Where is it, how do we donate, can we donate to specific projects, and who decides?
Recently we received some great questions about the MASCUSA Research Fund. After some wonderful conversations with the AKC Canine Health Foundation and our go-to member for canine genetics research, I have some organized answers to share.
Where is our Research Fund?
Currently, our Research Fund is housed with the AKC Canine Health Foundation, where donations can be made at any time. Because the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, donations are tax-deductible. The money is held in our Miniature American Shepherd Donor-Advised Fund until we choose to allocate it.
Members can make a tax-deductible contribution by visiting the link below, clicking the tile on the right, and then selecting the Miniature American Shepherd Donor-Advised Fund from the drop-down menu. The page also explains how donor-advised funds work.
https://www.akcchf.org/donate/focused-giving/donor-advised-funds/
If it helps, here is a quick tutorial showing how to donate: https://app.tango.us/app/workflow/Donate-to-CHF-via-Donor-Advised-Fund-404a35d6ef11414b8519649bc57bbc44
What has changed?
In 2025, Purina discontinued its Parent Club Partnership Program, which credited our club for redeemed UPC codes from Purina products. Under that program, Purina contributed 50% of the funds directly to our AKC Canine Health Foundation Donor-Advised Fund and sent the remaining 50% to the club. The club earmarked those funds as the “Research Fund” through board-approved meeting minutes.
The club ultimately donated the entire Research Fund balance to Purdue University to support its work on NAD research in our breed. This was recommended by a member, approved by motion, and passed by the Board of Directors.
Can we donate to specific research projects?
Absolutely! As an individual, you can donate directly to any active research project supported by the AKC Canine Health Foundation.
As a club, we can also support an investigator, such as Shawna Cook, so that when she submits a research proposal related to the Miniature American Shepherd, we are prepared to help fund it. Having money available in our donor-advised fund is important because these projects are generally at least $10,000 and typically require approximately 10% in committed support to get started.
Who decides?
Each year, we are required to allocate at least 5% of our donor-advised fund. If there are no specific projects we wish to support, that allocation goes to the AKC Canine Health Foundation’s General Fund.
If there is a research project we are excited about supporting—whether it is brought to our attention by members, committees, researchers, or geneticists—we can choose to invest an agreed-upon amount.
The responsibility for making those decisions currently rests with the MASCUSA Board of Directors. However, we rely on our members to bring new research opportunities to our attention. If you know of a worthwhile project or have an idea, please email us. We welcome your suggestions!