I am saying that its not a very useful question to ask. (I believe that Givewell is one of them). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons, written before about the idea of cash transfers. For example, there are plenty of programs which fly doctors from the US over to developing countries in order for them to do work such as cleft palate surgeries or obstetric fistula repair. Ive been thinking about such programs conceptually, though, and I have a lot of trouble understanding the reasoning behind these programs. Thanks for the comments, all. Project participants learn key essential aspects of, Nutrition and income are the rewards Heifer expects recipients to gain from their gift animal through the consumption and/or sale of. diets, in particular on the consumption of animal source foods, and on child nutritional status in those households. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Researchers have found that teff can be grown in those same areas by the same farmers at a yield of 2,000 to 3,000 pounds per acre, with more sustainable growing techniques employed and no water irrigation teff has been shown to grow well in water-stressed areas and it is pest resistant.. I wouldnt rely on just one filter (either one). (Similar problems as in the above bullet point could arise if they dont. It was the first U.S.-based organization to win the $1-million award since 1997. While scientists warn that meat production perpetuates world hunger and, Providing access to marketing opportunities for locally produced items, Installing irrigation pumps and providing water resource management training, Supplying fruit and vegetable seeds along with training in farming, Offering small business training to help women across India gain full employment and self-reliance. Learn more about Donate Your Round-Up Change. Passing on the Gift is part of Heifer International's charitable model. Rob, Heifer at least buys livestock in-country, which is pretty much guaranteed to distort market prices. Vegetarians and vegans beware: bee and tree gift-donations can support any animal program, fundraising, or overhead. [16][17][18][19][20], The first cows were named, "Faith", "Hope", and "Charity", and recipient families had to promise that they would donate the first female calf to another poor family. Milk is very specifically created for infants, not adults. This means that virtually all livestock are killed with the often not-too-sharp-knife of rural butchers, causing much suffering to the animal and possibly to the butcher. They show strong evidence of understanding the socio-cultural effects of providing livestock and non-biological gifts in an area, and work to balance these gifts as appropriate to the means of the personso yes chickens or goats for people who dont have room for a cow. Better to look for the most impactful organizations and assume that they know more than you do about how to allocate expenses and what an appropriate salary is. Cull good intentions of useless self serving operations going round in circles of their own PR importance! These massive programs were developed despite the fact that 90% of Asian and African populations are lactose intolerant. I have trouble understanding the idea of livestock gifts, from the perspective of maximizing positive impact. I do think that Bill happens to be right about the options. WebThe average Heifer International salary ranges from approximately $157,823 per year for a Director to $157,823 per year for a Director. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. "[30] GiveWell delineates concerns about the efficacy of agricultural assistance programs in general, and, specifically, those that involve gifts of livestock, stating, in conclusion: "Neither Heifer's website nor its grant application have provided the kind of information needed to address these concerns. GiveWell is devoted to finding charities in which we can have more confidence. This search returns results from both GiveWell's main site and from the GiveWell Blog. As Bill suggested double checking information is a very good idea. A Well-Fed World is an international hunger relief and food security organization advancing plant-based foods and farming to create a sustainable, nourished, and climate-friendly future. For greater detail about Heifers impact, I encourage a visit Heifers Web site, http://www.heifer.org, to read the results of five years of evaluations by the Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University. The charitynavigator.org site provides that information about every charity listed. Read our blog or follow us by email, Heifer International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity registered in the US under EIN: 35-1019477. Many of the goats provided by the program as well as their offspring are added to others already kept by farmers and are used for breeding. I also think the head of the paid staff is paid too much, based on the income of the group. It is now rather stale and heres a positive development: As the pastures and animals of Heifer Ranch have flourished, native species have prospered alongside them a welcome indication of a healthy, resilientecosystem. She has two master's degrees from The George Washington University: one in International Relations, the other in Women's Studies, both focusing on economic development. With micro-irrigation, crops can be grown year round, harvesting rainwater and precisely redistributing it, and supplying families with sources of food as well as income from surplus harvest. Photos of happy children and healthy animals represent standard advertising used by animal-giving organizations. The animals often face long-distance transport in a mostly unregulated slaughter trade to places where they will be butchered. I called direct and told them I would not be donating AGAIN so they did stop calling, but even so they send a fancy brochure at least twice a year. Ultimately, most of their animal friends will suffer painful deaths due to disease, deprivation, or slaughter. When any animal fund becomes depleted and there is still a need, monies from any other animal fund can be used where needed most. At least two families in the area where Heifer International operates admitted that they couldnt afford to take care of the goats. Such resources can be in critically short supply in places such as Africa (a major recipient of animal-giving charities). In 2011 Heifer International has committed to help rebuild rural communities and to improve economic opportunities through livestock inputs and management in Haiti as part of the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting.