Movement Grants: Announcing The Round 8 Recipients

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of Movement Grants Round 8! This year, we received a tremendous response from animal advocates worldwide, with 324 applications pouring in from 73 countries. These passionate groups and individuals proposed a diverse array of interventions aimed at improving the lives of animals. After careful consideration, we are proud to disburse $1,024,172 in grants to support 30 innovative projects and dedicated advocates who will be driving positive change for animals across the globe.

In addition to these grants, Doneer Effectief awarded a grant to one Movement Grants applicant based on the advice of the Movement Grants committee. Although Doneer Effectief donated to the organization directly, ACE is providing the same non-financial benefits that grantees receive as part of this year’s Movement Grants round. This is reflected in the reporting of disbursed and influenced funds.

We want to thank our donors, expert advisors,¹ and the many worthy applicants for contributing to the latest round. Finally, we want to say congratulations to the successful grantees!

If you feel inspired by our 2024 grantees and you want to support more advocates around the world striving to reduce animal suffering, please consider making a donation to Movement Grants. Your gift today will support our next round of grantees!

Support ACE’s next round of Movement Grants

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Global

Animal Ask

Amount awarded: $35,000.00
Geographic scope: Global
Grant activities: General support grant for Animal Ask, a research consultancy dedicated to improving animal lives by supporting the global animal advocacy movement through three key programs: Movement Strategy Research, Ask Prioritization, and Ask Consultation. Their work includes investigating high-impact advocacy opportunities, identifying the most effective campaign strategies, and providing targeted research to bolster existing advocacy efforts. By offering evidence-based insights and recommendations, Animal Ask aims to increase the effectiveness of animal advocacy organizations worldwide, helping them make informed decisions about resource allocation and campaign strategies. This grant will fund three months of general operating costs.

Aquatic Life Institute

Amount awarded: $50,000.00
Geographic scope: Global
Grant activities: General support grant for Aquatic Life Institute (ALI). ALI is dedicated to researching and accelerating activities that positively impact farmed and wild aquatic animals trapped in the global food system.

Reporters for Animals International

Amount awarded: $50,000
Geographic scope: Global
Grant activities: General support grant for Reporters for Animals International, a new organization pioneering a new approach to animal welfare investigations by professionalizing and supporting investigators worldwide. They offer a suite of programs designed to equip investigators with essential skills and sustainable practices. Their initiatives include educational events, a mentorship program, and professional psychological support for investigators.

User-Friendly Marketing

Amount awarded: $5,711.61
Geographic scope: Global
Project: Marketing 101 Course and Follow-Up Consultation
Grant activities: User-Friendly will use their grant to provide a free-to-access marketing course tailored to animal welfare organizations. Recognizing that many organizations lack formal marketing expertise, which can significantly impact their effectiveness, User-Friendly aims to equip these groups with essential marketing skills and strategies. The course will cover fundamental aspects such as organizational positioning, budget planning, and creating impactful advertising campaigns. Sign up for the course here!

We Animals Media

Amount awarded: $32,560.00
Geographic scope: Global
Grant activities: General support grant for We Animals Media. We Animal Media is the world’s leading animal photojournalism agency dedicated to documenting the stories of animals used for human purposes. Through powerful visual storytelling, they expose the complex relationships between humans and animals, aiming to create ethical and cultural shifts in society. We Animals collaborates with organizations worldwide, focusing on farmed animals and underrepresented regions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. By providing compelling visual content to advocacy organizations, media outlets, and educational institutions, We Animals amplifies the reach of animal welfare messages.

Anglo America

Insect Welfare Research Society

Amount awarded: $14,000.00
Geographic scope: United States
Project: The Insect Welfare Research Society’s Welfare Roadshow: Accelerating Insect Welfare Field-Building
Grant activities: This grant will fund one year of the Insect Welfare Research Society, whose mission is to support the global insect welfare research community. The project will support selected academics in organizing welfare-oriented sessions at major entomological and animal welfare academic research events, helping educate researchers across disciplinary boundaries and connect academics interested in insect welfare science.

Pro-Animal Future

Amount awarded: $50,000.00
Geographic scope: United States
Grant activities: General support grant for Pro-Animal Future. Pro-Animal Future develops grassroots campaigns for citizen ballot initiatives in the U.S. They are currently running a pilot campaign in Denver, Colorado, which involves two measures: one to ban fur sales and one to ban slaughterhouses. They aim to be running five to 10 campaigns around the country in the next election cycle and statewide ballot measures in 2030.

Anonymous Grantee

Amount awarded: $18,000.00
Geographic scope: United States
Grant activities: General support grant for a policy advocacy organization working to reduce the use of live fish as bait in recreational fishing in U.S. states.

