The Society For The Protection Of Animals Abroad (spana)

Charity Number: 209015

Annual Expenditure: £8.2M
Botswana, Ethiopia, Jordan, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Burma, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon ... [13 more]

Contact Info

Website:www.spana.org

Phone:020 7831 3999

Email:enquiries@spana.org

Stay updated on changes from The Society For The Protection Of Animals Abroad (spana) and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Founded: 1923
  • Annual Income: £9.6 million (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: International (23 countries across Africa, Asia, and beyond)
  • Grant Range: Small grants (typically under £5,000)
  • Application Method: Currently closed for regular partnerships; emergency applications accepted on rolling basis
  • Funding Source: 100% voluntary donations (no government funding)

Contact Details

Website: www.spana.org

Email: enquiries@spana.org (general); services@spana.org (partnership applications)

Phone: 020 7831 3999

Address: SPANA, 55 Ludgate Hill, 2nd Floor, London, EC4M 7JW

Partnership Enquiries: services@spana.org

Emergency Funding: emergency@spana.org

Overview

Founded in 1923 by mother and daughter Kate and Nina Hosali, SPANA is the world's first global charity dedicated to supporting working animal welfare in low-income countries. With an annual income of £9.6 million (2023), SPANA provides veterinary care, training, and education to transform the welfare of working horses, donkeys, mules, camels, dogs, and other working animals. In 2023, SPANA provided 336,018 working animals with vital treatment and care, trained 75,239 owners, and taught 68,662 children about animal welfare. The charity celebrated its centenary in 2023 and launched a new 2023-2027 strategy focused on scaling impact through strategic partnerships and expanding emergency response capacity. SPANA operates entirely on voluntary donations with 68p of every pound going directly to animal welfare work.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grant Programme (Currently Closed)

  • Small grants to NGOs and local community organisations
  • Includes funding, advice, and support
  • Focus: Projects that transform the lives of working animals
  • Status: Partnership funding window currently closed
  • To register interest: services@spana.org

Emergency Funding (Open)

  • Rolling applications accepted
  • For emergency situations affecting working animals
  • Application: Use Emergency Application Form and email services@spana.org
  • Contact: emergency@spana.org
  • Rapid response for climate-related disasters, conflicts, and other crises

Priority Areas

Treatment (Treat)

  • Free veterinary care through hospitals and mobile clinics
  • Emergency veterinary response to disasters
  • Treatment of common ailments affecting working animals

Training (Train)

  • Veterinary professional training and capacity building
  • Owner education in good animal care practices
  • Community-based animal welfare champions
  • Practical training in proper equipment use (harnesses, carts, packsaddles)

Teaching (Teach)

  • Humane education for children
  • School-based animal welfare programmes
  • Interactive exhibitions and hands-on learning
  • Teacher training and curriculum development

Transformation (Transform)

  • Strategic partnerships for systemic change
  • Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
  • Advocacy for recognition of working animals' contributions
  • Innovative approaches to sustainable welfare improvements

Geographic Focus

  • Countries in Africa (Morocco, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania)
  • Middle East (Jordan)
  • Asia (India)
  • Partner projects across additional countries in Africa, Asia, and Central/South America

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, SPANA's focus is exclusively on:

  • Working animal welfare (not companion animals or wildlife)
  • Low-income countries where working animals are essential to communities
  • Projects that align with their Treat, Train, Teach, Transform framework

Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive

Linda Edwards (appointed August 2021)

  • Former CEO of United Purpose and Build Africa
  • Former Executive Director of Operations at The Donkey Sanctuary
  • Extensive international experience across Africa, Asia, Middle East, and beyond
  • Former Country Director for Merlin and Danish Refugee Council in Sudan, DR Congo, and Iraq

On Strategy: “We want to scale to the next level, really building on our foundations by having a much greater, more strategic reach.”

On Partnerships: “I think a united voice is always much, much more powerful.”

On Holistic Approach: "You can't separate animals from humans from the environment. We need to protect our planet, protect the animals and ensure that, as humans, we take greater responsibility."

