Animal Equality
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ANIMAL EQUALITY IS AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION WORKING WITH SOCIETY, GOVERNMENTS, AND COMPANIES TO END CRUELTY TO FARMED ANIMALS.
- Income
- $6.0 million
- Spending
- $6.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 5.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 13,636
- Highest pay
- $124,955, director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 253 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $2.7 million spent. Campaigns - During 2025, Animal Equality launched a cage-free accountability campaign targeting one of the largest global retailersin the food industry. Following sustained pressureincluding shareholder engagement, corporate negotiations, public protests and civil disobedience, and the release of investigative footage connected to the companys supply chainwe secured the companys cage-free commitment in March 2026. We also launched a cage-free accountability campaign targetingone of the largest global hotel chains, coordinated across Animal Equality teams in Mexico, Brazil, the UK, Spain, Italy, and Germany, demonstrating the power of international collaboration in advancing animal protection. In April 2025, Animal Equality secured a group housing policy from a large US based restaurant chain, helping spare hundreds of female breeding pigs each year from extreme confinement in gestation crates. We also joined efforts with the Open Wing Alliance in a campaign targetinganother large hotel chain over the companys support of caged eggs, including hosting a disruption inside the companys Phoenix headquarters. The campaign ultimately secured a win that is expected to spare nearly 320,000 hens from cages every year.
- $1.8 million spent. Communications - In 2025, Animal Equalitys Communications and Marketing team achieved strong results across earned media, digital engagement, plant-based outreach, and online fundraising. The team secured nearly 40 earned media mentions highlighting U.S. work, reaching an estimated 17 million people through national, international, and local coverage, including investigative footage aired on CBS and protest coverage by prominent local TV stations. Online fundraising continued to grow, with the number of gifts increasing 129% compared to 2023 and online donation revenue rising 77% over two years. Retention efforts also improved, reducing cancellations by 15% from the first half to the second half of the year and preserving recurring revenue through a new monthly-donor portal, gratitude-focused retargeting ads, enhanced email automation, and post-cancellation recovery messaging. Paid social campaigns generated more than 500,000 online actions, a 49% year-over-year increase. The team also strengthened Animal Equalitys digital programs. Love Veg, the Plant based initiative, saw major growth, reaching 85,000 users, 2x the 2024 audience, and launched an improved, searchable recipe database. Specialized advertising brought in an average of 2,000 new leads per month. In the second half of the year, the team expanded Love Vegs reach by testing display advertising with Community Boost through StackAdapt, placing ads across reputable media and lifestyle websites such as Food Network, The Kitchn, BuzzFeed, The Washington Post, CNN, Vogue, and Southern Living.
- $389,253 spent. Investigations - In 2025, Animal Equality presented 15 unique investigations filmed across our eight member countries and Argentina. Our work brought to light shocking images of pigs confined on a breeding farm in Kansas USA, suffering from wounds caused by the metal bars of the cages. The farm is linked to slaughterhouses that supply leading grocery chains in the US. In Italy, we released an investigation of a horse slaughterhouse. The footage documents routine cruelty and illegal conduct, including beatings, whippings, and conscious horses shackled and hoisted. We also released investigations into the conditions of goats and pigs in India and turkeys in Brazil, Spanish pig farms, and salmon in UK sea cages. Our expansion of investigative reach now includes Argentina and Uruguay, and in 2026, will include Indonesia. Animal Equality has spent considerable time developing professional standards for evidence management and analysis, submitting our findings for veterinary, legal, and legislative review in an ever-expanding global capacity.
- $89,236 spent. OTHER Programs
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2015.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.