By
Grace Howarth

Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to end animal exploitation. Vegans avoid animal products in food, clothing, beauty products, and entertainment, for ethical, environmental, or health reasons. A vegan diet has just 30% of the environmental impact of a meat-heavy diet, so it is an achievable way to make a positive sustainable change in your own life. Many charities champion the benefits of veganism, raising awareness, and making the movement more accessible across the globe. So we had to ask: What are the best charities that promote veganism?

The best charities that promote veganism are The Vegan Society, A Well-Fed World, and Viva!. Other charities, such as the Humane League, Mercy For Animals, and Vegan Outreach fight tirelessly to bring veganism to the mainstream.

Whether you want to learn more about veganism, promote a plant-based lifestyle, or even get involved in activism yourself, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities that promote veganism are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to make a contribution.

Here’s What All the Best Charities That Promote Veganism Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their mission, impact and transparency ratings, and achievements.

They operate all over the world, from North America to Africa.

These charities all campaign for a more vegan world, offering resources on how to transition to a vegan lifestyle. They also help bring light to malpractice and cruelty in the farming industry.

The charities below are varied in their approaches, from global food justice programs to awareness, outreach, or undercover investigations.

Yet, they all share the same goal of promoting veganism and calling for a more compassionate planet.

These Are the 9 Best Charities That Promote Veganism in 2024

Below are our favorite charities that promote veganism (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

(At the end of this article we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

The Vegan Society: The Oldest Vegan Organization in the World

According to their financial report, The Vegan Society spent 99% of their expenditure on charitable activities and 1% on fundraising.

“We’re working tirelessly to make veganism an easily-adopted and widely-recognized approach to reducing animal suffering and environmental damage. We do so through peaceful and factual dialogue with individuals, organizations and businesses.”

The Vegan Society

The Vegan Society offers resources to help people become vegan and works to make more Vegan Society Trademarked products available in shops. For example, they encourage people to take the 30 Day Vegan Pledge and have a Research Committee of 25 academics researching vegan topics. Furthermore, they support many campaigns, such as Vegan on A Budget, Veganuary, and Plate Up for the Planet. As well as this, they provide grants to vegan projects, release a free quarterly vegan magazine, and offer many resources for anyone interested in veganism.

Since their founding, the Vegan Society has remained committed to promoting a vegan lifestyle. For example, there are now over 65,000 products labeled with their Vegan Society Trademark. In addition, their recent One Little Switch campaign reached over 10 million people, receiving coverage in national media. And, in 2022, they collaborated with 41 UK universities, were featured 229 times across 150 different media outlets, and funded 22 projects with grants totaling over $32,000.

You can donate directly to The Vegan Society through their website. You can also support the charity by joining the Vegan Society, helping fundraise, or by volunteering.

A Well-Fed World: Plant-Based Solutions to Global Hunger and Climate Change

A Well-Fed World has a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Advancing plant-based foods and farming to create a sustainable, nourished, and climate-friendly future. Our multi-level approach provides immediate assistance to people in need and structural change that maximizes personal and planetary health.”

A Well-Fed World

A Well-Fed World runs the Plants-4-Hunger program, which is a plant-based hunger relief program that feeds people, while protecting animals and the planet. For example, they supply plant-based school meals to children in need, support soy microbusinesses, and grow native food trees in deforested villages of the Amazon Rainforest. The organization also offers grants to grassroots vegan groups and has set up a Ukraine Relief Fund to distribute vegan meals to individuals impacted by the war in Ukraine.

Since their founding, A Well-Fed World has gifted more than 3,000 grants to vegan projects totaling over $15 million in 95 countries. As well as this, they have helped distribute over 50,000 free plant-based meals in 10 cities across Ukraine. Furthermore, they recently became part of the United Nations ‘Beans is How’ coalition, after distributing over 33,000 legume seed packets to growers across 5 countries.

You can donate directly to A Well-Fed World through their website. You can also keep up to date with the charity by signing up for their newsletter or by following them on social media.

Viva!: UK’s Leading Animal Rights Campaigning Charity

According to their financial report, Viva! Spent 94% of their expenditure on charitable activities and 6% on fundraising.

“The world is changing and Viva! is leading the vegan revolution!”

Viva!