Asia

Animal Alliance Asia

Amount awarded: $50,000.00
Geographic scope: Japan, Philippines
Project: Fellowship
Grant activities: Animal Alliance Asia is a movement-building organization with a mission to build and mobilize a community of local animal justice and vegan advocates across Asia to create waves of impactful actions for a better world for farmed animals. This grant will fund their fellowship program in Japan and the Philippines. Based on culturally specific research, the fellowship aims to foster local leadership and incubate initiatives.

Dharma Voices for Animals

Amount awarded: $30,000.00
Geographic scope: Thailand
Grant activities: General support grant for Dharma Voices for Animals (DVA). DVA is the only international Buddhist animal rights advocacy organization in the world. This grant will fund their work in Thailand, where they will advocate for Buddhist monastics to change their eating habits. Their approach includes giving presentations at temples, hosting cooking classes, and providing resources to Buddhist institutions.

Good Growth

Amount awarded: $95,000.00
Geographic scope: Asia
Project: Research-2-Action Lab
Grant activities: This grant will support Good Growth’s Research-to-Action (R2A) Lab program which aims to convert research insights into effective interventions in Asia. Using lean startup and design thinking methodologies, Good Growth will facilitate workshops, prioritize ideas, and prototype interventions in collaboration with local and international stakeholders. This approach aims to build scalable infrastructure to support the growth needs of Asian organizations—from research, strategy, funding to talent—and ultimately accelerate the growth of the Asian ecosystem.

Paro Institute

Amount awarded: $49,000.00
Geographic scope: Philippines
Project: Alternative Protein Research Mapping Initiative in the Philippines
Grant activities: The Paro Institute, a new organization, is driving the transition to alternative proteins in the Philippines. This one-year project will focus on accelerating alternative protein research in the Metro Manila region. This initiative brings together diverse stakeholders, including academic researchers, industry professionals, government officials, students, and both public and private research funders. By building synergies among these groups, the Paro Institute aims to create a robust ecosystem for alternative protein development, benefiting all farmed animals by advancing plant-based and cultivated meat research and reducing reliance on traditional animal agriculture.

Samayu

Amount awarded: $33,000.00
Geographic scope: India
Project: Advancing Farmed Animal Welfare in Poultry and Aquaculture in India
Grant activities: Samayu, in partnership with A Just World, focuses on food system transformations to benefit poultry hens and farmed fish in Madhya Pradesh, India. Their approach includes policy advocacy, farmer training, and establishing early warning systems for disease outbreaks. The project targets non-structured poultry farmers, inland aquaculture farmers, and government officials.

Europe

$camon $cotland

Amount awarded: $38,000.00
Geographic scope: United Kingdom
Grant activities: General support grant for $camon $cotland, which aims to expose welfare abuses in the salmon farming industry. The group collaborates with NGOs and media outlets to publicize their footage to a global audience.

Animal Society

Amount awarded by Doneer Effectief over a two-year grant: $134,148.97
Geographic scope: Germany and Europe
Project: Animals in Democracy
Grant activities: The grant to Animal Society will support the establishment of the Animals in Democracy Network. Launched in September 2022, this initiative aims to integrate animals fairly into political processes and institutions, recognizing them as integral members of society. By uniting experts, academics, and NGOs, the network fosters collaboration and inspires advocacy campaigns. The grant will fund research, events, campaigns, and the promotion of the network.
With support from other animal rights organizations, the network will contribute to reforming institutions to ensure adequate political representation for animals, acting as a catalyst for positive change (e.g., better laws, stronger enforcement, and subsidies favorable to animals).

Convergence Animaux Politique

Amount awarded: $30,000.00
Geographic scope: France
Project: Political advocacy work to promote farmed animal welfare in France
Grant activities: Convergence Animaux Politique is a political lobbying group that brings the demands of animal organizations to politicians to improve animal welfare in France.

The project aims to reform French legislation to improve living conditions for farmed animals. Their strategy involves political monitoring, advocacy against regressive policies, and promoting NGO demands in upcoming legislative frameworks.

Farmállatvédelem

Amount awarded: $20,000.00
Geographic scope: Hungary
Grant activities: General support grant for Farmállatvédelem. Farmállatvédelem is addressing critical animal welfare issues in Hungary, focusing on improving conditions for laying hens and farmed fish. Using a corporate outreach approach, the organization targets fish farmers and companies that use eggs in their supply chains. This grant will serve as seed funding, allowing Farmállatvédelem to hire permanent staff, build a track record, and lay the groundwork for future expansion of their work in institutional animal welfare reform.

