Frequently asked questions

Q1—What are the eligibility requirements?

  • All AVMA veterinarian members are eligible. Pet owners aren’t eligible to apply.
  • Grants are provided as reimbursement for veterinary charitable care provided within the last two months. No pre-approval is required.
  • Eligible conditions include veterinary care for an animal with an illness or conditions requiring immediate care, where the owner expressed financial hardship.
  • Applicant must be an AVMA member on staff at the practice applying for the grant.

*Pet owners

AVMF does not provide direct support to the public for veterinary care. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization supporting veterinary care teams. If you have a question about the care of your pet, please contact your local veterinarian.

AVMF does not provide direct support to the public for veterinary care. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization supporting veterinary care teams. If you have a question about the care of your pet, please contact your local veterinarian.

Q2—Can I request funds for any type of veterinary charitable care?

Funds may be requested for medical care provided to an animal for illness or conditions requiring immediate care due to financial hardship. Elective surgery (e.g., spays and neuters) and routine preventative care are excluded.

Q3—Is there a maximum amount I can request?

  • Grant applicants may be reimbursed for up to $1,000/request for eligible veterinary care for financial hardship for a total not to exceed $1,000 per applicant per calendar year (January through December). These caps allow us to help as many animals and members as possible.
  • Multiple AVMA members within the same practice can pool funds for a single case, up to $5,000 per calendar year. Each member is required to submit an individual grant request.

Q4—Do I have to enroll in this program?
No. You only need to log in, complete the application, and submit it for review.

Q5—How do I apply?
Visit https://vcare.avmf.org. When you click on the login button, you’ll be prompted to sign in to your AVMA member account. Once signed in, you will be able to begin filling out the application.

Q6—Can I apply for recurring care for the same animal?
This program is not intended to reimburse for ongoing care for the same animal for the same condition. This enables us to help as many animals as possible.

Q7—Can I have my practice or office manager complete the application?
Yes, as long as they are able to log in to your AVMA member account.

Q8—How will grant funds be paid?

  • We aim to review and approve all eligible grant applications within seven business days.
  • Please note: If we do not have your clinic’s W9 information on file from a previous grant application, you’ll receive an email from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (via PaymentWorks) with a link to submit it. Subsequent reminder emails will come from PaymentWorks directly. Be sure to check your spam folder to ensure that you don’t miss the invitation.
    • If you or a veterinarian in your practice received a REACH grant in 2024, you can skip this step.
  • Important: If you don’t set up an account within our payment portal within TWO months your grant will be cancelled. However, you’ll still be eligible to apply for another grant in the future.
  • Payment will be issued via direct deposit or check, depending on your stated preference.
  • The AVMF REACH Program isn’t intended to offset practice write-offs at the year end.

Q9—Where is my payment?

  • Please allow seven days to review and approve your application. We will do our best to pay grants within two weeks once payment verification through PaymentWorks is complete.
  • If you’re part of a corporate practice, your payment may not come directly back to your practice’s address. Please work with your corporate headquarters to determine how your practice can reconcile these funds.

Q10—What if I have trouble logging in?
Log out of the application portal and avma.org. Clear browser cache or use another browser to login. If problems persist, contact the administrator.

Questions? If your question is not addressed in the guidelines or the FAQs, email
avmfreach@avma.org.


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