The Virginia Federation of Humane Societies (VFHS) provides progressive leadership, advocacy, resources and support to individuals and organizations committed to improving animal welfare and addressing the issues of animal abuse, neglect, and homelessness in the Commonwealth.
A $74,000 grant to Homeward Trails Animal Rescue Inc. and a $62,500 follow-on in 2025 show how the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies backs animal welfare organizations across Virginia through direct support rather than isolated one-time awards. The federation’s recent grant list also includes repeated support for shelters and rescue groups such as Gone to the Dogs Rescue, Brunswick County Animal Shelter, and Russell County Animal Shelter, suggesting an ongoing relationship with organizations working on animal care, sheltering, and transfer capacity. The Virginia Federation of Humane Societies describes its work as providing leadership, advocacy, resources, and support to individuals and organizations focused on improving animal welfare and addressing animal abuse, neglect, and homelessness in the Commonwealth. Its active programs extend that mission into practical areas: spay/neuter support, emergency rescue funding, transport assistance, and scholarships for conference attendance and training. Grantmaking is centered on companion and shelter animals, with funds flowing to local groups handling care, rescue, control, and shelter operations. The pattern in the recent grants table points to a funder that favors Virginia-based animal organizations, often returning to the same recipients across multiple years and awarding amounts that can be substantial for local operations.
In animal sheltering and rescue, the federation gave $20,000 to Gone to the Dogs Rescue in 2025 and $20,000 to Brunswick County Animal Shelter in the same year. Those awards sit alongside support for other local animal-care providers, reflecting a strong emphasis on day-to-day shelter and rescue work. Spay/neuter is another clear thread. The SpayVA Spay/Neuter Grant Program supports local efforts in Virginia to fund surgeries for owned pets, shelter animals, rescue pets, and community cats, with the stated goal of reducing shelter intake and euthanasia. The active SpayVA matching grant program also exists to increase the pool available for those services. The federation also funds transfer and emergency response functions. High Five Virginia provides financial assistance for short-term boarding, fuel, vaccinations, testing, and related costs tied to moving animals from under-resourced or rural counties to higher-adoption areas. The Debra Griggs VFHS Emergency Rescue Fund supports urgent large-scale needs such as hoarding, abandonment, and natural disaster response.
$165K
$389K
$445K
$469K
Most grants fall between $8K and $11K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$11K
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Typical grants cluster tightly around a modest local range: p25 is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $11,250. The recent list also shows larger awards at $62,500 and $74,000, indicating that the federation sometimes makes higher-capacity awards alongside its standard support. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off. Homeward Trails Animal Rescue Inc., Nottoway County Animal Shelter, Russell County Animal Shelter, Dinwiddie County Animal Control, Surry County Animal Shelter, and Island Kitties Rescue all appear more than once across the recent grants. VFHS is a public charity, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Its scholarship programs accept unsolicited applications, and several grant programs for Virginia organizations are also open to unsolicited requests.
Grantmaking is entirely in Virginia: 25 of 25 recent grants went to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and the top state by grant count is also Virginia. The recipient cities and towns include Fairfax Station, Charles City, Lawrenceville, Sussex, Dinwiddie, New Church, Lebanon, Chincoteague, Saxis, Luray, and Surry. The table shows a statewide pattern that reaches both urban and rural places, with multiple awards landing in New Church and Lebanon as well as larger population centers like Fairfax Station.
It funds Virginia organizations working on animal welfare, especially animal care, animal services, and animal sheltering. Recent grants went to rescue groups, county animal shelters, and animal control entities, while its active programs also support spay/neuter, transport, emergency rescue, and conference training.
The typical award is $10,000, with p25 at $7,500 and p75 at $11,250. The recent grant list also includes larger awards such as $62,500 and $74,000.
No. The geographic scope of giving is local, and 100% of recent grants in the dataset went to recipients in Virginia.
Yes. Several recipients appear more than once in the recent grants list, including Homeward Trails Animal Rescue Inc., Brunswick County Animal Shelter, Russell County Animal Shelter, Dinwiddie County Animal Control, Surry County Animal Shelter, Nottoway County Animal Shelter, and Island Kitties Rescue.
