Anti-Cruelty to Animals Month

As April is recognized as Anti-Cruelty to Animals Month, BBB Wise Giving Alliance seeks to bring attention to the variety of charitable organizations that protect animals in some way. The scope of potential activities is vast from rescuing abused cats and dogs to stopping illegal trade in wildlife. To help interested donors, we compiled a list of various nationally-soliciting animal organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (i.e., BBB Accredited Charities.) We also offer the following tips to help you make your donation choices.

• Be aware of name confusion. As animal charities are one of the most popular categories of organizations, be mindful that some may have name similarities. Look at the name carefully since the one you are considering may not be the one you have in mind.

• Find out that they do. Don’t assume what an animal charity does based solely on the name alone.

• One time vs. monthly donations. Some charities encourage recurring donations where the organization automatically charges a credit card a monthly contribution amount. It’s okay to support a charity this way if that is what you want, but also remember you can choose to make a one time gift if you prefer.

• Visit Give.org. In addition to charity reports on BBB’s Give.org, check with your state government’s charity registration agency, usually a division of either the Attorney General’s office or Secretary of State’s office. In Canada, check with the Canada Revenue Agency.  Also, registration with a government agency does not signify a government endorsement or recommendation.

The following are various animal-related charities that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (i.e., BBB Accredited Charities.) 

American Humane
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Animal Legal Defense Fund
Big Life Foundation USA
Days End Farm Horse Rescue
Defenders of Wildlife
Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee
Farm Sanctuary
Humane Society International
Humane Society of the United States
International Animal Rescue, US
Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife, Research, Education and Conservation
Last Chance for Animals
Mercy For Animals
Pan African Sanctuary Alliance
PetSmart Charities
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Polar Bears International
Primarily Primates
Primate Rescue Center
RedRover
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation
World Animal Protection
World Wildlife Fund
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Heart of Giving Podcast

This week the Heart of Giving Podcast features an interview with Art Taylor, President & CEO, BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Art is interviewed by Tina Beaty from the Society for Human Resources Management's (SHRM) AI+HI (artificial intelligence and human intelligence) Conference. The conversation covers Art's thoughts about key considerations for organizations contemplating the launch of AI projects.

Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

•  Nourish Up
• Medical Teams International 
• International Aid Charity

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.