Matthew Chalmers
For the eleventh year in a row, Animal Charity Evaluators has recognised The Humane League as a recommended charity.
Thanks to the unwavering support of our incredible community of changemakers—people like you—we are making a lasting difference in the lives of millions of animals. For the past eleven years, The Humane League has been recognised by Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) as one of the most effective animal protection organisations. We're proud to be the only charity to have earned this distinction every year since ACE’s evaluations began, a testament to our collective impact.
In a world rife with the suffering of billions of animals, it’s not always easy to know which action will make the biggest impact, or where your pound will stretch the farthest.
For anyone looking to make the greatest impact for animals, Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) is an invaluable guide. They care deeply about finding “the organizations that will likely make the most significant difference for animals.” Since 2012, ACE’s rigorous research and analysis has identified these groups, connecting caring individuals with meaningful opportunities to drive transformative change.
That’s why we’re so proud that ACE has consistently recognised The Humane League as a Recommended Charity since 2014. This sustained recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to creating measurable progress for animals by fighting for institutional change: influencing global food corporations, fighting for changes to Government policy and building powerful coalitions to keep fueling this movement. And the impact is enormous.
As we look to the year ahead, we remain laser-focused on building upon this momentum and driving even greater change for the animals who need it most.
What is Animal Charity Evaluators? What do they do?
Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) is an organisation dedicated to helping people make the greatest impact for animals. Their mission is to use “evidence and reason to serve people who want to help animals.” Through rigorous research, careful analysis, and data-driven evaluations, ACE identifies and highlights the most effective animal advocacy groups around the world, guiding donors and advocates toward organisations that are delivering the most substantial improvements to the lives of animals.
Since its founding in 2012, ACE has reviewed hundreds of charities and influenced the allocation of more than $68 million toward high-impact animal welfare work. By conducting thorough evaluations of each charity’s strategies and outcomes, ACE helps ensure that supporters can be confident in their decisions to contribute time, money, and effort toward initiatives that truly make a difference.
Why The Humane League is a recommended animal welfare charity
In 2024, The Humane League fought hard in the fight for animals. In the UK we’re a key driver of the movement to end Frankenchickens.
Corporate Progress
2024 has been a major year of change for chickens raised for meat, change we could not have powered through without your support. This year has seen the likes of Morrisons, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, and Co-op all give their hundreds of millions of birds more space. While we are still fighting for these supermarkets to stop using Frankenchickens, countless animals will have concretely better lives because of this change.
Legal change
In October 2024 The Court of Appeal heard our arguments about why the use of fast-growing breeds of chicken, Frankenchickens, are illegal under UK law. While we are still waiting for the result there’s no denying that the outpour of support we received from supporters, and our demonstration outside the Royal Courts of Justice, was extraordinary. The case was extensively covered in the media, and the judges seemed open to our arguments, meaning that the trial has already spotlighted the issue of Frankenchickens, and may yet improve the lives of millions. Meanwhile, in the background we have continued to lobby for an end to cages and protections for farmed fish at slaughter.
Thought leader
Our State of the Chicken Industry report in August brought together the expertise and acclaim of many different groups and businesses including Greggs, Waitrose, the Eating Better Alliance and figures from academia. Our spokespeople have appeared on the BBC, Sky, ITV and Times Radio.
Grassroots Power
Our movement’s strength comes from people like you. All year our campaign targets like the Co-op and Lidl have faced protests from our volunteers, and we haven’t let their consciences settle for one moment. In May we disrupted the Co-op’s Annual General Meeting to highlight their contempt for membership democracy and animal welfare. This action, as well as the cherished support of Chris Packham, got us coverage on BBC News. Even this November, as KFC announced it was delaying getting rid of Frankenchickens, we immediately got volunteers and staff on the ground to hold them accountable. Online we are also powerful with over 70,000 digital actions taken by supporters this year.
Global Reach
Our international work continues to expand, with the Open Wing Alliance reporting that 89% of corporate cage-free commitments due in 2023 have already been fulfilled worldwide. We've also seen landmark progress in Asia, where a major player like Kewpie—a leading Japanese mayonnaise producer—recently pledged to eliminate eggs from caged hens in its Asian supply chains—impacting millions of hens across the region.
Our approach combines multiple, intersecting strategies, from corporate campaigns to digital activism, from policy change to grassroots turnout. But at the heart of our work is a deep belief that change happens when we work together—across countries, industries, and communities—to hold institutions accountable and demand that they respect the lives of animals.
With the goal of promoting the animal protection organisations that are making the greatest difference for the most animals, ACE recommended The Humane League for a tenth time in 2023. We’re proud that The Humane League has been honoured with a renewed recognition once again in 2024.
As ACE reflected in their evaluation: “We assess THL’s recent work as highly cost-effective, and they performed very strongly on our evaluation criteria compared to other charities we evaluated. We believe they are in a strong position to use additional funding in ways that are likely to create the most positive change for farmed animals.”
A movement that can’t be stopped
The Humane League has always believed that a factory-farming-free world is possible—and in 2024, we’re closer than ever to making that vision a reality. But we still have a long road ahead. While we’ve made huge strides, 2025 is a pivotal year for animal advocacy. With your help, we can end the factory farming system that holds so many animals captive.
When the next generation looks back, they’ll know that together, we were the ones who made battery cages a thing of the past. Thanks to you, our shared vision of a cruelty-free world for farmed animals is becoming a reality.
