2025 ASPCA California Wildfire Response & Preparedness Fund (original) (raw)

Timeframe: RFP response portion closes 5 PM PT Monday, 02/17/25; preparedness portion closes 5 PM PT Monday, 06/30/25

In response to the devastating wildfires burning across Southern California, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) has announced a $5 million California Wildfire Response & Preparedness Fund to provide critical funding to animal welfare organizations responding to animal needs due to the wildfires. Funding is also available to animal welfare organizations throughout California to prepare for and build capacity to defend against future fires and other disasters.

Funding Amounts

Grants for direct response will generally range from 5,000−5,000 - 5,000−50,000, but requests for other amounts will be considered. Grants to improve preparedness and build capacity for future fires and other disasters will generally range from 25,000−25,000 - 25,000−100,000. Requests for other amounts will be considered. The total funding available for this grant opportunity is up to $5 million.

Eligibility

RFP Specific Requirements

• Applicants must be a nonprofit animal welfare organization or municipal agency with a focus on animal welfare or a nonprofit organization or municipal agency providing general disaster assistance looking to provide support to animals in affected communities.
• Applicants for direct response must be providing support for the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles.
• Applicants for preparedness/capacity-building funds must be located in California.
• Applicants must meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards:
  • If a past ASPCA grant recipient, must be current on all reporting requirements
  • If a nonprofit organization
    * Must be an incorporated or organized legal entity in good standing with the Secretary of State in the state where the organization is incorporated or organized
    * Must have a board of at least 4 members with a majority of independent members with neither board chair nor treasurer receiving compensation from the organization
    * Charitable registration must be current/active in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants >=$25,000)

Download full requirements

Funding Parameters

Grant funds for direct response can be used to cover expenses incurred in supporting owned and shelter animals as a result of the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles. These include costs related to:

• field operations, emergency sheltering or medical care for impacted pets
• animal evacuation and relocation
• community animal supplies and food distribution

Grant funds to improve preparedness and build disaster response capacity for future fires and other disasters can be used for costs related to (but not limited to) the following:

• training
• emergency shelter, veterinary equipment, and other supplies necessary for temporary sheltering
• field rescue gear and supplies
• animal transport equipment and supplies, such as crates (but not vehicles)
• pet supply caches for disaster-related community distribution
• generators

The ASPCA’s California Wildfire Fund will also provide funding for disaster recovery costs for shelters with direct fire damage and, as needs become more apparent, longer-term operating support for key organizations in severely impacted communities that experience significant fundraising shortfalls and/or declines in adoptions.

Grant funding cannot be used to cover ongoing/preexisting expenses such as staff salaries and general facility costs that are included in your regular operating budget or facility or vehicle repairs. Grant funds also cannot be used to purchase vehicles or to purchase trailers for animal transport or housing.

Timeline

• Applications for direct response will close on Monday, 02/17/25 at 5 pm PT.
• Applications for preparedness/capacity-building will close on Monday, 06/30/25 at 5 pm PT.
• Funding decisions will be made on a rolling basis and communicated to applicants no later than 4 – 6 weeks after the close of each portion of the RFP.

How to Apply

Please submit an application by completing this form.

Organizations responding to the LA wildfires may apply for both direct response and preparedness/capacity-building grants but will need to submit two separate applications. We encourage you to focus first on the direct response application with its much earlier deadline.

NOTE: You must complete your application in one sitting as progress is not saved and submissions cannot be revised. Use this document to prepare [PDF].

For all inquiries, please contact grants@aspca.org