The Grey Muzzle Grant Program

The Grey Muzzle Organization makes grants to non-profit shelters, rescue groups, and sanctuaries, expressly for programs designed to improve the lives of homeless senior dogs.

Our inaugural year is 2008 and our primary goal this year is to raise funds for our first grant-making period. We will begin accepting Letters of Interest in the fall of 2008 and anticipate that our first grants will be awarded in early 2009.

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

• Classified as an animal welfare charitable organization (D20)

• 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

How do you apply for a grant?

The grant application process consists of two stages. First, you send a completed Letter of Interest form. This will give us a chance to discuss your needs and goals and determine if your program is a good fit for a Grey Muzzle grant. If our board of directors determines that your program is eligible, you will be invited to complete a full Application. The invitation to apply does not guarantee a grant.

Mark your calendar! The Letter of Interest form will be available on our website by early fall 2008. Please do not send Letters of Interest before the form is available. The full Application form will be available no later than October 2008.

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 grant application, and we’ll contact you as soon as we have additional information available.

How much money do you give out in grants?

Our resources depend entirely on the generosity of our donors! The year 2008 is our start-up year, when we will be raising funds for our early 2009 grant awards. For our first grant-making period, our goal is to make 10 to 15 awards in the $2,000 to $20,000 range. However, we can only meet these goals with the help of our donors. We hope to have additional funds available as we grow.

Sample Programs

Some example program categories for which we would encourage a Letter of Interest:

• In-home hospice care program for senior dogs who are not adoptable

• A new senior dog sanctuary

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

• Developing a program to encourage owners to keep senior dogs with them, or to help them find new homes for senior dogs when they can’t keep them

• Building a Seniors for Seniors adoption program

• Creating a foster dog program in a large shelter specifically for the needs of older dogs, so that the older dogs can spend less time in cement cages

• Improved medical care for senior dogs at shelters

• Hiring a part-time staff person at a large shelter to be a senior dog advocate, ensuring that each old dog that enters has the best possible chance at a new life

• Educational outreach programs through shelters, pet stores, and boarding and training facilities for teaching owners about how to best care for their aging dog

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: We’re a small Humane Society and we don’t currently do geriatric blood panel tests for senior dogs when they are admitted. Can we apply for a grant for this?

A: Absolutely. You can better help dogs when you understand their medical condition. You must set goals for testing, a reporting mechanism, and specify what you will do with the information to help your old charges. We may ask our board member who specializes in geriatric veterinary medicine to work with you on defining the program.

Q: Do you ever make grants for administration expenses?

A: Yes; we don’t make “general expense” grants, but we consider grants for administration if the administration activities directly benefit senior dogs. For example, if your organization is a hospice for senior dogs and you are ready to move to the next stage of growth, we would be interested in talking to you about expanding your organization with good administrative assistance. Our philosophy is that managed expansion allows you to  help more dogs. Getting administrative assistance, such as a bookkeeper or donations manager, can also free up your time to work directly with dogs. One of our goals is to help create loving homes for old unwanted dogs, and this can only be accomplished with well-run organizations.

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.