How do you know which animal charities to support? Which ones are trustworthy, and which ones aren’t? Here are some tips to help you make the best decision.
As animal lovers, when animal protection charities send us emotional fundraising appeals that pull at our heartstrings, we often want to support all of them. But with so many animal causes needing our help, how is a prospective donor to know which organizations to support and, more importantly, which to avoid?
There are two important factors to consider: the organization’s philosophy and its people.
Philosophy
It is critical to ensure that any animal charity you support aligns philosophically with your own values. Once you know what an organization stands for, and what it stands against, you are in a better position to determine if you share a common vision and goal.
Let’s take the goal of wildlife conservation as an example. Two organizations may state their goal is to protect waterfowl and their habitat. However, on closer examination, one organization proves to be a group of hunters seeking to preserve habitat for hunting opportunities, while the other is opposed to hunting and tries to conserve spaces for wild animals to live. Superficially, both groups appear to have the same goal but their philosophies are very different.
If you want to support an organization that purports to protect and conserve wildlife, ask them to what degree they support or oppose hunting? Do they believe in culling as a means of conservation management? Whether you consider their position “right” or “wrong” depends on your own personal values. If the organization won’t publically disclose its position statements, consider this a red flag.
People
In addition to the experience of the charity’s management team, donors should assess its reputation with peers in the animal welfare sector. Successful animal charities tend to participate in collaborative partnerships and projects with other known groups, scientific experts, academics, and government agencies. They also will receive funding from reputable foundations and corporations. Evidence of this will be mentioned on their websites, in press releases and demonstrated in their program work. You may also wish to call a similar charity and ask for their opinion about the organization in question. Lack of collaboration with peers or less than positive reviews from other charities or experts are certainly red flags.
Let a public foundation do the homework for you
If you don’t wish to do the research yourself, a great alternative is to donate to a registered, charitable public foundation. Foundations like the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada use a volunteer panel of experts to review grant proposals submitted by the charities seeking funding. These advisors then allocate funds to the worthiest projects on behalf of the foundation’s donors. Because foundations invest your donations in an income-generating endowment, your gift can help advance animal welfare for years to come.
Remember though, no single organization can resolve animal welfare issues on their own. While large, established organizations bring much clout to a cause, smaller organizations can often provide a more proactive and progressive voice. Diverse strategies and tactics are key to accomplishing any goal. Collectively, these different approaches will do more to achieve progress than any single organization’s independent approach. As with most progressive change, it takes a village, so be sure your gift planning includes multiple animal charities working on the issues and values important to you.
AUTHOR PROFILE
After earning an MSc in Animal Science, Leanne was a Director at the Vancouver Humane Society for seven years. In addition to her role as President of the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, Leanne is an animal welfare consultant to the food and agriculture industries and an advisor to the Vancouver Foundation’s grants program.
