Our Work in
Animal Rights & Welfare

TPPF Grantee

Open Cages UK

Open Cages UK is a British animal advocacy organization, part of Anima International, focused on ending the suffering and exploitation of farmed animals.

One significant campaign involved probing the chicken supply chain of Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer. A grant from TPP supported this action. Open Cages UK investigators documented chickens enduring severe pain due to rapid growth, mass deaths, and deplorable, overcrowded conditions in farms supplying Tesco.

The impact of these investigations has been substantial.

 

  • These findings were widely publicized in major UK media outlets, including The Times and the BBC, and used extensively in various publications.
  • They have brought to light the welfare issues of broiler chickens, influencing public discourse and leading to the widespread use of the term “FrankenChicken.”
  • The exposure prompted other large companies to commit to the Better Chicken Commitment.
  • This campaign also facilitated discussions with supermarkets previously inaccessible to NGOs and influenced the UK Government to subsidize farmers transitioning away from breeding rapidly growing chickens.

Guillermo Moreno

TPP provided crucial funding to the Animal Welfare Observatory, an animal welfare organization in Spain. The initial funding (2019) empowered this profoundly compassionate group to help pass legislation requiring cameras in all Spanish slaughterhouses.

They’ve now expanded their team to 25 dedicated individuals, actively safeguarding animal welfare throughout Europe. 

Material Innovation Initiative

Material Innovation Initiative (MII) serves as a vital link connecting entrepreneurs and scientists with retailers and consumers, closing the gap between creators of cutting-edge materials and those who distribute them. Co-founded by Stephanie Downs, an accomplished entrepreneur, and Nicole Rawling, a seasoned lawyer with over 13 years of experience in the plant-based food industry, these visionary women are reshaping a world where sustainability is the default choice, and animal products are replaced by innovative plant-based and lab-grown alternatives.

With the support of their first seed grant from The Pollination Project, MII crafted a stellar website that effectively showcased the uniqueness of their mission, becoming the cornerstone for spreading their message. Their achievements include

  • hosting a successful conference in 2022 and 2023, attracting 200 attendees from 28 countries,
  • establishing a central knowledge base for the next-gen materials industry,
  • earning recognition as Animal Charity Evaluators Standout Charity of the Year in 2021.

We Animals Media

In 2014, Toronto-based photo-journalist Jo-Anne McArthur received a grant from the Pollination Project and created the “We Animals Humane Education Program, an initiative consisting of a series of humane education presentations for youth and adults. The purpose of the program was to foster awe, curiosity, and critical thinking about our relationship with animals while instilling reverence, respect and inspiration in people to become agents of positive change for animals in their community and around the world.

Jo-Anne McArthur founded the We Animals project which was an archive of photographs about the often complex and difficult human-animal relationships of contemporary society. The We Animals project has been featured in over 100 campaigns and publications worldwide. McArthur decided to create the “We Animals’ Humane Education Programs” as a branch of We Animals in order for the stories to reach a broader audience, specifically youth. McArthur’s vision was that programs would play a role in shaping more empathic citizens.

Vegetarianos Hoy

In 2018, Ignacia Uribe, the founder of Fundación Vegetarianos Hoy, was awarded a $1000 seed grant to propel the development of their innovative Plan V app—a comprehensive guide for individuals aspiring to exclude animal products from their diet. The app received an exceptional reception, catapulting them into becoming a leading animal protection organization in Latin America. Since then, their scope has expanded to encompass corporate outreach, individual engagement, and legal advocacy. They are members of the cage-free network, Open Wing Alliance, they collaborated with Starbucks Chile to introduce a vegan menu, they established a dedicated research unit, and are campaigning for legislative changes.

Apex Advocacy

Christopher Eubanks, the founder of Apex Advocacy, was awarded a $3,000 grant to bolster two significant initiatives. The first, No Backyard Slaughter, focuses on empowering BIPOC communities by addressing backyard slaughterhouses in residential areas. This campaign collaborates closely with community members, many of whom do not traditionally follow a vegan lifestyle, to eliminate these slaughterhouses. The goal is to tackle both the ethical concerns of animal slaughter and the environmental racism stemming from such operations in neighborhoods, marking it as an ongoing effort.

The second campaign, the Global Majority Caucus, is dedicated to fostering greater equity within the animal protection movement. By providing a supportive community, resources, and opportunities for professional development, this initiative specifically targets Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), and advocates from the global majority. In 2022, the caucus saw impressive growth, expanding by 40%.

Ruthless Kindness

Ruthless Kindness, Sarah Reidenbach and Kate Kuzminski ’s organization, is available 24/7 for domestic violence victims who need help with their pets. Knowing the power of the human- animal bond, they believe that victims of domestic violence and their children shouldn’t have to leave a pet behind or delay leaving a dangerous situation because they can’t bring their pet. They were supported through a Pollination Project seed grant in 2020 to uplift this work. Thanks to TPP, they have been able

  • to purchase and install a stainless steel exam table in their mobile unit.
  • to purchase vaccines.

