Across the United States, most farmed animal sanctuaries operate with limited staff, inconsistent funding, and an overwhelming daily workload. Many rely almost entirely on donations while carrying the emotional and financial responsibility of caring for animals society has discarded.
And yet, the heart is never the problem.
“The sanctuaries already have 200 percent heart,” says Stephanie Mathers, Founder and CEO of Grants for Animals. “That’s why they’re doing this work in the first place.”
What is often missing is structure. And that gap is where sustainability is either built or lost.
From Cleaning Water Bowls to Changing the Funding Landscape
Stephanie Mathers did not enter sanctuary work as a grant professional. She entered as a volunteer.
After becoming vegan in 2012, she wanted her actions to align with her values. That led her to a local sanctuary in Utah, where she committed to showing up weekly to do the unglamorous but essential work sanctuaries
Her consistency mattered.
One day, the sanctuary director asked her, “You’re here every week. What else can you do?”
Her answer shifted the trajectory of her life and her work. She could write. She was an English teacher.
That moment became the bridge between compassion and strategy. What began as helping one sanctuary grew into a decade-long career helping animal nonprofits secure and manage generating funds through grant funding.
Why Grant Writing Is About Stability, Not Just Money
For many sanctuary leaders, the word grants brings up images of endless paperwork, rejection, and time they do not have. Stephanie reframes the conversation.
Grant readiness, she explains, is not about chasing money. It is about building systems that make an organization sustainable.
When a sanctuary becomes grant ready, it means the financials are organized, policies are documented, animal care practices are clearly defined, and reporting systems are in place. These systems strengthen every aspect of an organization, not just its ability to apply for grants.
Why Small Grants Matter More Than You Think
One of the most common mistakes sanctuaries make is dismissing smaller grants.
A $500 or $1,000 grant may not feel transformative, but it plays a critical role. Early grants build credibility. They demonstrate that an organization can responsibly steward funds and follow through on reporting 
requirements.
Grants are highly vetted. Rejection is part of the process. No organization wins every grant it applies for, including experienced professionals.
Stephanie encourages sanctuaries to commit to grant work for 12 to 18 months, even if they can only dedicate a few hours each month. Consistency, not intensity, is what builds momentum.
The Essential Role Sanctuaries Play in Society
Sanctuaries are often misunderstood as places that simply house rescued animals. In reality, they serve functions that extend far beyond their fences.
They act as safety nets for municipal shelters that cannot accommodate large animals. They provide emergency housing during disasters such as fires and floods. They offer humane education programs that introduce children and adults to animals as individuals rather than commodities.
Most importantly, they create opportunities for connection.
Connection is what changes people.
The Moment Everything Shifts
Ask someone why they stopped eating animals or changed how they see them, and you will often hear about a single encounter. Meeting a cow. Spending time with a pig. Locking eyes with a chicken.
Stephanie has witnessed this transformation repeatedly, from widely known sanctuary stories to deeply personal moments involving friends, partners, and volunteers.
These experiences bypass argument and logic. They go straight to the heart. Sanctuaries create those moments, and those moments shape lifelong choices.
Why Head and Heart Must Work Together
Sanctuary founders are often driven by urgency and compassion, not by a desire to run a nonprofit business. Animals arrive. Needs grow. Responsibility expands.
Stephanie’s role is to bring structure without diminishing compassion.
Every organization, she believes, needs someone who enjoys systems, data, and numbers. This does not detract from the mission. It protects it.
When heart and strategy work together, sanctuaries move from constant crisis toward long-term stability.
Grants Are Not a Magic Solution, and That Matters
Grants are not designed to fund 100 percent of a sanctuary’s operations. Expecting them to do so leads to frustration and disappointment.
A realistic starting goal is covering 10 to 20 percent of an operating budget through grants. Over time, with strong systems and experience, that percentage can grow.
Grants work best as part of a diversified funding strategy that includes donors, monthly giving programs, sponsorships, events, and community support.
What Sanctuary Leaders Need to Hear Right Now
If you are running a sanctuary and feel overwhelmed, under-resourced, or unsure how much longer you can continue, this matters.
You do not need more heart. You already have that.
What you need are systems that support the work instead of draining it. Grant readiness is not about adding one more burden. It is about building a foundation strong enough to carry what you are already holding.
Because the animals need your compassion. And your compassion deserves to last.
Learn more about Grants 4 Animals at: https://www.grants4animals.com/
GRANT WRITING MASTERCLASS
Funding Compassion: Grant Writing Introduction for Sanctuaries with Stephanie Mathers, Founder and CEO of Grants 4 Animals
Friday, February 27, 2026
10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET
https://betterlifeforanimals.com/bonus/
Episode Highlights
[00:00] Introduction
[02:00] From volunteer to in-demand grant writer.
[05:30] How to find grants for sanctuaries.
[07:30] What is Grant Readiness?
[11:00] What Grants4Animals offers the market.
[16:30] Why sanctuaries are important to fund.
[20:45] Sanctuary success story.
[26:00] Experience can dramatically change a child’s perspective.
[30:00] Grant writing is important but not a magic wand.
About Stephanie Mathers
Stephanie Mathers is the Founder and CEO of Grants 4 Animals LLC. A lifelong animal lover, she created Grants 4 Animals as a way to align her professional expertise with her deeply held values and commitment to helping animals. The organization represents the integration of her passion for animals with her strengths in writing, project management, and systems development, all in service of supporting nonprofits that advocate for and protect animals.
Stephanie holds a BA in English and spent much of her career in secondary education, serving in roles ranging from high school English teacher to middle school principal. She also earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction, along with an endorsement in Educational Leadership.
For more than a decade, Stephanie has written grants for animal nonprofits and educational institutions, securing funding from foundations, corporations, and state and federal sources. Since founding Grants 4 Animals, she has helped animal-focused nonprofits earn, manage, and report on more than $5 million in grant funding.
Through this work, Stephanie has developed practical systems and processes designed to support grant writers and nonprofit organizations at every stage. Grants 4 Animals offers full-service grant writing, comprehensive courses, and a la carte resources, all with the goal of strengthening organizations working toward a more compassionate world. She values collaboration and enjoys connecting with fellow nonprofit leaders and grant writers.
https://www.grants4animals.com/
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. She is also the founder of the Funding Blueprint for Sanctuaries summit designed to empower those involved with sanctuaries sustainable funding streams.
A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books, Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://x.com/betterlife4anim
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
