Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do you mean by the “human-animal bond?”
If you have ever loved an animal, you already inherently understand the human-animal bond. 😊 It is the loving, pure, mutually beneficial connection shared between humans and animals that is special and unlike any other relationship. Animals are highly intuitive and non-judgmental, and they bond with us because of our hearts – not our race, gender, appearance, status, level of education, or anything else. When experienced, the human-animal bond grounds us, heals us, makes us feel happy and whole, and improves the quality of our lives in a way that is unique and extremely powerful.
2. What does your organization do, exactly?
We know how amazing animals are – and how life-changing it can be to connect with them. Therefore, we support and foster human-animal connections however and wherever we can. We do this through our three pillars: 1) bringing people and animals together, 2) keeping people and animals together, and 3) advocating for the human-animal bond. We raise funds, grant funds to partner charities, educate the public, and support legislative policy initiatives that are pro-human-animal bond. For specific examples of our work in action, please visit the Impact page of our website.
3. Is The Human-Animal Alliance a shelter or rescue?
No. While we think animal rescue is wonderful and our grants often benefit animals by keeping them out of the shelter and rescue systems, we are not a shelter and we do not place animals.
4. How can I stay up to date on The Human-Animal Alliance happenings?
There are a couple of ways: 1), give us a follow on social media! We can be found on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 2), sign up for our newsletter! We only send 1 email per month, so you won’t be bombarded with communications, we promise. There is a sign-up right on the home page of our website.
5. Where do grants go?
Grants are distributed to exceptional nonprofit organizations across the country whose missions and goals align with ours. Each year, we give careful thought to where support for the human-animal bond is needed most, given what is happening in the world. We then source, interview, and rigorously vet hundreds of nonprofit organizations to determine who can help us most effectively impact the greatest number of human and animal lives. For each initiative, we narrow hundreds of charities down to one or two, and the best of the best receives the grant funds.
6. How do you select which nonprofits receive grants?
Our vetting process is rigorous and can take up to several months. It includes multiple interviews, a site visit, background research, review of detailed financial information, an extensive written application, and more. At the completion of the screening process, the best of the best are recommended to our Board of Directors for consideration. The Board then votes to approve or deny a grant. Only the top 1-2% of organizations considered receive grants from The Human-Animal Alliance.
7. Does The Human-Animal Alliance provide grants to individuals?
No. While individuals and their animals will, of course, benefit from our grants, all grant funds go directly into the hands of carefully selected nonprofit organizations whose missions and goals align with ours. Our nonprofit partners then use the funds to directly impact the lives of humans and animals who need them most.
8. What is animal-assisted therapy? What are its benefits?
Animal-assisted therapy (commonly known as “AAT”) is a form of therapy that incorporates the use of animals (usually horses and dogs) when treating an individual. The AAT programs that The Human-Animal Alliance supports always include a psychotherapist, a specialist in animal behavior and, of course, the animal. It is common practice to allow clients to choose the animal they work with, based on which one they feel most drawn to. Sessions are usually conducted individually but can be held in groups as well. Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to help people of all ages tremendously in healing from a variety of traumas and mental health conditions, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, physical or emotional abuse, grief, and more. Through participation in AAT, patients experience life-changing outcomes including increased feelings of connection, self-confidence, understanding, acceptance, resilience, and hope.
9. What kind of legislative policy does The Human-Animal Alliance support, and how?
We identify pieces of proposed legislation that support the human-animal bond, endorse them publicly, and lend our support. We rely on the sponsoring representative or senator’s office to guide us in what they need to get the legislation passed. As an example, we are endorsing and supporting H.R. 3989, The Pets Belong with Families Act, which aims to prohibit public housing agencies from imposing unfair breed restrictions on household pets owned by residents. This legislation will help keep people and animals together, so it is perfectly aligned with our mission. The challenge so far has been securing bipartisan support for the bill, so we have been reaching out to garner more support from both sides of the political aisle, as well as speaking publicly about the bill to help it gain more traction.
10. What is the Platinum Seal of Transparency?
The Platinum Seal of Transparency is the highest level of recognition offered by Candid (formerly GuideStar), the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. It indicates that the organization shares clear and important information with the public regarding goals, strategies, capabilities, achievements, and progress indicators that highlight the difference the organization is making in the world. This rating puts The Human-Animal Alliance in the top 0.1% of charities nationally in terms of transparency.
11. I would like to donate. What are my options? Where do donations go?
Donating is easy, and we accept gifts in a variety of ways. Contributions can be made by credit card on the Donate page of our website. We can also accept checks to our physical address in Wellington, FL. For larger donations, invoices can be sent upon request. We are also happy to work with your financial team and accept gifts via wire transfer or from your DAF or private foundation. 100% of all donations received go directly to helping humans and animals, and never to overhead expenses. If you would like your gift to be put toward a specific cause that we are actively working on, we can certainly honor those requests.
For further information regarding donations, or to coordinate making a gift, please contact Jackie Ducci directly at 202-701-8360 or jackie@h-aa.org.
12. What percentage of my donation goes to overhead expenses?
ZERO! 100% of all donations to The Human-Animal Alliance go directly to helping humans and animals, and never to overhead expenses. Every dollar you give will help change lives.
13. Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes! The Human-Animal Alliance is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
14. I don’t have the funds to donate. Can I support The Human-Animal Alliance in another way?
Absolutely. If you love animals and value the human-animal bond, we want to hear from you - regardless of your ability to contribute financially. We can always use help getting the word out about H-AA by word of mouth and social media. Depending on where you live, there may be other ways to help as well.
For further information on how you can get involved, please contact Alexis Pullium at alexis@h-aa.org.