[28]. International Children's Fund. In other words, it simply states that the evaluators had a positive view of Heifer. 3.) Increased dairy production is frequently touted as one of the greatest successes of animal-gifting programs. In Thailand, for example, evaluators found Heifers work helped villagers access greater amounts and varieties of food, helped increase their knowledge and skills in livestock care, and that extra income for livestock and food helped villagers send their children to school for more years. We make it easy with one tax-letter, gift card and present, but you may also choose to give directly to these groups or choose from our grants list. These uses of water are in direct competition with the drinking water needs of local communities, as well as with the supply of water available to grow foods for direct human consumption. In other words, they just dont give a cow to give a cow. Stephen thanks for the comment. A big American group is reviewing its partnership with a Limerick-based charity that has been embroiled in Additionally, in many arid communities, water is only available from a communal well or reservoir, in which case hydrating animals is a labor-intensive process for adults and children who must travel by foot and can only carry so much. Spirituality is expressed in common values, common beliefs about the value and meaning of all life, a sense of connectedness to the earth, and a shared vision of the future. To learn more about the work of A Well Fed World, visit their website. Families who have lost farmed animals to drought are now growing crops and experiencing food security, better nutrition, and access to healthcare and education as a result of a steady income. Most of it goes toward their own infrastructure, which means rent, staff, travel and investigation This is cynical exploitation of animals and poor people.. Heifer International is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to strengthening local economies by eradicating poverty and hunger. This is an interesting possible justification for livestock gifts, and one that we havent gotten from Heifer. While animal-giving programs seem to focus on small-scale farming, they have extremely large-scale implications that pave the way for factory farming, and exponentially increase consumption of meat, dairy and eggs throughout entire countries and beyond. While scientists warn that meat production perpetuates world hunger and the climate catastrophe, Heifer International promotes meat production among a largely vegetarian population and is planning to support the construction of a slaughterhouse in another Indian state. Enthusiasm is great, but not in and of itself to generate impact. However, this summary appears to say next to nothing about the methods used to reach the conclusions described. [38], The Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (WGA) reports that Heifer International meets all of its standards for charity accountability. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Initiatives such as micro-irrigation (or drip irrigation) projects for growing crops are far more sustainable and ecologically sound, and have helped provide an alternative livelihood to many pastoralists and subsistence farmers. The pictures on the organizations website make it seem as if the animals become treasured members of human families, but as a PETA and Sentient eyewitness investigation shows, this depiction can be very misleading. Some end up at local meat shops, many of which are unlicensed. [16] The organization moved its headquarters to Little Rock, near the Perryville ranch, in 1971. Many started to accumulate livestock and other assets, and soon could better afford medical expenses and keep their children in school longer and more consistently (particularly girls). But lately, weve gone into a bit more detail about our take on several of the best-known and most appealing charities out there. There are also organizations that pay substantial salaries and make a difference. WebHeifer International provid Alton Brown shares how the charity Heifer International works to end hunger and poverty around the world by working with farmers. GiveWell, aka The Clear Fund (a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity). Animals used for food require up to 10 times the water needed to grow crops for direct human consumption. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. These vets were uniformly enthusiastic about Heifer Intl., and about the projects. Summaries arent worth much. We have significant methodological doubts about the Rwanda evaluation (see the Development Impact Blogs writeup. Its a scary thought, but it seems possible to me that these programs exist entirely because of how they can be marketed to donors, instead of for any reasons relating to maximizing good accomplished. They give plants, efficient/safe/heathier stoves, bees, chickens, and rabbits (which can be kept in hutches, and fed on cheap, easily obtained, or leftover vegetable matter). In 2012, the foundation followed up with an additional $8.2 million.[25][26][27]. You can also follow them on facebook. It is clear that donations primarily fund charities (salary) overheads to an average of 80% of all funds raised. to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. These cookies do not store any personal information. ____________________________________________. