Full Bowls Pet Food Bank

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Executive Summary

Full Bowls Pet Food Bank is a nonprofit in Michigan that helps families keep their pets by providing pet food and low-cost veterinary care. We supply pet food to food pantries, shelters and community groups, which hand it out with human food, and we pay partner veterinary clinics directly for spay, neuter and vaccine services for pets of families with limited income. Families do not have to give up a pet because of cost.

For many people a pet is family, a source of comfort and a reason to get up in the morning. But pet food and basic care cost money, and when money runs short, families sometimes must choose between feeding themselves and feeding a pet. Some give a pet up to a shelter, which is hard on the family and the animal. Unspayed or unvaccinated pets also raise health and community concerns.

With this grant we will help feed about 1,200 pets a month through 14 partner pantries in Year 1, or about 100,000 pounds of food including donated food, and provide about 240 vouchers for spay, neuter and vaccines, paid to partner clinics. Vouchers are never cash. We do not provide veterinary care ourselves, and we do not promise that any pet will avoid illness.

Our Year 1 budget is about $219,000, growing to about $243,000 by Year 5 as we add pantries and clinics. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 paid staff, supported by volunteers.

We are asking the Great Lakes Animal Welfare Fund for $66,000 for our Program Manager and for spay, neuter and vaccine vouchers. Pantries, shelters, businesses, pet food drives and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Rachel Dombrowski, the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Full Bowls Pet Food Bank is a small, independent nonprofit in Michigan, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve families with pets and the pantries, shelters and clinics that work with them across several counties.

Our mission. To keep pets fed, healthy and with the families who love them.

What we believe. Keeping a pet in a loving home is better for the animal and the family. We never judge a family for the pets it has or the circumstances it is in. We help with food and basic care and teach simple ways to keep pets healthy, and we work with local shelters and clinics rather than competing with them.

What we offer:
- Pet food through partners. Dry and canned food for dogs and cats, supplied to food pantries, shelters and community groups in bulk.
- Spay, neuter and vaccine vouchers. Vouchers redeemed at partner veterinary clinics, paid directly to the clinic.
- Emergency support. A small fund for pets of families in a crisis, such as a fire or a hospital stay, paid to a clinic or boarding facility.
- Education. Short guides in English and Spanish on feeding, vaccines and preventing common problems.

Who we serve. Families with limited income, older adults on fixed incomes, people experiencing homelessness who have pets and families in crisis.

What we do not do. We do not provide veterinary care, sell pet food, give cash, diagnose or treat animals or take in pets. We do not provide food for breeding businesses.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Manager manages food, vouchers and partners. A part-time warehouse and clinic coordinator runs the warehouse and clinic days. A veterinarian advises us on protocols.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from eight pantries, two shelters and three veterinary clinics, a lease offer on a small warehouse space, commitments of donated pet food from two stores and a voucher form and partner agreement under review by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

When money is tight, pet food is one of the first things a family cannot afford. Food pantries often have no pet food, and families who need help may skip meals to feed a pet. Veterinary care is also costly. A vaccine visit or a spay or neuter surgery can cost more than a family has, so pets go without. Some owners are afraid to bring a pet to a clinic because they fear the bill.

Shelters see the results. Families give up pets they love because of cost. Animals that are not spayed or neutered can lead to more litters and crowded shelters.

Partner pantries want to help but cannot stock pet food and have no way to pay for veterinary care.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are buying and storing pet food in bulk, working out a fair way to decide who receives vouchers, finding clinics that give fair prices and keeping costs under control as prices rise.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Pet food banks are a practical and growing way to support families and reduce surrenders. We will use the most recent local numbers on shelter intake, pet owners with limited income and clinic prices in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many families will ask for help, so our plan uses a first-year goal and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

Full Bowls Pet Food Bank will keep pet food on pantry shelves and make basic pet care affordable.

How it works, step by step:
1. Partner agreement. Pantries, shelters and community groups sign a simple agreement to hand out pet food and to refer families for vouchers.
2. Buy and collect. We buy pet food in bulk from suppliers and collect donations from stores and drives, checking dates and recalls.
3. Store. Food is stored off the floor, dry and clean, and rotated so the oldest goes out first.
4. Deliver. Our van delivers to partners on a monthly route, or partners pick up at set times.
5. Give out. Partners hand pet food to families, with a short count of pets helped.
6. Vouchers. A partner or the family contacts us. After a short review, we issue a voucher for spay, neuter or vaccines, and the family takes the pet to a partner clinic.
7. Pay the clinic. The clinic bills us directly, and we pay within 30 days.
8. Learn. We track pets helped and ask clinics, partners and families what is working.

