Vegan charities and animal-rights organisations

Quick answer: Vegan charities and animal-rights organisations range from farm animal sanctuaries that care for rescued animals, to advocacy groups that campaign for farmed animals, education charities that help people go vegan, food-justice groups, and research and alternative-protein nonprofits. Well-known examples include the Vegan Society, Veganuary, Viva! and Animal Aid in the UK, Farm Sanctuary, The Humane League and Mercy For Animals in the US, Animal Equality and ProVeg internationally, and Edgar’s Mission and Animals Australia in Australia. Before donating, check the organisation on its national charity register and, if you want impact comparisons, on an evaluator such as Animal Charity Evaluators.

Key facts

• Charity status is national. “Registered charity” is a legal status in the UK, Australia and elsewhere; in the US the equivalent is tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. Check the official register for the country where the organisation is based.
• Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) reviews animal charities for cost-effectiveness. Its 2025 recommended charities, announced on 4 November 2025, were Animal Welfare Observatory, Shrimp Welfare Project, Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira, The Humane League and Wild Animal Initiative, plus Aquatic Life Institute, Çiftlik Hayvanlarını Koruma Derneği, Dansk Vegetarisk Forening, Good Food Fund and Sinergia Animal, which kept their 2024 status (ACE announcement). ACE updates its list each year, usually in November.
• Not every animal charity is vegan. Some animal-welfare organisations campaign for better farming standards rather than an end to animal use; their aims are described neutrally below.
• The oldest vegan organisation, the Vegan Society, was founded in the UK in November 1944 and coined the word “vegan” (Vegan Society).
• Find more: the itsvegan directory lists animal sanctuaries, organisations and charities and local groups worldwide.

Types of vegan and animal-rights organisations

Well-known organisations by region

The lists below are examples, not endorsements or rankings, and are not exhaustive. Descriptions are based on each organisation’s own published aims; check the official websites for current work and status.

United Kingdom and Ireland

• The Vegan Society – the original vegan organisation, founded in 1944; provides information and nutrition resources and runs the Vegan Trademark for products.
• Veganuary – runs the annual campaign inviting people to try vegan eating in January (see veganuary).
• Viva! – campaigns against factory farming and promotes vegan living through investigations, guides and events.
• Animal Aid – campaigns against animal abuse, including in farming and experiments, and promotes a cruelty-free lifestyle.
• Hillside Animal Sanctuary – a farm animal sanctuary in Norfolk, England.
• The Humane League UK – the UK branch of The Humane League, focused on farmed animals, especially chickens.

United States and Canada

• Farm Sanctuary – runs farm animal sanctuaries and campaigns on farmed animal protection.
• Catskill Animal Sanctuary – a farm animal sanctuary in New York State with education programmes.
• The Humane League – campaigns to end the abuse of farmed animals, particularly through corporate cage-free and broiler welfare campaigns; an ACE recommended charity in 2025.
• Mercy For Animals – conducts investigations and campaigns to build a fairer food system for farmed animals, in the Americas and Asia.
• PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals; campaigns on animals used for food, clothing, experiments and entertainment, and runs cruelty-free and vegan certification programmes.
• Food Empowerment Project – a food-justice organisation working on access to healthy food, farmworker rights and the impacts of food choices.
• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – promotes plant-based nutrition and alternatives to animal research.
• Vegan Outreach – helps people transition to vegan eating through outreach and mentoring.
• Faunalytics – research organisation providing data and studies for animal advocates.
• The Good Food Institute – works to accelerate alternative proteins (plant-based, fermentation and cultivated).

Europe and international

• Animal Equality – international farmed animal organisation conducting investigations and legal and corporate campaigns.
• ProVeg International – food-awareness organisation working to replace animal-based foods with plant-based and cultivated alternatives.
• Dansk Vegetarisk Forening – Danish vegetarian and vegan society; an ACE recommended charity (retained in 2025).
• Wild Animal Initiative – research on improving the welfare of wild animals; an ACE recommended charity in 2025.
• Shrimp Welfare Project – works to reduce the suffering of farmed shrimp; an ACE recommended charity in 2025.

Latin America

• Sinergia Animal – campaigns for farmed animals in Latin America and Southeast Asia; an ACE recommended charity (retained in 2025).
• Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira – Brazilian vegetarian society promoting plant-based food, including in public institutions; an ACE recommended charity in 2025.

Australia and New Zealand

• Edgar’s Mission – a farm sanctuary in Victoria, Australia, that also runs education programmes.
• Animals Australia – national animal protection organisation campaigning on farmed animals and live export.

How to choose a charity

1. Decide what you want to support: direct care for individual animals (sanctuaries), systemic change (advocacy, corporate campaigns, policy), helping people go vegan (education), research or alternative proteins.
2. Check registration on the official register: the UK Charity Commission register, the US IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, Australia’s ACNC Charity Register, or the equivalent in your country.
3. Read annual reports and accounts to see how money is spent and what the organisation has achieved.
4. Look at independent evaluations, such as Animal Charity Evaluators, which publishes detailed reviews and annual recommendations; general evaluators such as Charity Navigator also rate some US animal charities.
5. Consider giving locally, for example to a sanctuary near you listed in the itsvegan sanctuary directory, where you can also volunteer.
6. Check tax relief, such as Gift Aid in the UK or tax deductions for US 501(c)(3) organisations, which can increase the value of a donation.

Other ways to help

• Volunteer at a sanctuary, food stall or local group (see local groups and meetups).
• Fundraise on dates such as world vegan day (1 November) or during veganuary.
• Share skills such as design, writing, law or IT with small organisations.
• Shop with purpose, for example from vegan brands that donate to animal causes.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best vegan charities?

There is no single best charity: it depends on what you want to achieve. Animal Charity Evaluators publishes annual recommendations based on cost-effectiveness; in 2025 these included The Humane League, Wild Animal Initiative, Shrimp Welfare Project, Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira and Animal Welfare Observatory, among others. Many people also support well-established organisations such as the Vegan Society, Veganuary, Animal Equality or a local sanctuary.

Which charities help farm animals?

Farm animal sanctuaries such as Farm Sanctuary, Edgar’s Mission and Hillside Animal Sanctuary care for rescued animals, while organisations such as The Humane League, Mercy For Animals, Animal Equality, Animals Australia and Sinergia Animal campaign to change how farmed animals are treated.

Are animal welfare charities and vegan charities the same?

Not always. Vegan and animal-rights organisations generally aim to end the use of animals, while some animal-welfare charities work to improve conditions within farming. Both kinds are listed in the itsvegan organisations directory; read each one’s aims to see whether it matches yours.

How can I check that a charity is legitimate?

Look it up on the official charity register in its country, read its latest annual report and accounts, and see whether independent evaluators have reviewed it. Be cautious about unsolicited appeals that pressure you to give immediately.

Sources

• Animal Charity Evaluators – Announcing ACE’s 2025 charity recommendations (4 November 2025) and animalcharityevaluators.org
• The Vegan Society – History
• UK Government – Find charity information
• US Internal Revenue Service – Tax Exempt Organization Search
• Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission – Charity Register
• Official websites of the organisations listed, accessed 31 October 2026.

Last reviewed: 31 October 2026. Organisations are listed as examples only; itsvegan has no affiliation with them and receives no payment for inclusion.

See also

• Animal Sanctuaries
• Ethical Veganism
• Factory Farming
• Speciesism
• Veganuary