Grant Applications

The Spay and Neuter Grants Program is designed to reduce the number of cats and dogs surrendered to and euthanized in shelters across the state. We hope to reduce these numbers by providing competitive grants to local governments and non-profit animal welfare organizations who will then provide free spay and neuter services. There are three grant opportunities: pets of low-income Marylanders; colonies of free-roaming, unowned community cats; and capital expense projects such as opening or enhancing a low-cost spay/neuter clinic or mobile unit. This program is funded by the Pet Food Industry, and we are grateful for their support over the years.

This program does not provide funding directly to individuals. If you are a pet owner seeking services for your dog or cat, please click here to see a list of our active pet programs. If you are seeking programs for unowned/feral cats, please click here to see a list of programs for free roaming cats.

Grant Processing Timeline:

January-April: Each year, the window to submit an application is open from early January to early April.
April-May: The Program Coordinator completes the due diligence process, and in mid-May, sends the applications to the Spay & Neuter Advisory Board (SNAB) for review.
May-July: The SNAB reviews and scores the applications.
August: The SNAB meets to discuss the applications and make their funding recommendations. Applications may be approved in full or in part, or they may be rejected.
August-September: The SNAB's funding recommendations are provided to the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture for review shortly after the SNAB meeting. Once approved, the Program Coordinator contacts the applicants to notify them of the SNAB's recommendations, and/or to inquire whether the project will still be feasible with the recommended changes. If so, the process moves forward to the next step of creating the Grant Contract (typically this occurs in mid to late September). If not, the application is canceled.
September-October: Grant Contract is signed by the applicant in OneStop.
November-December: First payment allocations usually arrive to the grantee in mid-November or later. The first allocation will be comprised of 50% of the surgery funding amount, and 100% of the rabies vaccine funding amount (if applicable). The second allocation will be released once a grantee has reached 35% of their budget spent (determined via the required quarterly reporting), and it will consist of the remaining 50% of the surgery funding. Due to the workflow timeline of the MDA's grant process, it is advised that projects have a start date of January 1 or later in their project year. Project start dates and work may begin as early as October 1, but BE ADVISED that first allocations may not be received by the awardee until November 15 or later. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the Program Coordinator.

The FY25 grant application window opened on Friday, January 5, 2024 at 12:00p.m., and closed on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 5:00p.m. The FY26 grant application window will open in January 2025 (date to be announced). Please see the FY25 instructions below for guidance if you are considering applying for a FY26 grant.

HOW TO APPLY

Before you apply, it is vitally important that you read and understand the Guidelines and Instructions linked below, to ensure that your project meets the Program requirements, that your organization is eligible to apply, and that you fully understand the questions and documentation, budgets, and statistics that will be required. If you're not sure which grant opportunity is right for you, read through each of the the Guidelines and Instructions for the grants below to determine which is right for your project. Organizations may apply for one or more of these opportunities in a grant cycle. If you have any questions regarding the process, forms, grant opportunities, etc. please contact the Program Coordinator, Jen Swanson, at jen.swanson@maryland.gov.

Once you determine which grant is right for you, please save and refer to the instructions below as you complete the application, as this detailed information is NOT contained within the application. Refer to the Grant Processing Timeline above so you know what to expect, and when. If you have any questions regarding the application process, content, or requirements, please contact the Program Coordinator prior to submitting your application. Once an application is submitted, no changes may be made, and the Program Coordinator cannot provide any information regarding your application's status other than it being under review.

Applications are accepted via the Maryland OneStop portal ONLY, there is no paper application.

If your project is approved for funding, you will be required to submit Quarterly Status Reports and a Final Report. For more information about the required reporting, visit this page. Please note that late and inaccurate reporting may affect future grant awards.

Application Guidelines and Instructions for FY25:

*NEW IN FY25: All applicants are required to provide a current IRS Form W-9 with their application.

How to Use OneStop to Submit an Application:

FY25 Spay & Neuter Grant OneStop User Guide.pdf

Applications:

The FY25 Grant Application window closed at 5:01pm on Friday, April 5, 2024

Forms/Documentation Required for Applications:

In Addition:

All applicants are required to provide a current (dated within the last six months) IRS W-9 Form.
Non-profit organizations are required to provide their most recent IRS Form 990 or other tax documentation, as well as their IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter.
Other documents that may be required, depending on your organization/application type, are your Animal Shelter Standards of Care, and TNR Best Management Practices.
All applicants will need to provide the license numbers for any veterinarians and/or clinics they will be utilizing.

How to Obtain Required Shelter Statistics for Applications:

Request animal shelter statistics from your target area shelter(s): Maryland Animal Control Facilities

AND/OR

Prior years of annual shelter statistics can be found by clicking here (scroll to bottom category "Survey Reports"). Annual data is published on this page typically in early-mid February, for the preceding year.

Other Forms:

Change of Scope (request a change to the original scope of an approved grant)
Request to Use Grant Funds for Medical Emergency