Maddie's Fund
Maddie's Fund is the operating brand of The Duffield Family Foundation, a 1994 private foundation that distributes grants, education, and community platforms to advance no-kill companion animal welfare in the United States. It serves animal welfare organizations, shelters, and pet families through free digital products and direct program funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersPleasanton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Maddie's Fund does
Maddie's Fund is the operating brand of The Duffield Family Foundation, a Nevada nonprofit corporation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield. The foundation's stated mission is to create a no-kill nation where every dog and cat is guaranteed a healthy home or habitat, pursued through grant-making to animal welfare organizations rather than commercial operations. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California with 11-50 employees, the foundation distributes resources to municipal shelters, rescue organizations, animal control agencies, pet families in underserved communities, and the broader animal welfare professional workforce.
The foundation's product surface centers on three digital platforms and a portfolio of programs. Maddie's Pet Forum is an online community platform (built on Higher Logic) with 95,000+ members, 28,500+ discussion threads, and a 2,400+ entry resource library serving animal welfare professionals. Maddie's University is an online learning management system delivering free courses, webcasts, and conference recordings, including CE credits toward CAWA and NACA certifications and free UC Davis Koret Shelter Care Specialist credentials. Maddie's Pet Assistant is a shelter and foster management app. Supporting programs include Community Conversations (weekly peer Zoom calls with up to $10,000 in monthly grant giveaways), Champions for Pet Health (multi-foundation free spay/neuter initiative), Camp Maddie (half-day learning sessions), Maddie's Candid Conversations (equity-focused discussions), and Maddie's Pet Adoption Days (a past signature program that placed 36,000+ pets across 591 cities in nine states).
The business model is endowment-funded philanthropy, not commercial revenue. All educational content, community access, and grant funding are provided free of charge to eligible animal welfare organizations. The foundation generates no disclosed revenue from operations; capital for grants and programs is drawn from the Duffield family endowment, established when the foundation was created in 1994. Distribution is self-serve through the Grants Portal, Maddie's University, and Maddie's Pet Forum, supplemented by channel partnerships with PetSmart Veterinary Services, Cornell University, University of Florida, Purdue University, UC Davis, UW-Madison, ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, HASS, Shelter Animals Count, AAWA, and NACA. The foundation has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds in the venture sense, and no public ticker.
Maddie's Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Maddie's Fund
- Legal name
- The Duffield Family Foundation
- Website
- https://maddiesfund.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Maddie's Fund is the operating brand of The Duffield Family Foundation, a 1994 private foundation that distributes grants, education, and community platforms to advance no-kill companion animal welfare in the United States. It serves animal welfare organizations, shelters, and pet families through free digital products and direct program funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Maddie's Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animal Welfare Foundation Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Endowments (Universities, Foundations, Nonprofits) (FSAAAGAC)
Keywords
Where Maddie's Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pleasanton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Maddie's Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Grants to organizations, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundation Endowment: Maddie's Fund is The Duffield Family Foundation, established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield as a private foundation. The organization operates as a philanthropic endowment distributing grants rather than generating commercial revenue. The foundation's operations are funded from the endowment principal.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free resources and grants for animal welfare organizations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Maddie's Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Maddie's Fund is a private animal welfare foundation that distributes grants and provides free educational resources and community platforms to animal welfare organizations, shelters, and professionals. Its core offerings include grant funding for innovative animal welfare programs, the Maddie's Pet Forum community platform (95,000+ members), Maddie's University online learning system, and direct service programs such as Champions for Pet Health free spay/neuter events.
Product overview
Maddie's Fund operates as a comprehensive animal welfare platform rather than a single product. The core offerings include Maddie's Pet Forum (an online community powered by Higher Logic for animal welfare professionals), Maddie's University (an online learning management system with free courses and webcasts), and Maddie's Pet Assistant (an animal shelter and foster app). Supporting programs include Community Conversations (weekly peer Zoom calls with grant opportunities), Champions for Pet Health (free spay/neuter initiative), Camp Maddie (interactive learning sessions), Maddie's Candid Conversations (equity and diversity discussions), The Foster Assessment System (FAST-15), and educational content through Chew on This Blog and Maddie's Tail Wag. The organization provides grant funding, professional development resources, and community engagement platforms to help keep pets and people together.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Maddie's Pet Forum: An online community platform for animal welfare professionals to discuss, share resources, and collaborate on animal well-being topics.
- Maddie's University
- Maddie's Pet Assistant
- Maddie's Pet Adoption Days
- Maddie's Tail Wag
- Champions for Pet Health
Products and services
- Maddie's Pet Forum
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 36,000 pets adopted through Maddie's Pet Adoption Days across 591 cities in nine states
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Maddie's Fund
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Maddie's Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Maddie's Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- PetSmart Veterinary ServicescorePetSmart Veterinary Services provides a five-year free lease for Cornerstone Animal Center to open a low-cost veterinary clinic inside the Visalia PetSmart location. Maddie's Fund contributed a $1.4 million grant to support the clinic which will offer vaccinations, spay/neuter, and microchipping services to improve pet healthcare access in the Valley.
- Champions for Pet Health (Four National Family Foundations)flagshipFour national family foundations collaborate on the Champions for Pet Health initiative to provide free spay/neuter surgeries and vaccines. Nine animal well-being organizations across five Bay area counties are partnering for the December 2025 event targeting 600+ surgeries.
