BISSELL Pet Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- BISSELL Pet Foundation funds US animal-welfare organisations working on pet adoption, animal transport, spay/neuter, vaccination, microchipping and crisis or disaster response, so it suits groups actively reducing homeless animals in these ways.
- Aim low: about 8 in 10 of its 709 grants fall between $310 and $10,000, the median grant is $2,500, and annual giving has fallen each year to $210,021, so a modest request fits best even though the largest grant on record was $150,000.
- Before applying you must become an approved Partners for Pets member in good standing for at least six months, be an incorporated 501(c)(3) or public local-government entity that has operated for at least one year, be located in the 50 United States, and commit to microchipping all dogs and cats you adopt out; applications go through the online standard application during several fixed deadlines across the year.
- With 36% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded in the two prior filings, there is a reasonable bias towards continuing relationships, so new applicants should expect to build a track record over repeat cycles.
- Organisations that declaw cats, those seeking funding for wildlife or marine life rehabilitation, or those needing money for excluded costs such as overhead, fundraising, capital campaigns, start-up costs, advertising, equipment or individual animal grants (other than Grateful Pet awards) should not apply.
Overview
BISSELL Pet Foundation is a US private foundation based in Grand Rapids, MI.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
BISSELL Pet Foundation describes itself as a national animal welfare organisation dedicated to ending pet homelessness. It works with shelters across the country and supports underserved communities through grants for programmes and initiatives that directly affect homeless pets. Its named areas of work include pet adoption, transport, spay/neuter, vaccination, microchipping, and crisis and disaster response. It frames sterilisation as a way to tackle pet overpopulation and says its spay/neuter support serves both shelter and community-owned pets. Grant applicants are animal-welfare organisations that actively reduce homeless animals through spay/neuter, microchipping or adoption; they must be approved Partners for Pets members and operate within the United States. Its approach is partnership-based, with requirements for organisations to microchip all dogs and cats adopted from them.
Themes
- Pet adoption
- Animal transport
- Spay/neuter
- Vaccination
- Microchipping
- Crisis and disaster response
Geographic Focus
50 United States.
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations that declaw cats
- Indirect or ancillary costs of veterinarian care (e.g., transportation, gas cards, administrative fees, etc.)
- General operating expenses or overhead (e.g., payment of salaries or routine maintenance)
- Professional development for staff
- Advertising (e.g., graphic design, printing, website development, etc.)
- Fuel for mobile clinics or animal transfer programs
- Equipment purchases
- Deficit reduction or operational deficiencies
- Fundraising or special events
- Capital campaigns and/or large building projects
- Start-up costs
- Grants to specific individuals or individual animals (this excludes Grateful Pet awards)
- Wildlife or marine life rehabilitation or rescue
- Political or lobbying activities
How to apply
Complete the online standard application form during the submission timeframe.
Deadlines: Applications have several submission deadlines across the year.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 36% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 709 grants to organisations were $2,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Applicants must actively reduce homeless animals through spay/neuter, microchipping or adoption.
- Applicants must be Partners for Pets members in good standing for at least six months before applying.
- The organisation must be an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a public local-government entity.
- The organisation must have operated for at least one year before applying.
- The organisation must operate and be located in the 50 United States.
- Dogs and cats adopted from the organisation must be microchipped.
- Applications must be complete, include all required supporting documentation and avoid restricted activities.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 18%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 27%
- The largest single recipient received 4% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 36% of grant dollars went to organisations BISSELL Pet Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 2% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (The Netherlands, Germany, France, United Kingdom).
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 61 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $1,503 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Northshore Humane Society · Transport$30,0002024 tax year
- Pasco County Board of County Commissioners Animal Services Department · Crisis and Disaster Response$15,0002024 tax year
- Good Shepherd Humane Society Spay & Neuter Clinic · General Program Support$10,0002024 tax year
- RedRover · Spay/Neuter Grants & Vouchers$10,0002024 tax year
- Espanola Humane · General Program Support$10,0002024 tax year
- Lucky Paw Foundation · Donor Designated$10,0002024 tax year
- San Diego Humane Society · General Program Support$10,0002024 tax year
- Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control · General Program Support$10,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kevin J Little — Treasurer
- Joel M Van Winkle — Secretary
- Max M Bissell — Director
- Mark J Bissell — Director / Vice President
- M Catherine Bissell — Director / President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $8,043,197 | $1,834,893 | $3,573,962 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $8,643,694 | $1,316,301 | $4,578,467 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $11,620,014 | $210,021 | $2,838,834 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to BISSELL Pet Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (616) 453-4451
- info@bissellpetfoundation.org
- fixthefuture@bissellpetfoundation.org
- Grand Rapids, MI
- bissellpetfoundation.org
Applying to BISSELL Pet Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (616) 453-4451
- info@bissellpetfoundation.org
- fixthefuture@bissellpetfoundation.org
- Grand Rapids, MI
- bissellpetfoundation.org