Viva’s work is split into four categories: animals, planet, health, and lifestyle. For example, they have different programs to investigate factory farms, and encourage restaurants to make their menus 50% vegan by 2025. They also have a vegan recipe club, a 7 day vegan challenge, and a 30 day vegan challenge. As well as this, they run campaigns like The True Costa Dairy, and have released the Netflix documentary, ‘Hogwood’ which exposes one of the most notorious pig farms in the UK.

Since their founding, Viva has remained dedicated to improving animal rights and promoting a vegan lifestyle. For example, their TV ad ‘Takeaway the Meat’ reached 16 million people and won a Silver Drum award. Furthermore, their numerous campaigns have led to the banning of kangaroo and ostrich meat sold in UK supermarkets, the dropping of foie gras from Amazon and other retailers, and a supermarket ban on the duck debeaking practice. In addition, many celebrities, such as Joanna Lumley, Paul McCartney, Brian May, and Fearne Cotton have endorsed Viva to further their mission to promote animal welfare and veganism.

You can donate directly to Viva! through their website. You can also support the charity by helping fundraise or by volunteering.

Sea Shepherd: A Fleet of Ships Dedicated to Protecting the Ocean

Sea Shepherd has a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. The charity also holds a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Sea Shepherd’s sole mission is to protect and conserve the world’s oceans and marine wildlife. We work to defend all marine wildlife, from whales and dolphins, to sharks and rays, to fish and krill, without exception.”

Sea Shepherd

Sea Shepherd has a fleet of 10 ships that are used in their ocean conservation campaigns, all of which are 100% vegan. They also collaborate with like-minded organizations to promote veganism through events such as the San Diego Vegan Festival. Their three main areas of activism focus on saving the vaquita porpoises from illegal fishing, protecting krill, and partaking in research to safeguard all marine wildlife from exploitation caused by fish consumption and overfishing. As well as this, they assist scientists to create new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), while monitoring and patrolling existing MPAs.

Since their founding, Sea Shepherd has worked tirelessly to protect our marine wildlife by promoting a vegan lifestyle. Today, their work spans across 20 countries worldwide. For example, their campaigns have been featured in the Netflix documentary ‘Seaspiracy,’ as well as in the TV series ‘Whale Wars,’ and ‘Ocean Warrior.’ Furthermore, in 2022, a lawsuit brought by Sea Shepherd New Zealand led to the United States Court of International Trade banning the importation of 9 fish species caught off the West Coast of New Zealand’s North Island to protect vulnerable species from bycatch situations, such as the Māui dolphin. 

You can donate directly to Sea Shepherd through their website. You can also help support the charity by fundraising for them or purchasing merchandise from their online shop.

Food Empowerment Project: Empowering Those With the Fewest Resources

The Food Empowerment Project has a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and holds a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We encourage healthy food choices that reflect a more compassionate society by spotlighting the abuse of animals on farms, the depletion of natural resources, unfair working conditions for produce workers, and the unavailability of healthy foods in low-income areas.”

Food Empowerment Project

The Food Empowerment Project campaigns in four key areas: veganism, access to healthy food, ethical chocolate, and farm workers’ rights. Through outreach and education, they promote a plant-based lifestyle. For example, they have recipe websites dedicated to vegan food from Mexico, Lao, China, and the Philippines. As well as this, they publish reports about food empowerment and the inequity of the food system in the United States. Moreover, they provide food and school supply drives for the children of farmers in California.

Since their inception, the Food Empowerment Project has fought to protect farm workers and the environment by promoting veganism. Today, they welcome thousands of attendees to their annual Vallejo Healthy Food Fest. Additionally, they have distributed over $12,000 worth of food to local farmers, and over 3,000 backpacks of school supplies to the children of migrant farmers. Furthermore, the founder of the Food Empowerment Project, Lauren, was the first woman to be inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame.

You can donate directly to the Food Empowerment Project through their website. You can also help support the charity by volunteering or fundraising.

The Humane League: Fighting to End the Suffering of Farm Animals

The Humane League has a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, as well as a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We exist to end the abuse of animals raised for food. Together, we are here, for the animals.”

The Humane League

The Humane League fights animal abuse and raises awareness of veganism through advocacy. For example, they provide informative articles on their website to help people transition to veganism, such as top vegan swaps for school lunches and common fears about going vegan. They also founded the Open Wing Alliance to work toward eliminating battery farm cages for chickens. As well as this, they hold protests and billboard campaigns, exposing the cruelty of specific corporations and calling for meaningful, institutional change by holding companies accountable.

