Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program
The Summerlee Foundation has partnered with United Spay Alliance to launch the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program, designed to strengthen and expand community cat spay/neuter efforts across the United States.
These grants are more than just funding for spay/neuter—they are a comprehensive program combining financial support, education, and mentorship to help organizations build sustainable, humane community cat programs. Through targeted funding, structured training, and ongoing guidance, the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program empowers organizations to increase their capacity, strengthen their operations, and expand their impact. Whether your organization is already actively involved in TNR or looking to scale your efforts, this program is here to support your growth while saving more lives in your community.
What This Grant Supports
The Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program supports targeted, measurable projects that strengthen and expand your existing community cat work while increasing your organization’s capacity and efficiency.
This program is not intended to replace your ongoing TNR efforts but to help you pilot or scale a focused project that demonstrates effective strategies within your current program framework.
Examples of supported projects:
- Targeted TNR in a high-need zip code to reduce intake and complaints.
- Outreach campaigns to engage community participation in TNR.
- Building or refining processes to reduce barriers to spay/neuter access.
- Tracking and evaluating data to measure program effectiveness.
Projects should:
- Align with current, accepted best practices in humane, effective community cat management.
- Focus on increasing your impact while reducing burnout and inefficiencies.
- Create learning opportunities that strengthen your organization for the long term.
*Please note that grant funds must be used to support direct community cat programming and related costs. Reasonable indirect costs that directly support your community cat programming (e.g., labor for TNR staff, program-related marketing, and surgical supplies) may be included.
Indirect costs unrelated to your community cat program—such as general administrative salaries, office rent for unrelated departments, or organization-wide overhead—are not permitted and could disqualify the grantee from receiving future funding.
If you have questions about allowable costs while preparing your budget, please contact us before submitting your application.
Grant Application Requirements
- Be a 501(c)(3), municipal entity, or have a fiscal sponsor.
- Have an active or planned community cat program.
- Be willing to track and report organizational metrics, including cats sterilized, areas served, people assisted, outreach conducted, and other metrics as requested.
- Be open to participating in a biweekly learning cohort, with attendance requirements.
- Be willing to have a representative complete a virtual 8-week certification program.
Organizations must have a claimed and updated GuideStar (Candid) profile to apply.
Why Apply?
Funding is just one piece of the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program. This opportunity is designed to advance and elevate your community cat program by providing not only financial support but also crucial tools, mentoring, and structured learning to help your organization maximize its impact.
This grant offers a 360-degree, holistic approach to advancing your TNR efforts by:
- Guiding you to increase efficiency, save resources, and streamline workflows.
- Helping you build sustainable systems to serve more cats with less burnout.
- Providing access to expert-led mentoring and peer learning opportunities.
- Equipping you with best practices in outreach, fundraising, and data tracking.
- Empowering you to save more lives and reduce suffering in your community.
When you apply, you’re not just applying for funding. You are stepping into a supportive, structured pathway with comprehensive education that helps your organization grow, scale, and become a leader in humane, effective community cat programming.
How the Program Works
Here’s what you can expect if you are accepted into the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program:
Application Period:
Applications will be accepted July 1–15.
Notification of Awards:
Organizations will be notified of their acceptance in early August and will receive next steps for program onboarding.
Certification Course:
Grantees will begin the 8-week virtual University of the Pacific-Benerd College Community Cat Program Management Certification Course beginning in mid-September, equipping them with the tools and strategies to strengthen and expand their community cat programs.
Disbursement of Funds:
Following successful completion of the certification course, grant funds will be disbursed to support your targeted project.
Project Implementation & Cohort Groups:
Next, grantees will implement their targeted projects while participating in biweekly virtual cohort calls for mentorship, troubleshooting, and peer learning.
Wrap-Up & Final Report:
The grant period will conclude within one year with the submission of a brief final report.
What Grantees Will Receive
Grant Funding: Awards typically range from $4,000–$8,000 to support spay/neuter for community cats, program development, and outreach initiatives. Funding is tailored to your organization’s size, capacity, and proposed impact and awarded post-certification.
University of the Pacific-Benerd College Community Cat Program Management Certification Course: Grant recipients will receive full tuition for one representative to attend a comprehensive, nationally recognized 8-week virtual certification program. This course equips you with the tools, systems, and strategies to build a sustainable, effective community cat program and earns you a professional certification in community cat program management.
Mentoring and Support: Access to mentoring and peer learning opportunities facilitated through United Spay Alliance, ensuring you have guidance and community as you grow your impact.
Resource Access: Templates, tracking tools, and fundraising resources to help you increase your efficiency, community visibility, and effectiveness in serving cats.
What’s Required of Grantees
If awarded a Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant, grantees must:
- Use grant funds specifically to strengthen or grow their community cat program, with a focus on maximizing capacity, efficiency, and impact.
- Track and report key organizational metrics related to the grant, including (but not limited to) the number of cats served, community outreach conducted, and geographic impact. Brief monthly updates and a final summary report are required.
- Attend the 8-week certification program (or have an approved representative attend) to build long-term program capacity.
- Participate in bi-weekly calls as part of a collaborative learning cohort.
- Meet minimum attendance requirements for certification course and cohort calls.
To maintain eligibility for future funding opportunities through the Summerlee Sustainable Solutions Grant Program and United Spay Alliance, organizations must meet all grant requirements, including timely reporting and participation in required activities.