Chair of Trustees

Marianne Davies (appointed March 2024)

  • Global Head of People Services with GSK
  • Non-Executive Director for B3 Living

Board Committees

  • Finance and Audit Committee (Chair: Phil Alvey)
  • People, Safeguarding and Governance Committee (Chair: Adam Firby)
  • Global Fundraising, Marketing & Communications Committee (Chair: Morgan Lance)
  • Animal Health & Welfare Committee

Notable Trustees

  • Phil Alvey: Finance expert, former HSBC and CAF Bank
  • Adam Firby: UK Chief People Officer at Valeo Foods
  • Samantha Bunis: Marketing leader, former BBC and Mars Chocolate
  • Dr. Mwenda Mbaka: Veterinarian and Animal Welfare Expert
  • Sarah Shanks: Equine vet and Public Health practitioner
  • Gayle Hallowell: Veterinary specialist
  • Leah Wanjiku Kihara: Finance professional
  • Barry Topham: Digital transformation expert

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Regular Partnership Funding (Currently Closed)

  • The partnership funding window is not currently open
  • To register interest for future rounds: email services@spana.org
  • Check website for announcements about reopening

For Emergency Funding (Open)

  1. Review Emergency Request Guidelines document
  2. Submit completed form to services@spana.org or emergency@spana.org

Decision Timeline

Not publicly specified. Timeline likely varies based on:

  • Type of funding (emergency vs. regular partnership)
  • Complexity of proposed project
  • Urgency of need (emergency applications likely processed faster)

Success Rates

No publicly available data on application success rates.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated. However, SPANA has ongoing partnerships with some organisations (e.g., working with Horn SPCA since 2016, MAWO since 2016), suggesting successful partners may receive continued support.

Application Success Factors

What SPANA Looks For

Strategic Alignment

  • Projects must demonstrably benefit working animals
  • Focus on sustainable, community-based solutions
  • Alignment with Treat, Train, Teach, Transform framework
  • Contribution to long-term welfare improvements, not just temporary relief

Partnership Qualities

  • “Trusted organisations” with demonstrated expertise
  • Capacity to deliver effective programmes
  • Local presence and community connections
  • Commitment to animal welfare principles

Project Characteristics

  • Sustainable impact beyond immediate intervention
  • Community engagement and ownership
  • Evidence-based approaches
  • Addresses root causes, not just symptoms

Examples of Funded Projects

Africa:

  • Horn SPCA (Somalia/Somaliland): Since 2016, improving donkey welfare in Hargeisa through treatment, vet training, and owner education
  • MAWO (East Africa): Since 2016, training community-based donkey champions for basic care and first aid
  • Arusha Society for the Protection of Animals (Tanzania): Delivered animal welfare lessons in eight schools and trained owners in harness construction
  • LAWCS (Liberia): Developing children's relationships with animals through drama, role play, and games
  • African Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW, Kenya): Emergency project in Kajiado County providing veterinary care and disaster resilience training

Asia:

  • TOLFA (India): Developing compassion for working animals among children through humane education
  • JBF Scotland (Pakistan): Since 2016, providing free veterinary care and owner education in Quetta

Latin America:

  • CREW (Central America): Humane education for primary schoolchildren in indigenous reserves

Key Terminology SPANA Uses

  • Working animals (not “beasts of burden”)
  • Welfare and wellbeing
  • Transform and transformation
  • Sustainable and community-based
  • Treat, Train, Teach
  • Animal welfare champions
  • Capacity building

Standing Out

  1. Demonstrate local expertise: Show deep understanding of working animal issues in your region
  2. Emphasize sustainability: Explain how project will create lasting change beyond funding period
  3. Show community buy-in: Evidence of community support and involvement
  4. Connect to climate resilience: SPANA is expanding climate change/disaster response work
  5. Multi-faceted approach: Projects combining treatment, training, and education likely to be prioritized
  6. Evidence of previous success: Track record with similar projects increases credibility
  7. Align with strategy: Reference SPANA's 2023-2027 strategy goals (Welfare, Worth, World)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Partnership window closed: Regular partnership funding not currently accepting applications; register interest at services@spana.org to be notified when reopening
  • Emergency funding available: If responding to disaster/crisis affecting working animals, emergency applications accepted on rolling basis
  • Small grants model: SPANA provides relatively small grants paired with advice and support—not large capital funding
  • Long-term relationships valued: Many partnerships continue for multiple years, suggesting SPANA prefers sustained partnerships over one-off projects
  • Strategic focus: SPANA prioritizes partnerships that help them scale impact and reach—demonstrate how your project advances their strategic goals
  • Climate/emergency response expanding: With strategy emphasis on expanding emergency capacity, disaster risk reduction projects may be particularly timely
  • Demonstrate expertise and trust: SPANA references “trusted organisations”—provide strong evidence of your credibility and track record
  • 100% charity-funded: Remember SPANA operates entirely on donations with no government funding, so demonstrating value for money is important (68p of every pound to charitable work)

References