ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
We support charities advancing animal advocacy or equine-assisted programs to improve the wellbeing of both humans and animals.
Founded in honor of Dr. Rodney Rogers
The Rogers and Waterhouse Foundation was created in May 2025 to honor the life and values of the late Dr. Rodney O. Rogers.
We carry forward the commitment he and his wife, Dr. Shirley Waterhouse, shared to advocate for animals around the world through our support of animal advocacy or equine-assisted programs.
We focus on work that brings animals and people together with care and intention and on projects designed to be shared or adapted so their impact can reach more communities over time.
Our path to equine-assisted programs
In continuing the work she and Rod cared deeply about, Shirley began exploring equine-assisted learning after retiring from her career in education. Through her time with horses, she experienced firsthand the powerful connection that can form between humans and animals and saw how these programs can help people when they are dealing with life’s challenges.
This experience helped shape the Rogers and Waterhouse Foundation’s interest in supporting thoughtful equine-assisted initiatives alongside its broader commitment to animal advocacy, where the wellbeing of both people and animals is enhanced.
Our core principles
Care for animals and people
We support projects that promote animal welfare and those that help people with physical, mental or emotional challenges.
Thoughtful, collaborative partnerships
We focus on work that involves close collaboration with organizations and communities.
Projects that can be replicated
We support projects that are thoughtfully designed and built in a way that allows others to learn from and replicate them.
Our funding approach
We are intentionally a small foundation, which allows us to stay closely connected to the organizations we support and the projects we fund.
Organizations seeking funding complete a structured proposal process. Each proposal is carefully reviewed to ensure the project is ethically grounded and aligned with our mission.
In reviewing proposals, we consider how a project is designed, the clarity of its goals, and the methods used to evaluate its effectiveness over time, with preference given to work that can be replicated by others.
The impact we're here to create
At the heart of the Rogers and Waterhouse Foundation is a simple belief:
When humans and animals work together, the wellbeing of each is enhanced.
Animals benefit through consistent care, purposeful engagement, and environments that honor their wellbeing.
Many of the projects we support bring people with physical, developmental, or life challenges into hands-on partnership with animals, including rescued animals and horses used in equine-assisted programs. Participants engage through activities such as caring for animals, guided interactions, and working alongside them in ways that foster deep connections.
By prioritizing projects that are thoughtfully designed and capable of being replicated, the Foundation helps extend these outcomes to more organizations and communities over time.
