Fund Your Dreams With These 5 Animal Rights Scholarships and Grants

Posted by Calvin on November 19, 2024

Let’s be real with each other—we could all use some money. 💸 Maybe you’re in need of extra funds to help pay for college tuition, or you may be hoping to get a financial boost for an animal rights project. Either way, being selected for a scholarship or grant to help you follow your dreams would be super helpful, right?

That’s why we’ve laid out some of the best scholarships and grants for young animal advocates. If you’re in high school or college and work hard to advance animal rights, there’s def an option on this list for you. 💯 So read on, find the one that fits, and get that guap.

1. peta2 Activism Grant

Do you have a big idea to benefit animals and help end speciesism? Can you provide lots of deets and come close to listing your full project budget? If you’re between the ages of 13 and 24 and you wanna request a grant to help fund your fight for animals, apply for a peta2 Activism Grant!

When evaluating, we’ll be considering the following:

• Is there a clear, itemized budget?
• Is there a specific timeline for the campaign?
• Does the project deliver a compelling message to end speciesism?

If approved for a grant, you’ll need to submit a report each week listing your activities related to your project and including any costs or receipts. You’ll also need to submit photos, videos, or any other visuals related to your campaign. Applications can take up to two weeks to be reviewed, so make sure to keep an eye on your inbox.

2. VegFund Community Event Grant

You already know that being vegan spares animals, helps the planet, and improves your personal health—but did you know that this can also earn you a grant? 😮 If you’re a hardcore vegan advocate who’s always hyping the plant-based life, VegFund wants to fund your outreach efforts.

Apply for a Community Event grant to receive funding for a short-term outreach project. Fundable events include the following:

• Food Sampling—There’s no better way to get people on board the vegan train than by serving delicious plant-based food. When you’re equipped with tasty vegan meat, egg, and cheese products, you can change even the stubbornest minds.
• Paid-Per-View—Most people have no idea just how cruel and gross the agriculture industry’s treatment of animals is. By inviting others to watch a short video about the subject, you’re waking them up and building a bigger animal rights coalition.  
• Film Screening—Screen a compelling movie about animals used for food in order to blow people’s minds. VegFund can even reimburse you for the movie’s licensing fees.
• Festivals & Fairs—VegFests and vegan fairs are awesome events where people can try vegan food and learn about animal welfare. Plan and publicize your event to draw in both plant-based stans and people who are just learning about animal rights.
• Learning Events—You’re the CEO of vegan living—now’s your chance to share your knowledge with the world. Host a conference or panel discussion, teach a course, or create an educational tool to spread crucial info and influence soon-to-be vegans.  

3. The Pollination Project Animal Welfare Grant

Excited about grant opportunities to fund your animal rights project but bummed about the narrow criteria? This is where The Pollination Project (TPP) comes in clutch: As long as your work fits the general guidelines for the grant, you qualify to apply for one.

TPP’s Animal Welfare Grants provide a boost to people who protect animals. If you want to decrease meat consumption, stand up for animals on farms, or help ones who may be left out of typical advocacy efforts, you’re an ideal candidate for a $1,000 seed grant. Looking for ways to meet these goals? TPP recommends getting vegan options in your school’s cafeteria. We know a bit about that. 😏

4. PETA’s Future Without Speciesism Cash Award

We live in a super-exciting time for animal-friendly innovations. Mushroom leather and recycled ocean plastics are gaining ground in the fashion industry, the “placenta-on-a-chip” is replacing cruel experiments on mice and monkeys, and SynFrog software is sparing real-life frogs from dissection. Young, creative minds keep finding new ways to reduce cruelty to animals, save the environment, and improve human health.

This is where you come in. 😎 If you have a groundbreaking idea for an invention to help end animal exploitation, you could win anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 from PETA’s Future Without Speciesism Cash Award.

Apply for this award by creating a practical invention that could replace animal use. You can work alone or team up with your besties. And don’t worry—submitting this application won’t stop you from patenting your invention.

5. The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship

Vegans, it’s your time to shine. 🌞 If you are graduating from high school in spring 2024 and have helped promote the vegan lifestyle in your school or community, you could win 10 grand! 😲 That’s right—The Vegetarian Resource Group is giving out one $10,000 award and two $5,000 awards to seniors who are working to create a more peaceful world through vegan living.

Here’s the date to remember: February 20, 2024. Postmark your application on or before this deadline to put yourself in the mix. To apply, you’ll need to write an essay about how you’ve promoted vegan living in your school or community, what being vegan means to you, and other details about your activism and beliefs. You’ll also need to attach a copy of your transcripts or report cards from the past two years, three or more recommendations, and any documentation that shows your vegan successes.

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Since so many scholarships and grants go to students who help animals, why not start your advocacy efforts today? See whether there are speciesist activities in your school and work with school officials to make animal-friendly changes.