Manatee Community Foundation Announces Over $200,000 in Aminal Welfare Grants
As part of its mission to build a stronger, more compassionate community, Manatee Community Foundation (MCF) has awarded over $200,000 to 14 organizations advancing animal welfare in Manatee County. The funding will bolster practical solutions that keep pets healthy and in homes, reduce overpopulation through spay and neuter and TNR, restore injured wildlife, expand humane education, prepare agencies for animal-related disaster response, and sustain equine-assisted therapy programs.
“Caring for animals is one of the clearest ways we express who we are as a society,” said Veronica Thames, CEO of MCF. “Protecting them encourages responsibility and empathy, and in doing so, we strengthen the way we care for each other.”
These are the organizations receiving support and the work they will deliver:
Cat Depot — $15,000. Funds will provide initial medical care, vaccinations, and spay or neuter for cats and kittens.
City of Bradenton — $17,500. Funds will acquire and train a multi-purpose K-9 for explosives and narcotics detection.
Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary, Inc. — $17,600. This grant will support veterinary care for rescued animals and expand the Critter Connection mobile program to deliver hands-on humane education to residents and students.
Feeding America Tampa Bay, Inc. — $10,000. Funds will be for the procurement and distribution of pet food through a regional emergency network, including more than 24 Manatee County partners.
Feline Friends of Southwest Florida — $10,000. Funds will expand The Neuter Network to provide free and low-cost TNVR spay or neuter for outdoor cats in underserved Manatee County areas.
Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch, Inc. — $20,000. Funds will provide medical and foster care for shelter animals, covering spay or neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, and urgent treatments.
Humane Society of Manatee County, Inc. — $15,000. Funds will expand the Behavior Program with evaluations, enrichment, customized training, adopter support, and staff education to reduce shelter stress, improve adoptability, and create lasting placements.
Humane Society of Sarasota County, Inc. — $10,000. Funds a Manatee County TNVR partnership to trap, spay or neuter, vaccinate, ear-tip, and return free-roaming cats in high-intake areas.
Love Life Animal Rescue & Sanctuary, Inc. — $20,000. Funds spay or neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, and core veterinary care.
Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue — $15,000. Will provide flexible operational funds to respond to hoarding cases, disasters, and urgent community needs, and helping pets stay with their families.
Save Our Seabirds, Inc. — $15,000. Funds will support the year-round rescue, rehabilitation, and care of sick and injured wild birds from Manatee and Sarasota counties, funding food, medicine, and veterinary treatment.
Sixteen Hands Horse Sanctuary, Inc. — $10,000. Funds will help build new shelters and fencing on adjacent acreage.
SMART with HEART (Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy) — $18,000. Funds will provide two barn assistants who provide daily care, conditioning, and enrichment for therapy horses.
Sugar’s Gift, Inc. — $10,000. Funds will expand no-cost in-home euthanasia and private cremation for terminally ill pets, increasing veterinary capacity.
MCF encourages eligible nonprofits to consider upcoming competitive grant opportunities in Education and Arts and Culture for Youth. Letters of Intent will be accepted January 1, 2026 – January 16, 2026 via the application portal that can be found here.
For information on ways to invest in our community, visit www.manateecf.org.
About Manatee Community Foundation (MCF): Manatee Community Foundation (MCF) is a charitable organization founded in 1998. MCF partners with our citizens to strengthen and enhance our community through philanthropy, education, and service – now and forever. MCF is the bridge between generous donors, business leaders, our government, and nonprofit partners, who work together so that everyone can thrive because we believe that together, we can do greater things.MCF has invested over $70 million in the areas of health and human services, education, arts and culture, the environment, and animal welfare and is committed to its diversity, equity, inclusion and access work. As the only community foundation in Manatee County, MCF is your partner in philanthropy, a trusted steward of charitable legacies and the guide for current giving through donor-advised funds and beyond. For more information about Manatee Community Foundation and how you can support its mission, visit www.manateecf.org.
