Apply for Charity Evaluations

Animal Charity Evaluators is dedicated to identifying and promoting organizations that are likely to make the most significant difference for animals. One way we accomplish this is by evaluating animal charities, sharing our evaluations on our website, and encouraging donors to give to our Recommended Charities.

Each year, we accept 8-10 charities to participate in our evaluation process. To select these charities, we consider organizations from around the world and assess whether we expect them to perform well on our
evaluation criteria, which indicates a high likelihood of doing exceptionally cost-effective work to help animals. Last year, 24 eligible charities applied and were eligible to be evaluated: we evaluated 9 of those and ultimately recommended 5.

Charities seeking consideration must complete a preliminary application form. The deadline to complete this form is April 3, 2026 (11:59pm, PDT). Please note that filling out this form does not guarantee that you will be evaluated.

Charity Application

The evaluation application process is divided into two parts.

Part One

This part includes basic questions to ensure the organization’s initial eligibility to participate in charity evaluations. It should take around 15 minutes to complete. To be eligible, charities must:

• Primarily work to help farmed animals and/or wild animals
• Have been an organization (i.e., active programs) for at least three years
• Have at least three paid full-time equivalents (including full-time, part-time, and contractors)
• Have annual expenditures of more than $200,000 USD in the most recent fiscal year
• Not work or be based in a country that is comprehensively sanctioned by the U.S. (see list here)
• Be able to gather and send all documents required for ACE to distribute funds to the organization, either directly or through the use of a fiscal sponsor

Please note: Applications must be submitted by a global/parent organization rather than individual country offices or regional branches. Please ensure that only one person from your organization fills out the application form.

Part Two

Organizations that meet our initial eligibility criteria will proceed to phase two. This phase is expected to take about two to ten hours to complete, depending on the number of programs your organization operates. It includes thorough questions regarding the charity’s programs, track record, goals, and use of evidence and data.

In this part, we also assess whether charities and their programs meet additional eligibility criteria:

• Main programs are relatively stable, meaning the core strategy is no longer experimental.
• The majority of the charity’s main programs meet our data and evidence requirements, so that we can create meaningful impact estimates and compare with those of other charities.
• The charity’s programs do not pose unacceptable risks of harm to animals or humans or have a high likelihood of achieving no meaningful impact.

We also use phase two responses to conduct an assessment against our selection criteria. We focus on the logical consistency and evidence base of the charity’s theory of change, their track record of achieving meaningful outcomes, and the estimated scale of impact relative to cost. For your reference, you can find all application questions here.

We may also reach out to charities with follow-up questions via email or video call if we need to clarify any application responses. Please note that we may consult with trusted external experts when assessing your application, excluding anything charities designate as private.

Process and Timeline

Please note that these timings are approximate and subject to change.

If you have any questions about the application or the charity evaluation process, please don’t hesitate to contact our Charity Evaluations Manager, Vince Mak.

Frequently Asked Questions