Since 2017, the partnership between The Rachael Ray Foundation and Best Friends has supported Best Friends Network Partners through millions of dollars in grants to help reduce shelter deaths in communities across the country.

The funded projects over the years have varied. Some focused on increasing lifesaving within one shelter. Others used the grant to fund programs to help other communities beyond their own. But they have all shared the same goal of impactful, innovative, and inclusive programming that is helping us get to No-Kill 2025.

The grant cycle opens on September 1st, 2022, so this week, we're taking a closer look at the Rachael Ray grants program. What grants are available, who is eligible to receive funding, and what types of programs have received funding in the past?

We spoke with Bethany Heins, the director of strategy and network operations for Best Friends, to learn more about the basics, and we also chatted with Ashley Flores from the Great Plains SPCA in Merriam, Kansas. Ashley tells us about their virtual behavior mentorship program - an idea that took flight after they received a Rachael Ray grant in 2022.

Interested in taking the Great Plains SPCA's three-week virtual course on building a sustainable behavior program? Follow this link for more information: https://www.greatplainsspca.org/programs/behavior-training/building-a-sustainable-behavior-program

For more resources related to this episode, check out the website for The Best Friends Podcast: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-122