- Cornell UniversitycoreLong-standing partnership for shelter medicine conference recordings and educational content. Maddie's Fund has hosted Cornell University Conference recordings since 2011.
- University of FloridacorePartnership for Maddie's Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine and online master's program for shelter leaders and managers. UF Conference recordings hosted on Maddie's University platform.
- Purdue UniversitycorePartnership for Purdue Symposium and Conference recordings. Maddie's Fund has hosted Purdue University Conference recordings since 2010.
- UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine ProgramcoreUC Davis Koret Shelter Care Specialist and Master Shelter Care Specialist certifications are free thanks to Maddie's Fund funding. Shelter Med LIVE webcasts hosted in collaboration.
- University of Wisconsin-MadisonminorPartnership for shelter medicine coursework and educational content delivery.
- ASPCAcoreASPCA-Maddie's Shelter Medicine courses available through ASPCApro. Maddie's Shelter Medicine Conference 2020 hosted with ASPCA. Joint public service campaigns including The Shelter Pet Project (2009-2023).
- Humane World for AnimalscoreAnimal Care Expo, the national conference for animal welfare leadership tracks, is now under Humane World for Animals. Maddie's Fund participates in and supports this conference.
- Best Friends Animal SocietycoreCollaboration on Open Arms Challenge initiatives. Best Friends is a key partner in Maddie's Fund's national animal welfare programs and conferences.
- Human Animal Support Services (HASS)coreHASS is a national partnership transforming animal sheltering through collaborative community support. Referenced in site index as a topic/resource area.
- Shelter Animals CountcoreMaddie's Fund Shelter Animals Count Incentive Grant supports data collection and tracking. Shelterluv partnership for data interoperability.
- The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement (AAWA)coreAAWA offers the CAWA (Certified Animal Welfare Administrator) credential, the executive credential for animal welfare leadership. Maddie's University CE credits count toward CAWA certification.
- National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA)coreNACA covers animal control and field services management. Maddie's University offers NACA Field Services Series courses. CE credits count toward NACA certification.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Maddie's Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ASPCA: The ASPCA is one of the largest and oldest U.S. animal welfare organizations, combining national grantmaking, advocacy, and direct shelter support. Maddie's Fund partners with ASPCA on shelter medicine courses and joint campaigns, making it a direct mission peer with significantly greater scale.
- Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States): Humane World for Animals is the largest U.S. animal protection organization, running Animal Care Expo and broad advocacy. It is a longstanding Maddie's Fund partner (co-developed The Shelter Pet Project) and competes for influence among national shelter leaders.
- American Humane: American Humane is a national animal welfare organization running the Hero Dog Awards and certifying humane treatment standards. It pursues overlapping advocacy and shelter support work and competes for the same national visibility.
Direct peers
- Best Friends Animal Society: Best Friends leads the no-kill movement that Maddie's Fund champions, operates a major sanctuary, and co-runs the Open Arms Challenge with Maddie's Fund. The two foundations share donor and grantee constituencies and compete for leadership of the no-kill agenda.
- PetSmart Charities: PetSmart Charities is the largest funder of animal welfare in the U.S., granting tens of millions annually to shelters and access-to-care programs. Maddie's Fund partners with PetSmart Veterinary Services on the Visalia clinic and competes for the same shelter grantees.
- Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): Petco Love funds adoption, spay/neuter, and access-to-care initiatives nationwide and operates within Petco stores. It overlaps with Maddie's Fund's mission on community spay/neuter, adoption events, and shelter grants.
- Banfield Foundation: Banfield Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Banfield Pet Hospital, funding preventive care, disaster relief, and shelter medicine programs. It shares Maddie's Fund's focus on access-to-care and veterinary-driven shelter outcomes.
- Pedigree Foundation: Pedigree Foundation funds shelter dog adoption and operates the One True Grant program. It is a corporate-backed grantmaker working in the same companion-animal welfare space with similar shelter grantees.
Emerging players
- RedRover: RedRover provides grants and emergency sheltering for animals in crisis, including domestic violence survivors and disaster response. It is a smaller, mission-aligned grantmaker focused on a narrower subset of animal welfare needs.
- The Pet Fund: The Pet Fund provides financial assistance for veterinary care to pet owners in need, complementing Maddie's Fund's access-to-care focus (e.g., Cornerstone clinic). It operates at smaller scale with a more direct beneficiary model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Maddie's Fund social profiles
Digital presenceMaddie's Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Maddie's Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Maddie's Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Maddie's Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments225 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Maddie's Fund
What does Maddie's Fund do?
Maddie's Fund is a private animal welfare foundation that distributes grants and provides free educational resources and community platforms to animal welfare organizations, shelters, and professionals. Its core offerings include grant funding for innovative animal welfare programs, the Maddie's Pet Forum community platform (95,000+ members), Maddie's University online learning system, and direct service programs such as Champions for Pet Health free spay/neuter events.
Is Maddie's Fund a public or private company?
Maddie's Fund is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Maddie's Fund founded?
Maddie's Fund was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Maddie's Fund based?
Maddie's Fund is headquartered in Pleasanton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Maddie's Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Endowment.
Who are Maddie's Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ASPCA, Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States) and American Humane. Direct peers are Best Friends Animal Society, PetSmart Charities, Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation), Banfield Foundation and Pedigree Foundation. Emerging players are RedRover and The Pet Fund.
Does Maddie's Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Maddie's Fund.
What industry is Maddie's Fund in?
Maddie's Fund's product category is Animal Welfare Foundation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.