Maddie’s Fund Lifesaving Research and Grants for Shelter Medicine

Last updated: May 25, 2026

This article is informational, not institutional endorsement. Maddie’s Fund is a major US animal-welfare foundation; this overview presents its mission, programs, and history neutrally. For program-specific information or grant inquiries, contact Maddie’s Fund directly through their website.

What Maddie’s Fund Is

The maddies fund lifesaving research grants program is the giving arm of one of the largest US animal-welfare foundations. Founded in 1994 by Cheryl Duffield and Dave Duffield, the foundation funds shelter-medicine research, behavior-medicine residency programs, foster-program innovation, adoption research, and direct grants to municipal shelters and rescues working toward no-kill outcomes.

Maddie’s Fund operates as a grant-making foundation rather than as a direct-service welfare organization. Where peers like the ASPCA and the Best Friends Animal Society run sanctuaries, adoption centers, and field operations, Maddie’s Fund funds the research and training infrastructure those operations depend on. The two roles are complementary; direct-service work depends on continuing investment in shelter-medicine research and capacity-building.

Founding by the Duffields

Maddie’s Fund was founded in 1994 by Cheryl Duffield and Dave Duffield, the founder of PeopleSoft and later Workday. The foundation is named for Maddie, a Miniature Schnauzer who was part of the Duffield family. The founding gift made Maddie’s Fund one of the largest US animal-welfare foundations from the start, with an endowment positioned to fund multi-decade infrastructure-building rather than short-term project grants.

Through the late 1990s and 2000s the foundation focused on the no-kill movement’s emergence, funding early community-cat and shelter-medicine research, and building the academic infrastructure for shelter medicine as a recognized veterinary discipline. The foundation’s longstanding focus has been the structural-and-systems side of US animal welfare rather than direct rescue.

Shelter Medicine Discipline Funding

Maddie’s Fund has been a primary funder of the modern shelter medicine discipline, including the establishment of shelter-medicine residencies at major US veterinary schools (UC Davis, Cornell, University of Wisconsin, University of Florida, and others). Shelter medicine has emerged over the past two decades as a recognized veterinary specialty with board certification through the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

The discipline covers high-volume spay-neuter, infectious-disease control in group housing, shelter behavior medicine, foster-program design, and adoption innovation. Standards developed through shelter-medicine research now inform routine practice at municipal shelters and rescues across the country, from intake medical exam protocols to outbreak management for parvovirus and panleukopenia.

Behavior Medicine Residency Funding

Maddie’s Fund funds veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) residency positions and shelter-behavior research at multiple US institutions. The behavior-medicine pipeline has been historically under-supplied — board-certified veterinary behaviorists remain rare nationally relative to demand from shelters, rescues, and pet families with complex behavior cases.

For adopters of fearful, reactive, or cruelty-survivor pets, the broader behavior-medicine infrastructure matters because access to a DACVB is often essential for cases involving fear-aggression, separation anxiety, compulsive behaviors, or trauma-related conditions. Wait lists for board-certified veterinary behaviorists can run weeks or months in many regions, which is one reason Maddie’s Fund and peer foundations continue to prioritize residency expansion.

Foster Program Innovation Grants

Maddie’s Fund’s foster-program grants have funded research and operational scale-up of foster-based rescue models, foster mentor programs, and foster recruitment and retention strategies. The foster model has been recognized as critical to no-kill outcomes — shelters cannot reach 90%+ live-release rates without robust foster networks absorbing animals who do not thrive in kennel environments.

For new fosters and rescues planning foster expansion, see our overview of foster recruitment and retention strategy. The foundation’s published research and toolkits are widely available for adapting to local contexts. The toolkits cover recruitment messaging, onboarding workflows, mentor pairing, supply distribution, and ongoing communication protocols, all of which contribute to retention.

Adoption Innovation Research

Maddie’s Fund-funded research has covered adoption process design, conversational adoption (replacing application-form gatekeeping with relational matchmaking), open adoption (removing rigid disqualifiers), and adoption outcomes tracking. The research informs modern shelter and rescue operations and has supported the broader shift away from gatekeeping-heavy adoption models toward access-focused models.

For adopters who have experienced adoption-application friction, the underlying research is helpful context. The shift toward conversational and open-adoption frameworks is gradual and uneven across the sector; some rescues retain rigid disqualifiers as a screening tool even where research suggests these create barriers for otherwise-qualified adopters.

