Animal Place Launches Grant Program to Inspire Charities to Host Vegan Events

California-based farmed-animal sanctuary Animal Place recently launched two new grant programs to encourage charity organizations to host vegan-friendly events. Non-profit groups that hold an all-vegan event for the first time or cater a gala that offers a vegan option at half-price are eligible for up to $1,000. The grants are part of Animal Place’s Food for Thought program, which helps animal and environmental charities adopt vegan-friendly menu policies for fundraising and sponsored events, and are available to groups that do not already have such a policy in place. “Since soft-launching to a select group of companion-animal organizations this fall, we have already approved eight event grants to groups that are interested in offering vegan food for the first time,” Patti Nyman, Animal Place campaigns manager, told VegNews. “What’s truly exciting is that all of these organizations are committed to bringing a discussion to their board about formalizing a vegan menu policy.” The Alberta Spay Neuter Task Force—a group that helps reduce companion-animal overpopulation in Canada’s First Nations communities—was the first recipient of an event grant. Over the last five years, Animal Place has worked with more than 300 organizations in North America to adopt animal-friendly menu policies. “We know that it can be challenging to get boards to commit to policy changes that feel outside of the scope of their mission,” Nyman said. “The new event grants are a powerful way to show leadership that vegan events can be successful and that supporters are open to the change.”