2026 ASPCA Fund to End Factory Farming

About the Grant

For the fifth anniversary of the Fund to End Factory Farming, we invite projects that challenge the most pervasive myth of factory farming: that it ensures a safe and abundant food supply. In truth, factory farming’s corner-cutting practices and lack of accountability breed unsafe and insecure conditions—for animals, farmers, workers, rural communities and consumers.

Time and again, the safest and most sustainable food system has proven to be the deep network of independent farms across America raising animals with attention and care, while investing in the health of their land, employees and communities. 

Below are six critical questions to help complete the story of why the safest and most resilient food system is one without factory farming. Proposals must tie to one of these questions and can be addressed regionally or nationally, for a single species or across multiple types of animal agriculture.  Proposed deliverables may take the form of articles, reports, case-studies, community stories, literature reviews, audio or visual media.

1. What does factory farming cost us?  For example, what is the financial cost to Americans and the public sector from environmental damage, zoonotic diseases or human health impacts of industrial-scale animal operations? How often do conventionally produced dairy, meat or egg products command equal or higher prices to (accurately labeled) higher-welfare equivalents? What are the externalized costs that haven’t yet been explored?
2. How do different types of farms impact local economies? What are the socio-economic impacts of independent pasture-based farms—versus industrial-scale livestock farms and feedlots—on local communities? (For example, on local jobs, income, real estate, tourism, farmland retention, taxes, education, infrastructure or food security.)
3. How do farming practices impact food quality? How do the practices of industrial-scale animal farming— particularly those that impact animals' stress and welfare— influence food quality, safety or nutritional value, compared to pasture-based farming practices?
4. Where would investment have the greatest impact? How can relatively small shifts in livestock and poultry subsidies—or investments in infrastructure supporting the livestock and poultry industries— boost the viability of independent, higher-welfare livestock production? Where would public investment generate the biggest improvements for higher-welfare animal farming?
5. What is the current scale of pasture-based farming? How many farms operate outside of the industrial system, particularly in the dairy, pork and broiler chicken industries, where data is lacking? And how can these figures best be tracked over time?
6. How does pet food fuel factory farming, threatening pet health? To what extent does pet food serve as a stable outlet for factory-farmed products and byproducts? What are the economic impacts, and what economic, policy, or infrastructure changes could shift pet food toward higher-welfare sourcing? Also, how are our pets’ health outcomes impacted by diets sourced from factory farms versus pasture-based or other higher-welfare systems? What differences, if any, exist in food quality, nutrition and safety?  

Grant Amounts

There is up to $250,000 in total funding available for this grant opportunity. Grants will typically range from $20,000 - $50,000, with a maximum grant award of $75,000.

Eligibility 

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. We invite all voices to join us in working together to improve the lives of animals in need.

Eligible Entities:

• This RFP is open to any U.S. nonprofit, for-profit, or public entity. These include farms, food companies, and academic and other institutions.
• This RFP is also available to Canadian registered public universities and qualified municipalities/public bodies that can demonstrate the applicability of the project to improve the welfare of animals in the U.S.
• Organizations or projects that operate under a fiscal sponsorship agreement. See details in Frequently Asked Questions. 

Eligible Costs:

• Staff and contractors, provided there is a reasonable, sustainable plan to continue their employment after the grant term ends, if necessary
• Software and data access
• Training
• Community engagement and travel
• Survey administration and analysis
• Other types of data analysis
• Publication costs

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
  • Charitable registration must be current/active in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants >=$25,000)
  • 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

Ineligible: 

• Individuals or teams not associated with an eligible entity listed above
• Entities not based in the U.S. or Canada, or formally collaborating with a U.S. applicant
• Projects that do not contribute to a U.S. transition away from factory farming 

FAQs and Requirements

For more information about eligibility and the application process, please download our frequently asked questions and complete requirements (PDF).

Funding Restrictions and Parameters

All project applications must detail how your project outcomes will be made usable for the public or other stakeholders—whether through publishing primary materials or disseminating related learnings.

• Applicants may submit multiple proposals, with each filed as a separate application.
• Farm animal sanctuaries are ineligible.
• Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to confirm idea eligibility prior to applying by contacting Suzanne McMillan at suzanne.mcmillan@aspca.org. 

Applications may seek to establish proof-of-concept for further funding. Applicant organizations may be supported by a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsors and their sponsored organizations/programs are subject to the ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards and must demonstrate fiduciary oversight which may require additional document production. 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. See FAQ for further details.

Timeline

• RFP will open on Wednesday, March 18, at 9 a.m. ET.
• RFP will close on Wednesday, April 22, at 5 p.m. ET.
• Finalists will be notified via email on or around Friday, June 26, and invited to complete a formal application in our grant management system.
• Funding decisions are expected on or around August 31.

How to Apply

Please submit an application by completing this form. Please note that Airtable will not allow you to save your work and return later to complete your application. We recommend you prepare in advance the information listed in the companion guide to allow you to complete the form in one session. Please be sure all requested information is included in your responses. Applications cannot be revised after submission. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application. Please check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox. 

Contact and Support

• For program-related inquiries, please contact suzanne.mcmillan@aspca.org, using subject line [RFP_Question]
• For application submission inquiries/technical difficulties, please contact grants@aspca.org