Maddie’s Pet Assistant and Online Resources

Maddie’s Fund operates Maddie’s Pet Forum, Maddie’s University, and free continuing-education programs for shelter and rescue professionals. Maddie’s Pet Forum hosts cross-organizational conversations among shelter and rescue staff. Maddie’s University offers free webinars, video courses, and certification in shelter-medicine and adoption topics.

These resources are publicly accessible and free of charge, supporting capacity-building across the US shelter and rescue sector. For new rescue founders, the resources are particularly valuable for operational standards-of-practice. See our overview of 501(c)(3) basics for pet rescues for the foundational nonprofit framework. Many small rescues use Maddie’s University content as their primary professional-development resource because few have budgets for paid CE conferences.

Direct Grants to Shelters and Rescues

Maddie’s Fund makes direct grants to municipal shelters and rescues in specific funding cycles, often focused on capacity-building, foster expansion, behavior-medicine integration, or no-kill milestone work. The foundation publishes grant guidelines, application timelines, and recipient lists; grant applications are competitive.

For rescues considering Maddie’s Fund as a funding source, the application process emphasizes documented outcomes data, alignment with foundation priorities, and capacity to absorb and report on the grant. Newer rescues may benefit from peer-organization mentoring before applying.

Peer Foundation Landscape

Maddie’s Fund operates within a US animal-welfare funding landscape that includes Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation), the Banfield Foundation, PetSmart Charities, the ASPCA grants programs, the Best Friends grants programs, and numerous smaller foundations. Each has distinct funding priorities, grant cycles, and capacity-building expectations.

For rescues seeking diverse funding portfolios, the multi-foundation strategy is standard. Each foundation has a distinctive niche; alignment with foundation priorities matters more than relationship history alone. Successful grant strategies build portfolios across foundations with complementary priorities, so that no single funder’s cycle change disrupts core operations.

Position on No-Kill and Welfare Standards

Maddie’s Fund has been a longstanding supporter of the no-kill movement and the underlying veterinary and behavioral infrastructure needed to reach community-level no-kill outcomes. The foundation’s position aligns with mainstream veterinary professional consensus on humane handling, behavior-medicine integration, and adoption-first sourcing.

The foundation does not take strong positions on contested welfare questions (such as ear-cropping or declawing) in the manner of advocacy organizations; its role is funder and capacity-builder rather than advocate. This positioning allows the foundation to fund a broad range of organizations across the welfare ecosystem.

How to Engage with Maddie’s Fund

For shelter and rescue professionals, the most direct engagement is through Maddie’s Pet Forum participation, Maddie’s University continuing education, and grant applications during open cycles. For adopters and donors, the foundation’s research and toolkits are public resources usable in your own community work.

The foundation does not operate adoption centers, run a national adoption database, or conduct direct rescue. Its model is to fund the infrastructure that allows other organizations to operate at scale and quality. This is a distinctive and valuable role in the US welfare landscape, and one that complements rather than competes with direct-service operations across the country. Donors who want to support shelter-medicine training, behavior-medicine residencies, and adoption-innovation research can do so through Maddie’s Fund as a leverage point for sector-wide change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded Maddie’s Fund?

Maddie’s Fund was founded in 1994 by Cheryl and Dave Duffield. Dave Duffield founded PeopleSoft and later Workday. The foundation is named for Maddie, a Miniature Schnauzer who was part of the Duffield family.

Does Maddie’s Fund run shelters?

No. Maddie’s Fund operates as a grant-making foundation rather than a direct-service welfare organization. Its model is funding the research, training, and capacity infrastructure that allows shelters and rescues to operate at scale.

How does Maddie’s Fund support shelter medicine?

Maddie’s Fund has funded shelter-medicine residencies at major US veterinary schools and supported the establishment of shelter medicine as a recognized veterinary discipline. The foundation also funds behavior-medicine residencies.

Can my rescue apply for a Maddie’s Fund grant?

Grant applications are competitive and tied to specific funding cycles with published guidelines. Newer rescues may benefit from operational-capacity development and peer-organization mentoring before applying.

What is Maddie’s University?

Maddie’s University is the foundation’s free online continuing-education platform for shelter and rescue professionals. It offers webinars, video courses, and certification in shelter-medicine and adoption topics.