Why this approach is strong. Pantries already know the families, so pet food reaches them without a new line. Paying clinics directly ensures money goes to care.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: families with pets, older adults, people experiencing homelessness and families in crisis, through partner pantries, shelters and community groups across several counties.

Our primary group is households that use food pantries and have a dog or cat. Our secondary group is families facing an emergency who need help with a pet. We will use the most recent local numbers on pet ownership, families with limited income and shelter intake in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to help feed about 1,200 pets a month through 14 partner pantries in Year 1, or about 100,000 pounds of food including donated food, and issue about 240 vouchers averaging about $100. We grow to about 1,500 pets, 18 pantries and 300 vouchers in Year 2, 1,800, 22 and 360 in Year 3, 2,100 pets and 420 vouchers in Year 4 and about 2,400 pets, 28 pantries and 480 vouchers in Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $219,000 and our Year 5 budget is about $243,000.

Demand data. Letters of support from eight pantries, two shelters and three clinics, and calls from families who asked pantries for pet food, show a clear need. We do not count on any one partner.

We do not serve everyone. We refer families who need emergency veterinary treatment to a clinic or an animal hospital, and we do not provide food for breeding businesses.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for families, and what makes us different.

- Animal shelters and rescue groups. Some run small pet food pantries. We supply more pantries and add vouchers.
- Veterinary clinics with low-cost programs. Some exist. We pay clinics directly so more people can use them.
- Pet food drives by churches and clubs. They help many families. We buy in bulk to make the supply steady.
- National pet charities. They offer grants. We offer local, community-level help through pantries.
- Pet supply stores and online retailers. They sell food and supplies to those who can pay. We serve families who cannot, and we buy in bulk so each dollar goes further.
- Doing without. Many families skip meals or give up pets. We aim to prevent both.

What makes us different.
- Pet food in the pantries families already use.
- Vouchers paid to veterinary clinics, never cash.
- A steady supply from bulk buying and drives.
- A focus on keeping pets in their homes.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger programs have more storage and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one pantry and one family at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Food pantries and shelters. We will visit pantries and shelters, explain how pet food works, bring starter supplies and offer a monthly delivery. Pantry staff tell families about pet food and vouchers.

Veterinary clinics. We will meet local clinics, explain the voucher process and ask them to offer a fair price for spay, neuter and vaccines.

Pet stores and businesses. We will ask stores to host food drives and donate dented bags and short-dated food, and we will ask businesses to sponsor a pantry or a month of food.

Community groups and schools. We will give talks to clubs and school groups and offer drive kits with a collection bin and a flyer.

Online and by phone. A simple website, a phone line and a text number for partners and families, in English and Spanish.

Cost to the family. Free. We never charge families for food or vouchers.

Partner support. We will give each pantry a small display, a counter sign and a short guide on how to talk about pet food with a family, and we will check in monthly to hear what is needed.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Sign the warehouse lease and agreements with pantries and clinics, buy a van, shelving and equipment, recruit volunteers and set up the voucher process.
- Month 3 (late summer): Place the first bulk food order and begin deliveries.
- Months 4 to 11: Deliver monthly to 14 partners, issue vouchers, hold a food drive each quarter and add partners as supply allows.
- Month 12: Survey partners and clinics, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. A rented warehouse space of about 1,200 square feet with a loading area. Rent is $9,600 a year in Year 1.

Equipment. We buy about $16,000 of equipment once at the start: a used cargo van ($12,000), pallet shelving and a pet food scale ($2,500) and a computer and label printer ($1,500). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Manager, paid $42,000 a year, manages food, vouchers and partners. A part-time warehouse and clinic coordinator, paid $24,000 a year, runs the warehouse and clinic days.

Safety and quality. We accept only new, sealed food, check dates and recalls, store food away from chemicals and pests and keep a log of deliveries. Volunteers sign an agreement and are supervised. Vouchers are good only at partner clinics, which must be licensed. We confirm with each clinic and our veterinarian advisor what vaccines our state requires, such as rabies, and follow local rules.

Quality and learning. After each delivery we ask partners about supply and about problems, and we adjust our order. Twice a year we ask clinics and families how vouchers worked and change the process.

Costs. Pet food purchases are about $40,000 in Year 1, veterinary vouchers about $24,000, van fuel and maintenance about $4,000 and administration and insurance about $10,000.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Rachel Dombrowski, Executive Director. Twelve years of nonprofit work, including seven years at an animal shelter. She oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Manager (from Year 1). Manages food orders, vouchers, clinic relations and partner agreements.

Warehouse and clinic coordinator (part-time, from Year 1). Runs the warehouse, deliveries and clinic days.