Since their founding, the Humane League’s advocacy efforts have saved over 10 million chickens from battery cages and promoted the benefits of veganism. For example, some of the world’s biggest corporations have enacted welfare policies thanks to their activism, such as Starbucks, Burger King, General Mills, and KFC. Today, 35% of hens in America are cage-free, a figure which has nearly doubled in three years. Moreover, their work with Open Wing Alliance has seen over 90 partners collaborate to distribute over $8.2 million in grants to vegan organizations, and earned over 2,200 animal welfare commitments from corporations.

You can donate directly to The Humane League through their website. You can also help support the charity by volunteering, fundraising, or purchasing merchandise from their online shop.

Mercy For Animals: An Organization Campaigning to Protect Farm Animals

Mercy for Animals has a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We envision a world in which eating is an act of compassion, in which no one is exploited or forced to exploit another.”

Mercy For Animals

Mercy For Animals promotes veganism through undercover investigations into the farming industry, as well as by lobbying for policy change, working with corporations, and engaging with the public. For example, they produce videos that reveal the conditions inside slaughterhouses, working with mainstream press outlets and influencers to promote veganism on a worldwide scale. Moreover, their Transfarmation project helps farmers transition away from animal agriculture, to instead growing crops for human consumption.

Since their founding, Mercy For Animals has helped serve 35 million plant-based meals through implemented institutional food policies, sparing a potential 667,000 animals. Moreover, their work has led to 2,309 schools serving plant-based meals, and the training of 2,940 chefs in vegan cooking. Thanks to the campaigning of Mercy For Animals, over 15,000 restaurants have added plant-based options to their menus and 16,400 coffee shops have switched to using plant-based milk as the standard option.

You can donate directly to Mercy For Animals through their website. You can also support the charity by volunteering, fundraising, or lobbying.

Vegan Outreach: Promoting Veganism Through Outreach and Challenges

Vegan Outreach has a perfect 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and has been rated Silver by GuideStar.

“We focus on reaching the people who are motivated enough to make changes now—there are always many in our target audience who just need some guidance.”

Vegan Outreach

Vegan Outreach spreads awareness of the benefits of going vegan by distributing informative leaflets on college campuses. They also run a 10 Weeks to Vegan Challenge, which encourages people to switch to a plant-based lifestyle. Moreover, they run the free 30-day Get Healthy challenge, offering resources for people transitioning to a more sustainable diet in a health-conscious way. Additionally, their Vegan Chef Challenge brings vegan dishes to places that typically have fewer options, showcasing new plant-based menu items at non-vegan restaurants.

Today, Vegan Outreach hands out booklets to over a million students across 1,000 schools each semester. After the pandemic made them shift to a more online-based approach to activism, they have seen over 1.4 million people across 59 countries sign up for their 10 Weeks to Vegan Challenge. For example, in 2023, they held their Vegan Chef Challenge in 30 cities, with the majority of restaurants keeping their vegan options on the menu after the challenge ended.

You can donate directly to Vegan Outreach through their website. You can also help support the charity by volunteering as a vegan mentor, leafleting, or taking part in one of their challenges.

American Vegan Society: The Longest-Running Vegan Organization in the US

The American Vegan Society has a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator. 

“AVS promotes a compassionate, healthful, sustainable lifestyle. Eating an entirely plant-sourced diet, the vegan way of living does not use animals for food, clothing, commodities, sport, or entertainment.”

American Vegan Society

The American Vegan Society runs a wide range of events and programs to promote veganism to a vast audience. For example, their Vegan Cuisine Initiatives run in low-income communities with little access to health-based education, helping independent restaurants learn and embrace vegan food. As well as this, they organize vegan history walking tours, speaking events, and VegFests. They also have a physical store in New Jersey, selling their books and merchandise, educating and informing anyone interested in switching to a plant-based diet. 

Since their founding, the American Vegan Society has helped lead the way in promoting a plant-based lifestyle. For example, they have published half a dozen books about veganism, alongside their work organizing events, and reaching thousands of people across the country. Today, they have 82 specialist speakers, who take part in their events to help promote veganism.

You can donate directly to the American Vegan Society through their website. You can also help support the charity by becoming a member, or purchasing their books and merchandise.

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities that promote veganism. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarize yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the website of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. Charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to promoting veganism—based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

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