ACE Movement Grants

Round 12 of the Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) Movement Grants is closed. It closed on 18 October 2026 at 5 pm Pacific time (5:30 am IST on 19 October), with reviews and decisions from late October to early November and payments in November and December 2026. ACE says no two cycles look the same and that it is significantly shifting its strategy, so a next round is not announced and its priorities may differ. The programme is international, not India-only, and the whole process is online with no in-person stage.

ACE is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit that evaluates animal charities. Movement Grants fund projects and groups that strengthen animal advocacy around the world. The page says groups in Africa and Asia are of special interest, which makes it relevant to Indian animal-welfare organisations and mission-driven companies.

What the program offers

ACE aims for grants of US$100,000 or less (about ₹95 lakh); the total budget for a round depends on ACE's fundraising in the prior year. Money can be general support (including salaries) or a specific project, but each application covers only one project or one type of support. Two-year grants are possible, paid in two instalments; grantees must file an interim report before the second payment and complete a check-in questionnaire after the project. Once the grant agreement is signed, ACE aims to pay within two weeks.

Who can apply

Groups, organisations and companies almost anywhere in the world can apply. Excluded are groups in countries under nationwide US sanctions, groups that encourage animal exploitation, current ACE Recommended Charities, groups whose leaders have given financially to ACE in the past three years, and groups that campaign for or against political candidates. Individuals working in the US can apply, though grants may be taxable income; individuals elsewhere should use a fiscal sponsor. You must be able to receive funds legally and keep basic financial controls.

In Round 12 an applicant had to meet at least one of four conditions: under three years old, a budget below US$500,000, incubating other groups, or applying for monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) work with an external consultant. This suits young or small Indian groups, but a larger, older group without incubation work would not qualify.

Priorities and what ACE will not fund

Priority animals were aquatic animals in fishing and aquaculture, insects and other invertebrates, wild animals affected by human activity, and under-served farmed amphibians, reptiles and birds such as ducks and frogs. Priority work includes policy and certification, farmer outreach, locally grounded welfare arguments, movement capacity building, talent development, and research that changes a specific decision. Applications outside these areas are still considered if they are not on the exclusion list.

ACE will not fund diet-change or meat-reduction programmes (except restricted MEL on them), alternative-protein work other than government and policy work, public awareness work without a defined audience, podcasts and documentaries, direct care such as sanctuaries and rescues, research without defined users, biodiversity or conservation work, or AI work without an animal-welfare pathway.

How to apply

Stage 1 is an online application through the Granti platform. In Stage 2 you answer possible follow-up questions and ACE may consult outside experts. In Stage 3, if you advance, you send due-diligence documents: your latest financial statement or tax return, an operating budget, incorporation papers and proof of registered charity status where relevant. Documents can be in any language, and ACE says it will cover professional translation into English if needed.

How applications are judged and what happens next

ACE reviews each application, may ask questions and consults experts before deciding whether to fund and how much. Out-of-scope applications are declined without individual feedback. ACE does not automatically penalise generative AI use, but says applications must reflect your own ideas and that AI-written text tends to score lower on detail, relevance and accuracy.

Things to check before you apply

Make sure your work does not fall in the exclusion list before spending time on the form. A practical tip: be specific about the animals affected, the audience and the result you expect, because ACE favours work with clear outputs. Indian groups receiving foreign funds should check FCRA, FEMA and tax treatment with an adviser before applying.