The Donkey Sanctuary

Registered charity 1207593 · since 2024thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk·International·Updated 29 October 2026

At a glance

£1.1M

Annual giving, year to 31 December 2025

From filed accounts

£15,000 to £150k

Grant range

From the annual report's grant list

From the named grants only. A further £25,000 went in grants the report doesn't itemise.

£50,000

Typical grant (median)

15 published grants

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.

Key takeaways

If your work centres on donkey welfare, or on donkeys and mules needing care, The Donkey Sanctuary's grants may suit you, since its stated focus is around the world.
It takes applications by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so do not send an unprompted application.
Its typical grants fall between £15,000 and £150,000, with a median of £50,000, so a request in that range fits its usual pattern, though the largest grant it reports is about £295,000, so the band is not a ceiling.
It describes its partnerships as closely worked, expecting shared values, capacity to deliver agreed outputs and value for money, regular financial and project reporting, and due diligence and grant contracts before funds are dispersed.

Overview

The Donkey Sanctuary is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1207593).

The Donkey Sanctuary is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1207593). It exists to relieve the suffering of donkeys, mules and other such animals in need of care and attention anywhere in the world, and to provide and maintain rescue homes or other facilities for their care. It gives grants to organisations best placed to provide high-quality and sustainable support to donkeys and mules, working in partnership and giving technical and programme management support, with annual giving of £1,144,000.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Donkey Sanctuary gives grants to organisations best placed to provide high-quality, sustainable support to donkeys and mules around the world. It partners with organisations whose values and charitable objectives align with its own and which have the capacity to deliver agreed outputs, outcomes and value for money. It works closely with partners on project design, adding technical and programme management support alongside funding, and expects regular financial and project reporting. Its funded programmes directly support donkeys, while its wider work adapts to regional needs and combines welfare expertise with local knowledge and communities. This partnership-based approach aims to secure effective, sustainable outcomes for donkeys.

Themes

Donkey welfare

Geographic Focus

Around the world.

How to apply

The charity states that it takes applications by invitation only.

Who can apply:

We partner with organisations that share our values and charitable objectives and have the capacity to deliver agreed outputs, outcomes and value for money in using The Donkey Sanctuary’s resources.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

Partner organisations share the foundation’s values and charitable objectives and have the capacity to deliver agreed outputs, outcomes and value for money.
The foundation works closely with partners on project design to ensure funded work is of the highest quality.
Partners provide regular financial and project reporting.
Partnerships are subject to due diligence, agreements, grant contracts and executive sign-off before funds are dispersed.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

International

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Donkey Sanctuary.

Born Free FoundationNo public processGave £526k Dogs TrustNo public processGave £599k The Paul Jennings and Jeanette Dunn Charitable FoundationInvitation onlyGave £400k Rccg the SanctuaryNo public process Mrs D M France-Hayhurst FoundationRollingGave £121k World Animal ProtectionNo public processGave £1.6M The Eureka Charitable TrustNo public processGave £2.6M MJB Charitable TrustNo public processGave £638k Humane World for Animals UKNo public processGave £236k King Charles III Charitable FundMixed deadlinesGave £4.4M

Grants

15 published grants analysed · median £50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 15 grants in year to 31 December 2025 by size

£5k–£10k7%

£10k–£25k20%

£25k–£50k20%

£50k–£100k27%

£100k–£250k20%

£250k–£500k7%

Median £50,000 (year to 31 December 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:

d HW p - c ollege of Veterinary Medicine and a griculture, a ddis a baba u niversity · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£294,000year to 31 December 2025
s ave the c hildren International - Zimbabwe · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£146,000year to 31 December 2025
Innovar Y c ompartir - p eru · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£128,000year to 31 December 2025
d utch c ommittee for a fghanistan · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£116,000year to 31 December 2025
r ipple e ffect, e thiopia and Kenya · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£77,000year to 31 December 2025
Vétérinaires s ans Frontières Germany · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£66,000year to 31 December 2025
ae G pa - p ortugal · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£50,000year to 31 December 2025
asdepo - e thiopia · Overseas for the welfare of donkeys
£50,000year to 31 December 2025

Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 2 lines covering other, unnamed recipients (£25,000).

2 years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2024	£0	£0	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025	£59,557,831	£56,952,302	£1,144,000	Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.