Thanks for writing this up, James!

For those looking to start or increase their giving in animal welfare, here are two excellent EA-aligned resources to consider, presented in no particular order:

Animal Charity Evaluators
Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) is a nonprofit organization that rigorously assesses and recommends the most effective animal welfare charities. By providing transparent evaluations and research, ACE helps donors make informed decisions to maximize their impact in reducing animal suffering.

EA Animal Welfare Fund
The EA Animal Welfare Fund is dedicated to supporting high-impact projects that improve the lives of animals, guided by the principles of Effective Altruism. By funding evidence-based initiatives, the fund ensures that contributions lead to meaningful and sustainable changes in animal welfare.

A few other re-granting programs you can contribute to include Thrive, ProVeg Grants, ReRoot Asia Fund, and Food System Research Fund, again, in no particular order.

If you're planning to make substantial donations, consider the two donor communities below. One requires individuals or foundations to contribute $100,000 or more annually to farmed animal advocacy, while the latter has a $250,000 yearly commitment. Both communities provide fantastic connections, guidance, and additional resources to support your giving.

Strategic Animal Funding Circle
Strategic Animal Funding Circle is a group of impact-focused donors who support promising animal-focused nonprofits with strategic funding. The animal-focused funding space is still small, and there are a lot of gaps to fill, starting from fueling talent to the movement, through mid-stage interventions, or best bets in the neglected regions.

Farmed Animal Funders
Farmed Animal Funders focuses on providing financial support to initiatives aimed at reducing the suffering of animals in factory farming systems. Through targeted grants and strategic investments, the organization empowers projects that promote better living conditions and advocate for the ethical treatment of farmed animals.

As James outlined, animal welfare receives orders of magnitude fewer resources, and the outlook for the billions of animals currently suffering—and those that will in the future—is generally bleak.

How has your strategy for assessing potential grants evolved over the years, and what key factors do you now consider that you didn’t before?

In what ways have your relationships with grantees changed over the years, and how has this influenced your effectiveness as a grantmaker?

What are some common pitfalls in the field of grantmaking that you encountered, and what advice would you give to new philanthropists to avoid them?

Neat— thanks!

Nothing like that exists yet, but sounds like it would be valuable— adding to our list. 

Thanks for the suggestion Fai, appreciate it!

Hi Siebe,

Both great suggestions, will look into them— dankjewel!

Just stopping by to add my +1 to anyone reading this— AVA has been a much needed boost in fostering connections and collaborations within both of our spaces. 

I was amazed by the size (and engagement) of the EA community there, so I highly encourage anyone interested to register for the upcoming event in D.C., there's a lot of value to be gained.

Perfect, this was all very insightful— thanks Kieran.

Hi Kieran, thanks for posting— it was an interesting and insightful read, and it's unfortunate that the fund is facing a wider gap and has fewer resources available compared to last year.

I have a few questions if you don't mind:

1) If I understand correctly, with $1 million currently available and $4.5 million worth of grants under evaluation, several promising applicants are likely to be declined. In instances where applications are rejected due to insufficient funds, does the fund ever share information about these declined proposals with other potential funders, so as not to miss out on any potentially promising interventions? Do these applicants typically remain active long enough without funding to reapply in the following year?

2) You flagged that the fund is (somewhat) tied to funders that invest in Cryptocurrency— are you able to share a rough % breakdown from funds received from Cryptocurrency sources versus more traditional funding sources? Would you attribute the anticipated variation in funding for the upcoming year to fluctuations in the Cryptocurrency market, or are there other unrelated factors primarily influencing this change?

3) Do any of AWF's larger donors provide restricted funding, where their contributions are earmarked for specific initiatives or causes? For instance, a donor who specifies that their donation should only be used for projects related to fish welfare, or those favoring abolitionist approaches over welfare-based methods. How common is this, if at all, and does it lead to any challenges or difficulties?

Thanks! I was really happy to hear that there was significant investment in invertebrate welfare over this past year— I hope that continues, and keep up the great work with the fund.