Maddie's Fund: A Large Foundation Inspired By a Little Dog

Maddie's Fund is a charitable foundation with a mission to “revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals.” Maddie's Fund is named after Maddie, a beloved Miniature Schnauzer whose unconditional love, loyalty, and spirit inspired her caregivers to start a foundation in her name.

Maddie's Fund was started by billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of Workday and PeopleSoft, Dave Duffield, and his wife, Cheryl, who both fell in love with Maddie when she was just less than 2 weeks old. Maddie shared 10 happy and memorable years with Dave and Cheryl before she passed away in 1997. During the formation of PeopleSoft, Dave promised Maddie that if his company made money, he will give it back to companion animals in need so that they too can be as happy as Dave and Maddie were on that day.

Today, Dave and Cheryl are fulfilling that promise, having endowed Maddie's Fund with over $300 million. From 2012 to 2013 (fiscal year), Maddie's Fund has awarded nearly $136 million to animal welfare organizations and universities to save dog and cat lives. The foundation is working towards a no-kill nation by providing solutions to the most challenging issues the animal welfare community faces and supplying strategic funding to organizations and communities that are dedicated to saving healthy and treatable shelter animals.

One of Maddie's Fund's numerous programs is Maddie's Pet Adoption Days, the biggest free shelter pet adoption event in America. The event helps shelter dogs and cats find loving homes as well as raises public awareness of shelter animals and recognizes the efforts of rescue organizations. Meanwhile, Maddie's Institute provides the most innovative animal welfare information to shelter staff, veterinarians, rescue groups, and concerned citizens through a blog, articles, videos, webcasts, and other educational materials. Maddie's Fund also awards grants to US colleges of veterinary medicine that are developing shelter medicine programs.