is eligible for a grant?

Here are some basic criteria you should know when considering whether to apply for a grant.

To be eligible for a Grey Muzzle grant, you must be:

• An IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organization

• Willing to host a visit to your location by a Grey Muzzle board member

You need to apply for a grant for a specific program, which must:

• Benefit senior dogs exclusively

• Have well-defined goals for helping senior dogs

• Have a system in place to account for the success of the program. We require a report showing how the funds were used to make a difference for seniors.

How do you apply for a grant?

The grant application process consists of three stages. The stages are designed to help us build  long-term relationships with organizations that are making a real difference for senior dogs.

1. First, you send a one-page Letter of Interest using our form. If your organization has an ongoing commitment to senior dogs, and has, or would like to develop, a senior dog program that you believe will make a critical difference in the lives of senior dogs, you may submit a Letter of Interest at any time. The Letter serves as an introduction to your organization and your goals for helping senior dogs. Review our Sample Programs below and our Values to determine if your goals are a good fit for ours.

   When you submit a Letter, within 30 days we will let you know during which funding period we are likely to review your Letter. The number of Letters that we are able to review during each funding period depends on our program priorities and the amount of funds available for that period. To keep up with our priorities for each funding period, check this page or join our mailing list and indicate an interest in grants. Please consider our current funding priorities and keep in mind that we may not be able to review your Letter during the next funding period.

   If your Letter is reviewed and our board of directors determines that your program is eligible, you will be invited to complete an Organization Application (step #2 below).

   The Letter of Interest form is available here (Word document). After downloading the document, be sure to save a copy on your computer before editing.

   We welcome your questions and thoughts; please e-mail grants@greymuzzle.org.

2. If invited to apply, you next fill out an Organization Application. The invitation to apply does not guarantee a grant. This is the most rigorous application. We check references, talk to your veterinarian(s), review financial information, verify 501(c)(3) tax deductible status, and review adoption and care policies. We will also do an interview and/or a site visit. If you are approved as an organization, you will not need to fill out this application again, even if you apply for funding more than once or for more than one program over time (we may ask you to update it occasionally, however). A sample of the Organization Application is available here (Word document). Please do not fill out this application unless invited to do so!

3. If you are approved as an organization, then you may apply for specific funding. You may apply for a grant for a specific program, or our board may choose to create an account for you to use for medical expenses associated with getting seniors out of at-risk situations. Once you are approved as an organization, grants require a fairly simple application; a medical expense account requires a very simple application for each dog. A sample of the Grant Application is available here (Word document). Remember, do not fill out this application unless we invite you to do so! Once you complete step #2 above, if you are approved, we intend to grant you funding; we will work with you to help you develop specific funding applications that meet our goals and criteria.

Stay in touch

If you are interested in applying for a Grey Muzzle grant, please stay in touch by joining our mailing list. Indicate that you are interested in grants, and we’ll contact you whenever we have new information available. Sign up if you've submitted a Letter of Interest as well, to find out what our program priorities are for each funding period.

How much money do you give out in grants?

Our resources depend entirely on the generosity of our donors! In our first fiscal year, July 2008 through June 2009, we awarded about $48,000 to 19 rescues and shelters; grants ranged from $500 to $4,000. For more information see our Annual Report. Of course, the economy is a huge factor that currently makes planning difficult.

In addition to our grant program, we also provide funds for special programs such as our Bed Fund.

Sample Programs

Below are some example program categories for which we will accept a Letter of Interest. Please don't limit yourself to this list; we we'd like to hear your program ideas as long as they meet our eligibility requirements and promote our Values.

• Medical care and other programs that increase the potential for senior dogs to be adopted from shelters.

• Create or help to expand foster dog programs in shelters, specifically focused on getting senior dogs out of cement kennels and into homes.

• A program to help owners to keep senior dogs with them. Such a program would address the issue of owners turning in their old dogs to shelters simply because they cannot afford them in the current economic climate.

• Medical expenses for in-home, short-term hospice care for senior dogs that are rescued from a shelter and are unlikely to live more than a few days, weeks, or months. We want to give these dogs a chance to end their lives in a place of love, security and peace.

• Long-term, in-home care program for senior dogs who are not adoptable.

• Medical expenses to get senior dogs ready for adoption.

• A program to help people find new homes for senior dogs when they can’t keep them.

• Helping senior dogs give back to society; for example, training senior dogs as therapy dogs or getting senior dogs involved with assisted care facilities.

• Working with senior humans who must give up their senior dogs due to a change in circumstances, such as moving to assisted living.

• Building a Seniors for Seniors adoption program.

Q&A

Q: I run a sanctuary for dogs of all ages, but many of the dogs are seniors. Can I apply for a grant?

A: Sure, we’d love to hear from you. However, since you admit dogs of all ages, you must put a process in place to ensure that a prospective grant would go specifically to seniors, define a program and the intended benefits (we don’t make grants for general expenses), and report your success. The reporting doesn’t have to be complex but it must help Grey Muzzle and our donors understand the value you are providing.

Q: Do you make grants to breed-specific rescues?

A: Yes, although we balance our funding so that a significant percent also goes to non-breed-specific organizations. You may want to review the organizations we are supporting to get a sense of what we are looking for in a breed rescue. Note that breed-specific organizations we support are actively promoting seniors and have a long-term care or hospice program for seniors that are not adoptable. We may also be interested in your organization if you are starting to build such a program for seniors.

Q: Does the program have to be new?

A: No, you may apply for a grant for expansion of an existing program, as long as it meets our criteria. However, one of our goals is to make an impact by helping organizations re-think and and expand their methods for helping dogs.

Q: Will you fund a portion of a program?

A: Yes. If your program budget exceeds our grant amount, and you have other sources of funding, we can fund part of an eligible program.