The Scholarship Fund, the VFHS Scholarship Fund (Elizabeth Sills Scholarship), the Spay/Neuter Grant Program, and the Debra Griggs VFHS Emergency Rescue Fund accept unsolicited applications. Other active programs listed, including High Five Virginia, do not.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Virginia Federation of Humane Societies that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: VFHS members (implied: member organizations); created to assist VFHS members with urgent large-scale animal needs.
Deadline: Applications considered throughout the year (rolling)
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOMEWARD TRAILS ANIMAL RESCUE INC | FAIRFAX STATION, VA | $62,500 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| GONE TO THE DOGS RESCUE | CHARLES CITY, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL SERVICES |
| BRUNSWICK COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | LAWRENCEVILLE, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| RUSSELL COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | LEBANON, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| NOTTOWAY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | NEW CHURCH, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| SUSSEX COUNTTY ANIMAL SHELTER | SUSSEX, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| ISLAND KITTIES RESCUE | CHINCOTEAGUE, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL SERVICES |
| PAGE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | LURRAY, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| DINWIDDIE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL | DINWIDDIE, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| SURRY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | SURRY, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| HOMEWARD TRAILS ANIMAL RESCUE INC | FAIRFAX STATION, VA | $74,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL CARE |
| SUSSEX COUNTTY ANIMAL SHELTER | SUSSEX, VA | $17,500 | 2024 | ANIMAL CARE |
| GONE TO THE DOGS RESCUE | CHARLES CITY, VA | $15,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SERVICES |
| DINWIDDIE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL | DINWIDDIE, VA | $12,500 | 2024 | ANIMAL CARE |
| NORTHERN ACCOMACK COMMUNITY CATS | NEW CHURCH, VA | $10,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL CARE |
| BRUNSWICK COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | LAWRENCEVILLE, VA | $10,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL CARE |
| ISLAND KITTIES RESCUE | CHINCOTEAGUE, VA | $7,500 | 2024 | ANIMAL SERVICES |
| WILLIAM TAGGART | SAXIS, VA | $7,500 | 2024 | ANIMAL CARE |
| RUSSELL COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | LEBANON, VA | $7,500 | 2024 | ANIMAL CARE |
| NOTTOWAY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | NEW CHURCH, VA | $10,000 | 2023 | ANIMAL CARE |
| RUSSELL COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | LEBANON, VA | $10,000 | 2023 | ANIMAL CARE |
| CHINCOTEAQUE ISLAND COMMUNITY CATS | CHINCOTEAQUE ISLAND, VA | $7,500 | 2023 | ANIMAL CARE |
| NORTHERN ACCOMACK COMMUNITY CATS | NEW CHURCH, VA | $7,500 | 2023 | ANIMAL CARE |
| DINWIDDIE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL | DINWIDDIE, VA | $7,500 | 2023 | ANIMAL CARE |
| SURRY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER | SURRY, VA | $7,500 | 2023 | ANIMAL CARE |
GONE TO THE DOGS RESCUE
$20,000ANIMAL SERVICES
BRUNSWICK COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$20,000ANIMAL CARE
RUSSELL COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$10,000ANIMAL CARE
NOTTOWAY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$10,000ANIMAL CARE
SUSSEX COUNTTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$10,000ANIMAL CARE
ISLAND KITTIES RESCUE
$10,000ANIMAL SERVICES
PAGE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
DINWIDDIE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
SURRY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
SUSSEX COUNTTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$17,500ANIMAL CARE
GONE TO THE DOGS RESCUE
$15,000ANIMAL SERVICES
DINWIDDIE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL
$12,500ANIMAL CARE
NORTHERN ACCOMACK COMMUNITY CATS
$10,000ANIMAL CARE
BRUNSWICK COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$10,000ANIMAL CARE
ISLAND KITTIES RESCUE
$7,500ANIMAL SERVICES
WILLIAM TAGGART
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
RUSSELL COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
NOTTOWAY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$10,000ANIMAL CARE
RUSSELL COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$10,000ANIMAL CARE
CHINCOTEAQUE ISLAND COMMUNITY CATS
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
NORTHERN ACCOMACK COMMUNITY CATS
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
DINWIDDIE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL
$7,500ANIMAL CARE
SURRY COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
$7,500ANIMAL CARE