Effective philanthropy for animal welfare requires thinking carefully about which interventions have the most impact per dollar. Evidence-based giving can multiply the welfare benefit of donations significantly.
Animal welfare philanthropy is dramatically concentrated in companion animal causes despite farm animals suffering in far greater numbers. Companion animal shelters and rescues provide real welfare value, but from an impact-per-dollar perspective, corporate campaigns that change conditions for billions of farm animals, or research into alternative proteins that could transform food systems, often represent higher-impact giving. Evidence-based donors can use research from ACE and similar organizations to direct giving where it achieves the most welfare improvement.