Grant FAQs

Grey Muzzle provides funding to organizations that have or seek to establish a program specifically for senior dogs. Applicants must include a plan for sustaining the program beyond the Grey Muzzle grant period.

We fund a range of senior dog programs, including programs specifically promoting the adoption of senior dogs, Senior to Senior programs, long-term foster care, hospice, programs designed to prevent surrender of senior dogs, and programs focused on prevention of or early intervention in diseases that would otherwise be extremely costly to treat. Innovative programs not specifically listed may also be considered.

Grey Muzzle funds depend entirely on the generosity and support of donations from people and organizations. Take a moment to meet some of our Supporters.  Please Donate and refer others to our website to find out more and get involved. Any amount - from organizations and people like you - is greatly appreciated!

The number of awards in each grant cycle varies. Based on available funds, Grey Muzzle considers both renewals for funded organizations and grants for new organizations. Since 2008, Grey Muzzle has provided nearly $3,800,000 in grants for senior dog programs nationwide! 

Grey Muzzle funds shelters, rescue groups, sanctuaries, and other non-profit organizations across the United States expressly for programs designed to improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs. Please review Who We Help to see more details about the variety of organizations working to help senior dogs.

Absolutely! Because you serve dogs of all ages, you will need to put a process in place to ensure that a prospective Grey Muzzle grant would attend specifically to seniors; define a program and the intended benefits to serve seniors; and report your success for assisting and helping senior dogs. The report does not have to be complicated, but it must help Grey Muzzle and our donors understand the value you are providing specifically to senior dogs. Overall, The Grey Muzzle Organization funds shelters, rescue groups, sanctuaries, and other non-profit organizations across the United States expressly for programs designed to improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs. Please review Who We Help to see more details about the variety of organizations working with Grey Muzzle to help senior dogs.

Yes. At the same time, we balance Grey Muzzle funding so that a significant percent also goes to non-breed-specific organizations. You may want to review Who We Help to get a sense of the kinds of senior programs we are looking for in a breed rescue. Several breed-specific organizations supported by Grey Muzzle actively promote senior dogs 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 develop such long-term care or hospice program for seniors.

Yes. In fact, many program budgets exceed the typical range of our grant amounts.  If your program budget exceeds our grant amount, and you have or can demonstrate other sources of funding to cover the remaining costs, The Grey Muzzle Organization can fund part of an eligible program. 

Yes. You may apply for a grant to develop a new senior dog program. Keep in mind that you can also request funds to continue or expand an existing program.  Either way, The Grey Muzzle Organization funds organizations and programs to make a critical difference in lives of senior dogs. So think creatively about expanding and strengthening your organization’s tactics for helping senior dogs.

Allowable costs include:

• Medical/dental care
• Preventive care (e.g., blood panel, bp screening, urinalysis)
• Staff time
• Advertising and other promotion-related costs
• Food
• Emergency assistance
• Behavioral assistance

Think of measurable results as answering the question: How you will know you have solved your problem? Below are some examples of measurable results. Please note, for each you will need to provide actual numbers to demonstrate the increase/decrease (e.g., in the 12 months prior to the grant the average number of days to adoption of senior dogs was X and in the 12-month grant period the average number of days to adoption decreased to Y).

• Decrease time to adoption of senior dogs
• Increase number of senior dogs adopted
• Decrease number of senior dogs surrendered without change in intake policies
• Increase the number of senior dogs who receive health screening and preventive treatment
• Increase community awareness of availability and benefits of senior dogs (e.g. as evidenced by an increase in the number of inquiries about seniors, number of web hits on senior profiles)
• Increase collaboration with other organizations in support of senior dogs (e.g., partnering with other rescues, veterinary clinics, senior citizen programs)

Grey Muzzle seeks to fund senior dog programs that will continue after our investment ends. We do not want your senior dog program to end when your funding from Grey Muzzle runs out. For that reason, we want you describe your plan for continuing the program at the conclusion of the grant period. Examples include, but are not limited to, identifying other funders who appreciate the successful outcomes you produce and want to invest in program expansion, training volunteers to oversee the program, and developing partnerships with other organizations to share program costs. 

In an effort to improve our granting process, better support our grantees, and grow our organization in the most efficient manner, The Grey Muzzle Organization has moved to one grant cycle annually, in the Spring-Summer of each year. Grants will be awarded in June, preceded by several months of application review. Each year, we issue a Call for Grants. Please visit our Grant Application Process page for more details, and when you sign up for our mailing list, please indicate an interest in grants to stay connected. 

To be eligible for a Grey Muzzle grant, you must be an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organization and willing to host a visit to your location by a Grey Muzzle board member. Please visit our Grant Application Process page for more details, and review Who We Help for additional examples of grant recipients. 

Senior status varies by breed, but 7-8 years old is a good rule of thumb to use.