501c3 Eligibility and Criteria to Receive Goods from Rescue Pack

Please review the prerequisites for joining Rescue Pack before proceeding with your application. If you have any questions, you may reach out to us at applications@rescuepack.org. 

Rescue Pack aims to approve all applications within 90 days with the exception of June 1st through Labor Day. If the applying organization becomes unresponsive after this period, they may need to update their application information. 

Apply via the links at the bottom of this page. 

Rescue Pack accepts applications from 501c3 organizations that are:

• Cat or dog rescues and shelters with a minimum of 10 cats or 10 dogs posted available for adoption at all times
• Pet food pantries with an established location, days and hours of operation

Rescue Pack will not approve the following:

• Feral cat feeders
• Animal sanctuaries
• Pure transport groups
• Human food pantries
• Farm or wildlife organizations
• State, county, or local animal welfare facilities operated by a government entity
• Law enforcement agencies (animal control)
• Breeders

To be approved to join our Pack, recipients must meet the following criteria: 

1. Located in Illinois, Northern Indiana, Southwest Michigan, or Wisconsin.
2. Must be established for at least one year from the date on your IRS determination letter.
3. 501c3 must be in good standing and your 990-series forms are published on IRS.gov.
4. Have appropriate storage capability that is free from bugs and rodents.

Rescues and Shelters must:

1. Have required state-mandated licenses from the Department of Agriculture.
2. Provide evidence of adoption programs showing a minimum of ten dogs or ten cats for adoption on the organization's website or adoption sites (e.g., Petfinder, Adopt-A-Pet). Rescue Pack will only use your website or adoption sites (not social media!) to confirm the number of cats and dogs available for adoption. 
3. Be able to submit at Rescue Pack's request, the last 60 days of medical bills to show proof of adoptable animals or spay /neuter procedures. Clearly identify on your website or adoptions sites what the adoption process is, criteria, and adoption fee, along with a detailed description of what medical services are included in the fee (e.g., spay/neuter, vaccines, microchip).
4. Must be up-to-date on age appropriate vaccines and spay/neuter all rescued pets prior to adoption, unless it is medically deemed unsafe.

Pet Food Pantries must:

1. Have clearly stated location, days and hours of established standard distribution of pet food support listed on website.
2. Pop-Up Distribution requests should be place via contact form, we do not approve pop-up based organizations for regular program distributions. 

In addition to ensuring every organization meets our criteria, Rescue Pack's Evaluation Process also includes:

• A financial review to determine need. Organizations with more than $250,000 in net profit (line item 19 on IRS 990) may be considered as Overflow Recipients when there are excess supplies available.
• Speaking to the organization's veterinarian to gather information on full-service medical care for all animals, number of animals with records at the clinic, and payment promptness.
• Conducting a phone interview or visiting the organization's site for further assessment.
• Reviewing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., to verify that the organization maintains a reputable social media presence.
• Ongoing and periodic checks or site visits to ensure that the organization continues to meet Rescue Pack's standards.
• Conducting internet searches using the organization's name, key staff names or board members to identify any red flags such as lawsuits, hoarding situations, law enforcement activities, animal-related offenses or negative adoption practices.

RESCUE PACK HAS THE RIGHT TO APPROVE, DENY, OR REMOVE ANY RECIPIENT AT OUR DISCRETION.