Who We Are

President
Shelly Thompson
Maddie's Fund

“Being a part of Animal Grantmakers gives me the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from others in the field about grantmaking best practices. While my organization focuses on companion animals, and I of course love hearing about what other companion animal funders are doing, Animal Grantmakers also expands my knowledge of all animal issues.”

Treasurer
Bill Nimmo
Tigers in America

“Animal Grantmakers plays an essential role in the animal protection movement by bringing together foundations with a shared purpose and demonstrated effectiveness. The collective experience and willingness to work together is quite remarkable and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Secretary
Lindsay Del Chiaro
PetSmart Charities

“Being a part of Animal Grantmakers has allowed me to expand my learning in animal welfare and understand at a greater level the impact we can all have on our world. I really enjoy the conferences because they always foster great conversation, collaboration and growth in our industry.”

Louisa McCune
Kirkpatrick Foundation

“Animal Grantmakers is one of my very favorite organizations. Of all the groups I work with, this one has refined my understanding about animal protection the most and lends to my own expertise in the subject area. It’s also small enough that the network of funders can genuinely engage with one another and make substantive progress in our respective communities.”

Vince Wong
Found Animals Foundation

"Animal Grantmakers is a critical nexus linking grantmaking organizations, coalescing groups to support the education and knowledge of its members, and helping bolster the development of our community’s leaders. I am thrilled to witness and be a part of its growth and evolution."

Claire Sterling
Animal Welfare Trust

“The mere fact of Animal Grantmakers’ existence and the unique niche it occupies is cause for celebration given the dire need for advocates, resources, and strong networks in animal protection. Getting to know this community of funders as a member and volunteering on its board as an officer has been an eye-opening experience for me and an integral component of both my professional and personal growth."

Andrew Rowan
Edith J. Goode Residuary Trust

“The formation of Animal Grantmakers at the turn of this century was a dream realized. I have been delighted to see the growth of the group over the past 18 years. Animal grantmaking is a relatively new focus of foundation activity and Animal Grantmakers has been a key part of this growth, connecting people and organizations via its annual meeting. At the end of the day, foundations need to understand that there is really no conflict between supporting animal causes or human causes, as support for animal issues ends up helping humans as well.”