More than ever before, individuals and institutions are taking action to establish a new kind of relationship between humans and animals. We’ve made great progress as a society, such as establishing higher welfare standards for animals used in research and impeding the increase in farmed animals raised in cruel conditions, but there is still a great deal of work to be done.

One critical issue we’re currently facing is that we have insufficient evidence to help us determine which interventions do the most good. Interventions differ greatly in their methods, messages, resources required, and ultimately, the extent to which they lead to positive outcomes for animals. Without rigorous evidence, it can be difficult to ensure that we are using our limited resources to help animals in the most effective ways possible.

To help solve this problem, we introduced the Animal Advocacy Research Fund in 2016. The purpose of this fund is to support research that contributes to an understanding of effective animal advocacy.

A generous benefactor has committed $1 million to be used for this program over three years. We distributed most of this funding via grants to a diverse selection of advocacy groups, academics (including graduate students and postdoctoral researchers), and other qualified researchers. To learn about funding outcomes, explore the list of completed projects.

Our applications are currently closed as we explore options for funding future projects. Please check back on this page for updates. You can also keep in touch via our monthly newsletter.