Volunteers. About 30 volunteers, including students and retired workers.

Veterinarian advisor. A licensed veterinarian who reviews our voucher guidelines and answers clinical questions.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a pantry director and a shelter manager, who meet every quarter. An attorney reviews our agreements.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $54,000, Program Manager $42,000 and part-time warehouse and clinic coordinator $24,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Feed about 1,200 pets a month through 14 pantries and issue about 240 vouchers. A balanced budget of about $219,000, with a small surplus of about $8,200. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 2: Feed about 1,500 pets a month through 18 pantries and issue about 300 vouchers. A balanced budget of about $224,500, with a small surplus of about $8,100. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 3: Feed about 1,800 pets a month through 22 pantries and issue about 360 vouchers. A balanced budget of about $230,500, with a small surplus of about $8,100. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 4: Feed about 2,100 pets a month and issue about 420 vouchers. A balanced budget of about $236,500, with a small surplus of about $7,600. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 5: Feed about 2,400 pets a month through 28 pantries and issue about 480 vouchers. A balanced budget of about $243,000, with a small surplus of about $7,500. About 3 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Pets fed each month and pounds of food distributed.
- Partner pantries, shelters and clinics.
- Vouchers issued and used.
- Cost per pet helped.
- Partner and family feedback.
- Shelter surrender trends reported by partner shelters.

How we review results. The Program Manager reviews numbers every month. Twice a year, staff, the veterinarian advisor and the board review all results and share them with funders and partners. If a pantry orders more than it gives out, we meet with the pantry and adjust. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $66,000 from the Great Lakes Animal Welfare Fund for a Program Manager and veterinary vouchers paid to partner clinics, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Manager salary, $42,000.
- Other: Spay, neuter and vaccine vouchers paid directly to partner clinics, $24,000 (other funds add $6,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 44% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $219,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,200 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $149,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), food pantry and shelter partner support $20,000, pet food drives and individual donations $36,000, business sponsors $14,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $54,000; program manager $42,000; warehouse and clinic coordinator $24,000; pet food purchases about $40,000; veterinary vouchers (paid to partner clinics) about $24,000; warehouse rent about $9,600; van fuel and maintenance about $4,000; administration and insurance about $10,000; about $5,000 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $26,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $12,000 for used cargo van; $2,500 for pallet shelving and a pet food scale; $1,500 for computer and label printer; $4,500 for opening stock of pet food and bags; $1,200 for warehouse deposit and first month; $1,800 for attorney review of the partner and clinic agreements; $1,300 for banners, flyers and a simple website; $1,500 for background checks and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($26,300), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $51,900, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $51,900. In all, that comes to $78,500. We start with $14,000 of our own savings and $67,000 in startup support from a local family foundation and our board, $81,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $219,000 in Year 1 to about $243,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $149,000, $138,500, $128,500, $118,500 and $109,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: food pantry and shelter partner support from $20,000 to $44,000 and pet food drives and individual donations from $36,000 to $60,000 and business sponsors from $14,000 to $30,000. We add pantries and clinics as the program grows. Grants fall from about 68% of our income in Year 1 to about 45% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $69,800, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $6,570 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Pantries, shelters, businesses, pet food drives and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Families share their stories, and sponsors can adopt a pantry or a set of vouchers by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A recall or spoiled food. We follow a written plan, check dates and keep a log.
- A clinic raises prices. We use more than one clinic and review prices each year.
- Vouchers are misused. We pay clinics only and require a partner referral.
- A van breaks down. We keep a maintenance plan and a back-up arrangement.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow drives and donors each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: four pantries, one storage room and a monthly delivery by a volunteer, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Signed letters of support from pantries, shelters and clinics.
- Your partner agreement and clinic agreement.
- Your voucher form and eligibility guidelines.
- Your warehouse lease or letter of intent.
- Your volunteer agreement and safety plan.
- Quotes for the van and equipment.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $149,000 in Year 1, then $138,500, $128,500, $118,500 and $109,000.
- Food Pantry and Shelter Partner Support: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $44,000.
- Pet Food Drives and Individual Donations: $36,000 in Year 1, growing to $60,000.
- Business Sponsors: $14,000 in Year 1, growing to $30,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $54,000, program manager $42,000, warehouse and clinic coordinator (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: pet food purchases $40,000, veterinary vouchers (paid to partner clinics) $24,000, warehouse rent $9,600, van fuel and maintenance $4,000, administration and insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 7% a year.
- Equipment: $16,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $26,300, paid once from $81,000 in startup money.
- Pets fed each month: about 1,200 in Year 1, growing to about 2,400 in Year 5. Vouchers average about $100 and are paid to partner clinics.
- About 3% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs