Wild Animal Initiative named ACE Top Charity (again)
November 23, 2021
Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) named Wild Animal Initiative a Top Charity for the second year in a row.
ACE is an independent research organization dedicated to identifying the most cost-effective ways to help animals. Top Charity is ACE’s highest award, reserved for the handful of nonprofits where additional donor dollars will go the farthest.
In 2020, ACE’s recommendation largely amounted to a bet on our theory of change. Despite the fact that “as a newly formed organization, WAI’s track record [was] relatively short,” they were willing to invest in our “responsible and thorough approach” to “an ambitious but promising avenue for creating change for wild animals in the long term.”
Their continued approval suggests that bet might be paying off. After a detailed investigation into our accomplishments over the past year, ACE found our progress is keeping pace with our potential in each area of analysis:
Programs: “WAI’s programs have the potential to influence priorities, inform the implementation of interventions, and importantly, build the field of wild animal welfare in academia.”
Funding gap: “[WAI] can continue to effectively absorb funding.”
Cost effectiveness: “Motivating and providing support for academics to conduct research in this area may be particularly cost effective.”
Leadership and culture: “WAI’s staff generally agree that leadership guides the organization competently[;] team members do not experience harrassment or discrimination in the workplace[; and] team members seem engaged and satisfied with their job.”
More than ever, we’re grateful to work in a movement where independent researchers carefully assess our strengths and weaknesses, where donors are willing to bet on ambitious theories of change, and where everyone works together to do as much good for animals as we can.
