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Grants of up to $2,500 to USA nonprofit and municipal animal shelters to establish or expand animal foster care programs that directly engage community members in the work of saving more animal lives. Qualifying shelters will participate in a program expansion campaign running from September 1, 2015 through February 28, 2016.
Eligible organizations are invited to submit an application to implement or expand an Adoption Ambassadors program that places shelter animals with volunteer foster caretakers (Adoption Ambassadors) who seek placements and finalize adoptions.
The Adoption Ambassadors program is simple yet powerfully effective: a shelter empowers volunteers to foster a pet, promote the animal in their community, identify potential adopters, and finalize the adoption process (up to and including collection of applicable adoption fees and transferring possession/ownership of the pet).
During the campaign period, participating shelters will receive support and resources from ASPCA staff through a private Facebook group, and from three mentor shelters who are running successful Adoption Ambassadors programs.
Grantees must agree to implement the program in a manner that:
-Allows the Adoption Ambassador to complete the adoption process up to and including collection of adoption fees and transferring ownership/possession of the animal; and
-Does not require an adopter/prospective adopter of an “ambassador animal” to go to the shelter in order to adopt.
Grantees agree to use funds toward (any of) the following expenses to facilitate implementation or expansion of an Adoption Ambassadors program:
-Subsidizing fees to allow for discounted or free adoption of Adoption Ambassadors animals;
-Costs toward recruiting and/or training volunteers to become Adoption Ambassadors;
-Technological/software enhancements to better track adoption information from and/or support the Adoption Ambassadors;
-Advertising and marketing materials to promote the program or its animals;
-Tags, collars, leashes, or Adopt Me vests for Adoption Ambassadors animals; and/or
-Other program supplies (t-shirts or other useful tools/promotional items to recruit, recognize or support Adoption Ambassadors volunteers, including food, litter, crates, etc.).
Estimated Size of Grant:
The campaign term runs from September 1, 2015 through February 28, 2016.