Projet Animaux Zoopolis

Amount awarded: $30,000.00
Geographic scope: France
Project: Fight against live bait fishing and fish stocking
Grant activities: This grant will fund Projet Animaux Zoopolis (PAZ)’s work to advocate against the cruel practices of live bait fishing and fish stocking in France. Their campaign targets major retailers, national parks, and government institutions to ban these practices. PAZ combines political advocacy, legal action, and media campaigns to raise public awareness and create policy changes.

Plant-Based Universities

Grant amount: $20,000.00
Geographic scope: UK & Europe
Grant activities: Plant-Based Universities campaigns to transition the university system to 100% plant-based catering. At the university level, this work involves training and supporting students to run a campaign to pass a motion through their student union for the union to transition its catering to 100% plant-based, and then, moving to transition to the whole university with the student union as a partner. There are 60+ campaigns in the UK and 20+ campaigns in Continental Europe. 11 Student Union motions have passed in the UK and one in Graz (Austria). Two national student bodies, the UK’s National Union of Students and the equivalent in Austria, have also passed motions supporting 100% plant-based catering. Plant-Based Universities uses the social and cultural capital of universities to create nationwide conversations about the need to move towards a 100% plant-based food system in the context of climate breakdown. The campaign has received extensive coverage from national media outlets in the UK and Austria.

The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy

Amount awarded: $45,000.00
Geographic scope: E.U.
Project: Litigation-Based Strategies Program
Grant activities: This grant will support European Institute for Animal Law & Policy’s novel approach to advancing farm animal welfare in the European Union through litigation-based strategies. In response to the European Commission’s failure to revise EU farm animal welfare legislation, the Institute is exploring legal avenues to challenge governments and enforce existing animal protection laws by leveraging unique aspects of EU law and building on recent favorable rulings from the European Court of Justice. Their program focuses on key issues such as cage bans, ending chick culling, and improving fish welfare. The Institute seeks to create precedent-setting case law that could advance animal welfare across the European Union.

Latin America

Anhimalia

Amount awarded: $20,000.00
Geographic scope: Argentina
Project: Reducing the suffering of animals in the food industry
Grant activities: Anhimalia is dedicated to improving the lives of millions of laying hens through strategic engagement with the food industry. Their project focuses on raising awareness about the cruelties of animal agriculture, particularly in egg production, and advocating for cage-free practices. Their approach combines direct corporate outreach with consumer education and high-impact visual campaigns.

Alianza Alimentaria y Acción Climática

Amount awarded: $21,800.00
Geographic scope: Mexico
Project: Institutional and corporate outreach to decrease the availability of animal products and increase the availability of animal-free products on menus across Mexico
Grant activities: Alianza Alimentaria y Acción Climática is a non-profit organization dedicated to minimizing animal suffering by reducing the use of animal products in dining establishments. It operates in both the public and private sectors, focusing on addressing the environmental consequences and social risks associated with the consumption and production of animal-derived foods. This grant supports Alianza Alimentaria’s corporate and institutional engagement programs.

Asociación de Emprendedores Veganos de México

Amount awarded: $50,000.00
Geographic scope: Mexico
Grant activities: General support grant for Asociación de Emprendedores Veganos de México. Asociación de Emprendedores Veganos de México is a community of passionate and committed entrepreneurs that offer plant-based products and services. Their mission focuses on boosting the growth and impact of vegan enterprises while increasing public access to plant-based products. Through programs like the annual Vegan Business Summit, Plant Based Pavilion at major trade shows, and strategic partnerships with key industry players, they’re creating a robust ecosystem for plant-based entrepreneurship. This grant will support their efforts in institutional and corporate vegan outreach, as well as organizing impactful vegan events that educate businesses and consumers about the benefits of plant-based living.

Fórum Nacional de Proteção e Defesa Animal

Amount awarded: $50,000.00
Geographic scope: Brazil
Project: MIRA (Mapping, Informing and Raising Awareness) – Chickens Broilers Initiative
Grant activities: This grant will support Fórum Nacional de Proteção e Defesa Animal‘s MIRA Initiative, aimed at introducing the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) to the Brazilian market. This project maps chicken farmers, integration companies, and genetic companies to assess current welfare practices, provides scientific information on broiler welfare, and aims to secure commitments to the Brazilian BCC. In 2024, they plan to intensify their corporate outreach, focusing on negotiations with Brazil’s two largest chicken producers. Additionally, they aim to establish a coalition with NGOs from countries where BCC is already implemented, leveraging Brazil’s position as the world’s largest chicken meat exporter to drive global improvements in broiler welfare.

Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal

Amount awarded: $25,000.00
Geographic scope: Chile
Grant activities: General support grant for Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal. With a team of 20 lawyers Fundación Derecho y Defensa Animal advocates for animals in Chile through government policy advocacy, animal welfare research, and high-impact strategic litigation. By targeting governmental institutions and companies that fall short of animal welfare standards, the organization aims to establish stronger protections for animals in a country where farm animal advocacy is still developing.

Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira

Amount awarded: $28,000.00
Geographic scope: Brazil
Project: Salaries for staff to engage in National Congress hearings and in the National Commission for SDG
Grant activities: Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira (SVB) aims to expand meat reduction programs and advocate for policy changes in Brazil. Their goals include opposing bans on ‘meaty’ terminology for plant-based meat products, eliminating mandates on heme iron foods in public schools, supporting bills for diversified access to vegetable protein, advocating for warning labels on animal-origin foods, and making B12 vitamin fortification a legal requirement. The project focuses on engaging with government officials, obtaining commitment signatures, influencing legislators, and representing SVB in key environmental events.

Unión Vegetariana del Perú – UVP

Amount awarded: $14,000.00
Geographic scope: Peru
Project: Alimentos por el Planeta (Food for the Planet)
Grant activities: The Unión Vegetariana del Perú’s Alimentos por el Planeta project empowers university students in Peru to advocate for increased plant-based options on their campuses. Through free online workshops, resources, and ongoing support, APEP guides volunteers through the process of implementing changes at their universities. Currently active in 10 Peruvian universities with about 50 volunteers, APEP aims to expand its reach in 2024, particularly outside the capital.

Middle East and North Africa

Middle East Vegan Society

Amount awarded: $25,000.00
Geographic scope: Middle East
Project: Human – Animal relations survey in the Middle East
Grant activities: Middle East Vegan Society will use their grant to undertake a survey across at least three Middle Eastern countries. This research initiative informs their animal protection and plant-based eating promotion efforts in the Middle East and North Africa. As the sole organization working on this cause across the region, they face unique challenges in understanding diverse community perspectives on animal rights and plant-based diets.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Animal Advocacy Africa

Amount awarded: $50,000
Geographic scope: Africa
Project: Fundamentals and advanced training programme for animal advocates in Africa

Grant activities: Animal Advocacy Africa is a capacity-building organization empowering animal advocates in African countries by providing them with skills in project planning, research, operations, communications, and M&E. This grant will help launch a two-stage training program to strengthen the talent pipeline in African animal advocacy. The first eight-week stage covers fundamental concepts and skills, while the second stage provides advanced support for launching high-impact interventions. By offering in-depth training, networking opportunities, and seed grants, the program seeks to equip advocates with the tools to effectively mitigate the rise of industrial animal agriculture in African countries.

Animal Welfare League

Amount awarded: $30,100.00
Geographic scope: Ghana
Grant activities: General support grant for Animal Welfare League. Animal Welfare League is a registered nonprofit dedicated to promoting better animal welfare practices in Ghana. Their approach includes corporate campaigns targeting local and global companies, egg producer engagement, and a new mass media awareness campaign.

GYG Project Foundation

Amount awarded: $15,000.00
Geographic scope: Ghana
Project: Veganizing Schools in Ghana

Grant activities: The GYG Project Foundation’s Veganizing Schools in Ghana project aims to transform school feeding programs by introducing vegan alternatives to meat. They plan to collaborate with the National Director of School Feeding Programs to train school chefs and administrators, run pilot projects in select schools, and create a market for soya-based products. Additionally, the project will advocate for redirecting funds from meat importation to support soya farmers, reducing the reliance on imported meat while supporting domestic agriculture.

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Disclosures

To limit the potential influence of conflicts of interest (COIs) between members of the Movement Grants review committee, other staff members involved in the review process, and applicants, we followed ACE’s COI Policy.

We had no COI reported by staff on the review committee, but the ACE Financial Director reported a minor COI involving mentoring on finance processes received from a staff member at the Insect Welfare Research Institute. The Financial Director was not involved in the Movement Grants decision making process.

Additionally, we contracted User-Friendly for a target audience project. The Movement Grant review committee was not involved in working directly on this project, and it was not a factor that we considered in our decision to fund them through Movement Grants. The Communications Team, who work directly with User-Friendly, did not contribute to the decision-making process for this grant.

The review committee this round consisted of Elisabeth Ormandy, Programs Director; Eleanor McAree, Movement Grants Program Manager; and Alina Salmen, Researcher.

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1. This round, we sought expert advice from Abhi Kumar, Abigail Penny, Abraham Rowe, Cameron Meyer Shorb, Connor Jackson, Harshdeep Singh, and Neil Dullaghan. 

2. Figs 1–3 include all Round 8 grant decisions.