Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Animal suffering in our world is diverse and immense, but the number of animals used and killed for food dwarfs the number of animals used by humans for other purposes. Furthermore, the number of wild animals is several orders of magnitude greater than the number of farmed animals. However, the distribution of resources to help animals is highly inconsistent with these patterns. Although farmed animals represent over 99% of animals used by humans, charities that exclusively advocate for farmed animals receive less than 1% of all donations to animal charities. Similarly, despite the fact that wild animals represent 99.9% of all vertebrates on earth, there are few charities and almost no resources dedicated exclusively to evaluating and improving the welfare of wild animals. In order to have the most impact, Animal Charity Evaluators recommends that donors concentrate their efforts on preventing the suffering of as many farmed animals and wild animals as possible.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Research and Evaluation
Annually, ACE evaluates international animal charities in order to determine their effectiveness at reducing animal suffering. Our comprehensive evaluations process provides an in-depth look at each charity’s programs, track record, strategy, leadership, and culture in order to recommend them as either a Top Charity or a Standout Charity. Outside of our annual charity evaluation activities, we maintain a robust research program devoted to resolving uncertainties relevant to our work and to the animal advocacy movement as a whole.
Education and Outreach
Through online and offline efforts, ACE educates people on how they can help the greatest number of animals. We produce informational videos aimed at explaining the concepts of effective animal advocacy to a broad audience. Our annual Guide to Effective Giving educates donors and advocates about where to invest their resources in order to help the most animals. Our internationally-based team speaks at conferences around the globe to share our work and reach more people interested in reducing animal suffering. We also support those working in the animal advocacy movement by publishing guidance, interviewing leaders and experts, and sharing advice on successful nonprofit practices and operations in order to increase effectiveness.
Fundraising and Grant-making
Since 2014, ACE has helped to influence an estimated $48 million USD in donations within the animal advocacy movement. We offer convenient giving opportunities, such as our Recommended Charity Fund and ACE Movement Grants, for donors to support effective charities and promising projects working around the globe to reduce animal suffering.
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Dollars donated to support advocacy efforts
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Activists, Researchers
Related Program
Fundraising and Grant-making
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2021, ACE helped to influence an estimated $10.8 million in donations within the animal advocacy movement. Since 2014, the total influenced amount is estimated to be over $48 million.
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Activists, Researchers
Related Program
Fundraising and Grant-making
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
ACE awards grants to our effective Top and Standout Charities via our Recommended Charity Fund and to promising animal advocacy projects in neglected regions around the globe via ACE Movement Grants.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) is dedicated to our mission of finding and promoting the most effective ways to help animals. We aim to assist compassionate donors, advocates, and volunteers in making informed decisions about how to help animals as effectively as possible. ACE strives to identify ways to alleviate suffering and improve the lives of animals on a wide scale, while continuously updating our recommendations based on new evidence. Our goal is to help people help animals. Ultimately, ACE's vision is a world in which no individual is given less than full moral consideration on the basis of any morally irrelevant feature of their identity, including species membership.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To achieve ACE’s mission of finding and promoting the most effective ways to help animals, we pursue three main programs: Research and Evaluation, Education and Outreach, and Fundraising and Grant-making.
Research and Evaluation: Annually, ACE evaluates international animal charities in order to determine their effectiveness at reducing animal suffering. Our comprehensive evaluations process provides an in-depth look at each charity’s programs, track record, strategy, leadership, and culture in order to recommend them as either a Top Charity or a Standout Charity. Outside of our annual charity evaluation activities, we maintain a robust research program devoted to resolving uncertainties relevant to our work and to the animal advocacy movement as a whole.
Education and Outreach: Through online and offline efforts, ACE educates people on how they can help the greatest number of animals. We produce informational videos aimed at explaining the concepts of effective animal advocacy to a broad audience. Our annual Guide to Effective Giving educates donors and advocates about where to invest their resources in order to help the most animals. Our internationally-based team speaks at conferences around the globe to share our work and reach more people interested in reducing animal suffering. We also support those working in the animal advocacy movement by publishing guidance, interviewing leaders and experts, and sharing advice on successful nonprofit practices and operations in order to increase effectiveness.
Fundraising and Grant-making: Since 2014, ACE has helped to influenced an estimated $48 million USD in donations within the animal advocacy movement. We offer convenient giving opportunities, such as our Recommended Charity Fund and ACE Movement Grants, for donors to support effective charities and promising advocacy projects working in neglected regions around the globe to reduce animal suffering.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
ACE has a talented internationally-based team that is knowledgeable in research, philanthropy, communications, management, and leadership. Our organization has experience and connections within both the animal advocacy movement and the effective altruism movement. In addition, we utilize a network of academics and professionals to inform our work. Over the years, we have considered thousands of charities for evaluation and recommendation. Since 2014, ACE has helped to influence an estimated $48 million in donations within the animal advocacy movement to reduce suffering around the globe.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Read more about ACE's progress and future goals in our Year in Review and Prospective Goals on our website at www.animalcharityevaluators.org.
Select 2021 accomplishments:
–Influenced an estimated $10.8 million in donations within the animal advocacy movement
–Considered 2,800 animal charities for evaluation; invited 25 to participate
–Recommended 3 Top Charities and 13 Standout Charities
–Produced our 2021 Guide to Effective Giving to help people donate to impactful animal charities
–Distributed over $1.4 million in grants from our Recommended Charity Fund to our Top and Standout Charities
–Awarded ACE Movement Grants to 35 promising animal advocacy projects
–Hosted a virtual ACE Community Chat for applicants to ACE Movement Grants
–Added 2 new members to our remote team
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Animal Charity Evaluators
Board of directorsas of 01/11/2023
Verónica Díaz Carrai
Tipping Point Private Foundation
Term: 2021 - 2024
Kieran Greig
Farmed Animal Funders
Allison Smith
Genesis Healthcare
Galina Hale
UC Santa Cruz
Zachary Freitas-Groff
Stanford University
Verónica Díaz Carrai
Tipping Point Private Foundation
Andrea Gunn
self employed
Ravi Mulani
Intuit
Alanna Devine
Devine Anima Law
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/30/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.