Primate sanctuaries vary enormously in quality, and accreditation provides the most reliable signal that a facility meets welfare standards for animals who cannot be released to the wild.
Primate sanctuary accreditation is a welfare signal of exceptional importance given how widely the term "sanctuary" is misused. True sanctuaries that meet GFAS standards provide genuine lifetime welfare for animals who cannot be released to the wild. They maintain social groups, provide cognitively appropriate enrichment, offer excellent veterinary care, and operate transparently with welfare as the primary mission. Facilities that call themselves sanctuaries while allowing direct public contact with primates, breeding animals for commerce, or maintaining inappropriate social conditions are not sanctuaries but exploitation businesses using welfare language. Directing support to accredited facilities is the most impactful way to advance primate welfare through donation.