From a small non-profit project, they are now an important reality in the animal care movement:

  • $332,720 of veterinary medicines given free
  • $129,600 of pet food & supplies given free
  • $276 average value of services offered at no cost per client
  • 6 crisis programs
  • 4 empathy programs

 

Asseites Vegetales

Collaborating closely with the public and key decision-makers, Assiettes Végétales is on a mission to reduce the number of animals farmed for meat by championing the introduction and development of plant-based meal options in public canteens across France. Their ambitious goal is to ensure that millions more plant-based meals are served annually, positively impacting the lives of countless animals in the years to come. They received a seed grant in 2018 and an impact grant in 2020 for their impactful work.

At the forefront of their efforts is a compelling campaign focused on ensuring that all university canteens in France offer a daily plant-based meal option. Harnessing the support of their seed and impact grants, they orchestrated a Greek Week initiative involving 32 collective restaurants under the Newrest company, ensuring that 9,000 guests across various canteens enjoyed a daily vegetable offering. Beyond transforming menus in schools and companies, Assiettes Végétales has made substantial legislative strides. Through collaborative efforts with deputies and senators, some of their advocacy demands were put into law.

In 2023, their impact extends city-wide and nationally. Thanks to Assiettes Végétales, nearly 3,000 nursery, primary, and secondary school students now have the option of a vegetarian meal every day, marking a significant milestone in their journey toward a more compassionate and plant-based future. More wins.

Tamara Human

In 2020 The Pollination Project Foundation supported “Every Animal”, a vegan animal rights organization in Ukraine founded by Tamara Human focused on vegan education and protecting animals. Tamara’s work centered on trying to change the world for animals by inspiring people to make positive changes in their everyday lives.

The impact of this first grant has been very important:

  • 1,612 people registered for the Vegan Express course
  • 20+ promotional posters in different cities in Ukraine
  • 2 lectures about veganism
  • 4 street outreach actions Cube of Truth
  • A book for children published
  • received EVA Grant from ProVeg

In 2022, when the war began, Tamara and her team adapted their work to benefit the lives of both animals and humans in a new way. She focused on trying to save lives by feeding hungry people, saving animals and bringing some much needed hope to refugee children in Ukraine. She applied for a new grant and TPP helped her with 3 more emergency grants for a total of $6,000.

In the last two years of war, Tamara and her friends were able to:

  • Open vegan kitchens in 7 cities in Ukraine
  • Send 900 parcels with vegan products to vegan soldiers
  • Distribute 75,000 free vegan meals200 meals a day

READ MORE

Camille Licate

“Bree is a rooster, but he is an intelligent, feeling being that craves love and peace, just like all of us. Most children grow up loving animals. My hope is that by meeting Bree and learning more about compassionate food systems, they can learn to reflect their love of animals in their life choices.”

One day, the shelter where Camille Licate worked took in a baby chick that was found wandering the streets of New York.

Camille kept the chick at her desk all day, and on a whim offered to take the little ball of fluff, who she named “Bree”, home. Improbably, they formed an inseparable bond that inspired Camille to share the sentience, heart, and value of non-human life with others.

The Pollination Project partnered with Camille to bring her vision for “Bree & Me” to life. The “Bree & Me Project” teaches kids to take positive action for farm animals and animals used for testing through humane education programs and promoting compassionate lifestyle choices, with an emphasis on veganism. Bree is the project’s ambassador.

In towns with little exposure to humane education, Camille and Bree are creating resonant experiences for children that will result in a kinder, more compassionate world.

To date, she has

Lakshman Molleti

“If we want to build a world of kindness, we have to include non-human animals.”

Lakshman Molleti’s work seems simple enough at first glance: he gives away earth-friendly water bowls throughout India to ensure that the millions of stray dogs, cows, monkeys, birds, and other animals have access to clean water.

This helps street animals avoid health issues like dehydration, skin infections, viral infections and death. Lakshman’s water bowls are hand-painted in community events, and placed outside of the homes and businesses of volunteers. This simple act connects humans and animals on a deeper level.

“When someone sees a desperately thirsty dog eagerly drinking from one of these bowls, they realize how much street animals need us. And by helping in this small way, we hope they feel a pride that leads them to find other ways to deepen their involvement with animals,” he says.

The Pollination Project partnered with Lakshman since the very beginning of Lakshman’s project AWPB Trust (Animals Water Bowl Project).

To date, Lakshman Molleti:

  • distributed 5500+ water bowls
  • organized 120 educational events
  • educated 35,000 people on animal welfare both in person and online
  • impacted 15000+ animals /day

In partnership with our grantee Vegan Hacktivists, we offer seed grants and web development assistance to individual or grassroots groups whose primary purpose is to help reduce suffering for farmed animals.

Vegan Hacktivist is a global community of passionate animal advocates offering their skills in building technology for the animal protection movement through design, development, and data.

Give with us.