MaxFund
The mission of MaxFund is to shelter, care for and find homes for pets in our community, and welcome into our care even those pets with the most critical need.
We do this while working to forward the no kill movement through community, advocacy, and by maximizing programs that strengthen this mission.
MaxFund's commitment to ANIMAL WELFARE
MaxFund maintains a fervent commitment to supporting the needs of animal welfare organizations throughout Colorado, particularly nonprofit, No Kill organizations that dedicate their efforts and funding to ensure long-standing impacts in defense of homeless pets. With each legislative session, MaxFund prioritizes the public support of legislation that will further meaningful and comprehensive initiatives to save lives.
2025: THE COLORADO PET OVERPOPULATION FUND (cpof) AND COMMUNITY CATS ACT
Sponsors: Representative Lindsay, Representative Velasco
The Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund (CPOF) has been a powerful resource for rescues and shelters in our state, raising nearly $1 million dollars annually. Despite this progress, Colorado still faces challenges with pet overpopulation, particularly with community cat colony populations still on the rise due to lack of resources during the pandemic.
This presents many concerns including strain on local Trap-neuter-return (TNR) organizations, rescue, and shelter resources. TNR programs remain the most effective tool to lower community cat populations, but are currently not eligible to receive grant funding from the CPOF despite the clear nexus.
Further, CPOF’s transparency and accountability has seemingly dwindled, currently representing the large shelter and animal welfare organizations that dominate its use.
There is an opportunity to help hundreds of smaller organizations doing good local work in Colorado’s underserved areas with a few updates that increase transparency and equity. These updates ensure the CPOF accurately reflects the compassionate community that makes Colorado a safe state for homeless pets and benefits communities most in need.
FACTS AND OVERVIEW:
This bill will allow the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund to award grants to spay/neuter organizations as well as shelters/rescues operating TNR programming and requires that 20% of funds awarded annually are used for that purpose.
This bill will also enshrine the fund’s current practice of awarding 70% of grants annually to organizations in rural areas. Transparency is vital to maintaining the trust of the public.
This bill will require CPOF to publish the fund grantees, their grant amount, and the fund board members annually.
CPOF CAN DO BETTER: HERE'S HOW
- Open the doors wider: Requiring a single business model prevents organizations from accessing the fund excludes many worthy groups.
- Board diversity: Currently, six of the eight CPOF board members also sit on one of two other Socially Conscious animal welfare organizations. Individuals on the CPOF board should not include more than one individual from any given industry group.
- Spread the love: There are over 300+ rescues/shelters in our state and only 54 have received a grant in the last four years. Introducing a biannual grant structure will ensure equitable distribution.
Contact FOR THE BILL
Lobbyists:
Bailey Kramer or Lacey Hays bailey@legacyconsultingcolorado.com | (720) 272-2457 lacey@legacyconsultingcolorado.com | (303) 775-7069
For more information and ways to get involved, email advocacy@maxfund.org
