About VegFund
Our Mission
VegFund empowers vegan activists worldwide by funding and supporting effective outreach activities that inspire people to choose and maintain a vegan lifestyle.
Our Vision
A compassionate world where all people embrace a vegan way of life.
Our Values
As an organization, VegFund:
- defines veganism as a way of living which seeks to exclude all forms of explotation of, and cruelty to, animals,
- focuses primarily on the exploitation of animals used for food as these animals make up the overwhelming majority of animal cruelty, suffering and deaths,
- understands that changing one’s diet is complex and involves overcoming tradition, habit, cultural and religious values, and thus may require multiple exposures to the facts and often additional and ongoing support,
- believes that grassroots advocacy is key to the success of the movement and often the source of ground-breaking ideas most in need of funding and support,
- maintains helping animals as its first priority while acknowledging the many positive and direct benefits of veganism to humans (health, environment, other global and humanitarian issues),
- is results-oriented and evaluates all funding applications solely based on merit and alignment with our mission,
- requires activists involved in VegFund-supported activities to always interact with the public in a courteous, professional and welcoming manner,
- fosters an environment of respect and teamwork,
- seeks out current, reputable research as well as available evidence related to effective persuasion and behavioral/social change, and seeks to incorporate these findings when pertinent and feasible,
- recruits volunteers, advisors and employees and supports vegan activists who not only demonstrate a clear passion for animal rights but also possess relevant, domain specific knowledge and experience,
- welcomes new ideas, always seeks to grow and evolve, and views internal and external changes as opportunities,
- acts as a prudent steward of funds, utilizing them in ways that help the greatest number of animals possible.
Statistics
Since its inception in 2009...
- VegFund sponsored over 1,700 vegan outreach projects in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, UK, Australia, India, Africa, and South America.
- More than 600,000 VegFund sponsored vegan food samples were distributed.
- Over 6 million online viewers have been exposed to the realities of factory farming.
History
Founded in 2009 and named "Non-Profit of the Year" by VegNews Magazine that same year, VegFund began with a simple concept to support vegan activists by providing small grants for grassroots outreach. The organization quickly became known in the vegan community and began receiving numerous funding requests from groups and activists in the U.S. and abroad. Since then, VegFund has grown significantly and expanded beyond just funding events, by offering activists an encouraging environment with access to free consulting and best practices. Comprised almost entirely of volunteers with no centralized office, VegFund keeps its operating costs very low allowing more funds to go directly to outreach.
Three unique grant programs allow VegFund to support a wide array of outreach opportunities. The original program, Food Sampling, supports outreach events where delicious vegan food is distributed to the public along with educational literature. The Video Outreach program aims to expose people to powerful videos that inspire a vegan lifestyle through viewing booths (Pay-Per-View), group screenings, and online campaigns. Lastly, Merit Awards are granted to other innovative vegan outreach projects and campaigns which do not fall in the previous two categories.
Since its inception, VegFund has supported more than 1,700 vegan outreach projects in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Africa, and South America. Over 600,000 VegFund sponsored vegan food samples, along with educational literature, have been distributed to the public. In the online video outreach programs, over 6 million online viewers have seen Mercy For Animals' "Farm to Fridge" video, with dozen of viewers every day expressing their intent to go vegan.
Through ongoing dialogue with our sponsored groups, VegFund constantly monitors efficiency and utilizes the best available research to make informed program decisions. Filling a much-needed niche in the vegan movement, VegFund embraces new ideas and continues to evolve in an effort to support effective vegan outreach.
