2023 ASPCA Fund to End Factory Farming

This year’s eligible projects will provide new evidence or illustration of the impacts of industrial (i.e. intensive) and less-industrial (i.e. extensive)- animal-farming systems on human well-being in the U.S.

More than 9.5 billion chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cows are slaughtered every year for food in the United States. The vast majority of these animals are raised on “factory farms,” where they are confined in huge numbers in barren, industrial settings. These facilities are not just inhumane, they are also environmentally unsound and dangerous for public health. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The ASPCA is calling for increased transparency in animal agriculture, an end to the cruelest factory farming practices, and adequate funding for a more humane food system. Learn more about our work.

Projects will be considered that help to publicly establish, document, or illustrate the negative intersections between factory farming practices and human welfare in the United States, or in the reverse, correlate improved human outcomes, to less intensive farming practices. The resulting materials must be made public and should present new evidence, narratives, ideas, solutions, or approaches to researching this topic. Final materials may be written (such as reports or articles) or audio/visual (such as videos, photos, webinars, podcasts, or infographics). Any research conducted need not be formal or academic; both field research and desk research are eligible. 

We are particularly interested in funding projects related to: 

• Worker Impact: The ways in which labor practices correlate to differing types of animal housing and management systems being used. For example, contract terms or working conditions.
• Local Community Impact: The impact of these differing types of animal agriculture on individuals or communities located near farms.
• Consumer Impact: The impact on the general public’s access to or consumption of these differing types of animal products.
• Economic Impact: The economic outcomes of raising animals in these differing systems for producers and brands. For example, return on investment, level of financial risk, and market access.

Projects need not focus on animal welfare as long as they contribute to the effort to transition away from factory farming toward less-intensive methods.

Grant Amounts

Grants will generally range from $15,000 - $30,000, with a maximum individual grant amount of $50,000. The total funding amount available for this grant opportunity is $200,000.

Eligible Entities

• This RFP is open to any US nonprofit, for-profit, or public entity.
• This opportunity is also available to Canadian registered charities/foundations, public universities, and approved municipalities/public bodies. 

Dissemination of Findings 

Project results must be made public. Exceptions may be made on submission of a written request providing details if the grantee has concerns about data quality, believes the project results may cause harm to the aim of this RFP, or another reason.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ® (ASPCA®) was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment by humans. Acting effectively on that belief requires a commitment to fostering a collaborative and compassionate culture and to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome all voices to participate in our advancement of these values in the interest of working together to improve the lives of animals in need.

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)

Ineligible

• Projects involving or relying on invasive procedures on live animals
• Individuals or teams not associated with an eligible entity listed above
• Entities not based in the U.S. or Canada

FAQs

For more information about eligibility and the application process, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Full Requirements

See details in the companion PDF.

Funding Restrictions and Parameters

All project applications must include a plan to release their learnings publicly in some form.  Exceptions may be made on submission of a written request providing details if the grantee has concerns about data quality, believes the project results may cause harm to the aim of this RFP, or another reason. 

For any peer-reviewed publications resulting from a project funded under this opportunity, the grantee shall submit a draft thirty days in advance of its submission. (For materials being submitted for publication, the final accepted manuscript shall be submitted within thirty days of its acceptance for publication). The ASPCA has the right, to require a disclaimer be added to any materials stating that the results do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the ASPCA.

Strong Proposals Should

• Demonstrate how project learnings/outcomes will be made accessible to the public
• If the proposal includes funding for salary for a position extending beyond the grant term, please tell us your plan for funding that position when the grant term ends.

Fund Use Examples

See our 2022 grantees

Complete Timeline

• RFP closed on Tuesday, May 30, at 5 p.m. ET.
• Finalists will be notified via email on or around Friday, August 18, and invited to complete a formal application in our grant management system.
• Funding decisions are expected before Friday, September 29.