Animals, people, and the planet need our help. As emissions rise, the human-driven climate crisis is causing a major strain on wildlife, while industries like animal agriculture and entertainment are responsible for consistently exploiting living creatures. At the same time, the food industry is not equal, and many people in low-income communities are struggling to access healthy, plant-based food.
It’s a lot to take in. And, the truth is, these problems are far too big for any one individual to solve. But that’s why many nonprofits are striving to tackle these problems together and, in turn, make the world a safer, kinder, healthier place for everyone. But they can’t do it without funding and support. If you have the time or the money to help a vegan nonprofit right now, we’ve compiled this list to help you find a cause to connect with. But one important note: this list is far from complete, and there may also be smaller, local initiatives in your area that you can choose to help, too.
10 vegan nonprofits to support today
Johnny Braz/In Defense of Animals
1 In Defense of Animals
Founded in 1983, this California-based animal protection organization has been helping animals for more than four decades. It may be based in the US, but its animal rescue work has no borders. In fact, it has hands-on animal rescue centers in India and Korea, as well as California and Mississippi. Its campaigns focus on a number of different issues, including fish abuse (it co-ordinated Respect for Fish Day on August 1 to raise awareness about the fact that fish feel pain), elephant captivity in North America, and puppy mills. The nonprofit notes it is currently working to shut down all 10,000 puppy mills in the US.
Find Them here
Chilis on Wheels
2 Chilis on Wheels
Chilis on Wheels started in Brooklyn in 2014, but it has since expanded its mission nationwide. The nonprofit works to make vegan food accessible to everyone by organizing events like meal shares (where it provides plant-based food to anybody in need of a warm meal), educational workshops, cruelty-free clothing drives, and even free mentorship, which includes a cost-effective meal plan. “Chilis on Wheels believes that an empowered community is key in dismantling systematic inequalities that prevent veganism from being attainable by poor and low-income communities,” notes the nonprofit. “Through our networks of support, we’re collectively building alternate systems to make veganism accessible to the areas that we serve.”
Find them here
Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
3 The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is striving to relieve food insecurity, improve nutrition, and help the environment thrive by planting as many fruit tree orchards as possible. So far, it has planted hundreds of thousands of trees in communities all over the world, including in the US, El Salvador, and Uganda, to name just a few. It also hosts educational workshops for school students and trains orchard caretakers.
find them here
Afro-Vegan Society
4 Afro-Vegan Society
When it comes to vegan advocacy, people in marginalized communities are often overlooked, claims the Afro-Vegan Society. And that’s why the national nonprofit is devoted to helping as many people as possible gain access to resources and information about the benefits of plant-based diets. Its resources include a 7-Day Meal Planner, a Dump Dairy Resource Library, and a guide to going eggless, which features cooking demos, recipes, and information videos.
find them here
Sea Shepherd
5 Sea Shepherd
Sea Shepherd is dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans and all of its creatures, and it has been making major strides towards conservation. Just recently, it partnered with the Mexican government to expand the protected territory of the vaquita porpoise, the most endangered cetacean in the world, by 80 percent. Its fleet is consistently working to end illegal fishing and whaling, and generally helps to make the oceans a safer space for all marine wildlife.
find them here
Shark Trust
6 The Shark Trust
Sharks get a really bad rep, there’s no denying it. But these apex predators are vital for the health of the ocean, and they’re under threat from humans. In fact, around 100 million sharks are killed each year. This is why The Shark Trust exists. The marine conservation nonprofit is aimed solely at protecting and supporting shark populations. One of its most popular campaigns is the Great Eggcase Hunt, which encourages people in the UK to search for and document the egg cases they find on beaches. This helps researchers learn more about how many sharks are present and how diverse they are.
find them here
Crustacean Compassion
7 Crustacean Compassion
When people think of animal rights, they don’t often immediately think of crustaceans. But this nonprofit believes that animals like shrimps, lobsters, and crayfish deserve humane treatment, just as much as any other living creature. Crustacean Compassion is on a mission to raise awareness of the fact that crustaceans are sentient creatures that feel pain, and its campaigns include a petition calling on the UK government to protect crustaceans in the Animal Welfare Act.
find them here
8 Animal Legal Defense Fund
Animals deserve legal representation, after all, they can’t speak up for themselves. And that’s where the Animal Legal Defense Fund comes in. The nonprofit files lawsuits on behalf of captive animals, research animals, farmed animals, wildlife, and companion animals, in an attempt to fight cruelty and support animal protection. In 2021, it was part of one historic lawsuit, for example, which saw a US court recognize animals as legal persons for the first time.
find them here
Farm Sanctuary
9 Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is more than just a sanctuary, it’s a much-needed voice for all farm animals across the US. Not only does it provide a home for hundreds of animals at its own shelters, in upstate New York and Los Angeles, but it is also dedicated to speaking up for all animals abused in the factory farming system, including pigs, cows, sheep, and much more. In fact, through its Farm Animal Adoption Network, it consistently helps to find safe homes for survivors of animal agriculture at sanctuaries all over the US.
find them here
Support + Feed
10 Support + Feed
In 2020, Maggie Baird founded Support + Feed with a view to helping struggling businesses and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her idea was simple: encourage people to donate by buying meals from local plant-based restaurants, and then give those meals to people in need. Three years later, the pandemic may be over, but the nonprofit is still going strong. It has evolved into an intersectional nonprofit, which is dedicated to tackling food insecurity and advocating for an equitable plant-based food system nationwide.
find them here
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Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