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Heifer International distributes animals, along with agricultural and values-based training, to families in need around the world as a means of providing self-sufficiency. They do an extensive assessment of the area where to implement a project with either livestock conducive to that area or agricultural helpand are very careful of the environmental impact of such projects creating sustainable lively hoodswhich goes far beyond charity. Our work may begin with livestock, but it ends with transforming lives. Re: executive compensation. And I was trying to argue that such compensation is unnecessary and therefore the issue itself need not exist at all. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 22:48. Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mail unless you explicitly opt out by clicking, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. In Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, evaluators cited Heifers effectiveness and impact as nothing less than impressive, and in Asia, evaluators said, It was evident that Heifer China has the strongest system we have seen so far, not only to provide livestock care training and management support, but also to effectively influence other agencies to adopt Heifer values and work strategies.. I agree with you that its possible that in some cases animal gifts may provoke different reactions (with regards to re-sale or passing on) than cash transfers do, but I dont think its clear which directions the differences would point. In fact, their advanced search feature allows you to use that as a search criteria. Twitter, The issue is that apart from the question of impact there appears to be a deep and perhaps systemic issue with excessive executive compensation in the nonprofit sector which is most troubling as it relates to charitable organizations (because of the missions they have and who they serve). U.S. only. Additionally, dairy production negatively impacts local communities with ripple effect consequences that ultimately disadvantage entire societies. Given the number of organizations out there with evidence of impact (Im aware of only a small handful), I take issue with the idea that one can find organizations that have both a good record on impact and do not pay its executives excessive amounts. Its hard enough to satisfy the first criterion without adding the second one in. Free from Harm is dedicated to helping end animal exploitation through public education and grassroots action. (a) some/most of the additional donor funds through livestock donations would not have been raised but for this campaign; and In 2008, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Heifer International a $42.5 million grant to help poor rural farmers in East Africa double their incomes by increasing their production of high quality raw milk to sell to dairies. Dont Have a Cow. ), HIs summary of WMUs five year study can be found here: http://www.heifer.org/ourwork/measure-of-success?msource=magento. Pay is but one of thousands of ways in which a charity can waste money; rather than focusing on it, take the charitys total costs into account and find out how much impact you are getting for those costs. Teff, for example, is one of Ethiopias oldest grains. And where are the animals purchased? This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Giving an animal gift at the holidays is like giving someone a small Animals do not magically produce milk and meat or just live off the land by grazing (details below). To end hunger & poverty and care for the earth. Copyright | Free From Harm | All Rights Reserved. Depending on the animal and location, the price of feed alone can exceed the slaughter price. WebThe mission of Heifer International is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Ive been thinking about such programs conceptually, though, and I have a lot of trouble understanding the reasoning behind these programs. Existence supported by pure marketability doesnt seem like a scary thought, but rather like what I expect, in the business, government, non-profit and intellectual spheres. Yet, organizations such as Heifer International promote inherently water-intensive animal farming, even in areas identified as water-scarce. I doubt it would happen. If you believe that the Western Michigan University evaluation represents good outward-facing evidence of Heifers impact, I encourage you to make it publicly available. These charities generate a lot of enthusiasm by their participants (I know several personally), but universally fail when it comes to cost effectiveness. Is Heifer International legitimate? The Charity Navigator rates Heifer International with 78.72 out of 100, a combined score of Heifer's 70.06 for financial and 97.00 for accountability and transparency performance. Read More. There was an implication of prostitution in a cash transfer not present with livestock. Even if there is little or no initial investment to acquire animals, raising animals takes a great deal of knowledge and financial resources. It doesnt sound right to me, and I also believe the overhead ratio issue is usually a distraction. Quick question about donor illusions: How different are they from the illusions that for profit organizations use to sell products? It also offers a solution: Charitable individuals can help people already struggling with drought and against starvation with donations to international organizations that focus on clean water, hygiene, fruit tree planting, and education that helps young people pull themselves and their families out of poverty. Learn how to enable it here. If the world is flat, that opens up many possibilities for doing things differently. I think there is a lot of similarity between donor illusions and the Nike illusion you mention. Full participation is expected within the groups that Heifer works with. Accountability allows for organization at the grassroots level. I believe that giving livestock is better than giving cash, because there is less potential for misuse. Sustainable agriculture, which includes animals, is at the heart of everything Heifer does with project participants and families. But my guess is that the overall economic benefits of programs such as Heifers are rather more tenuous than the simple charity pitch would suggest. Overhead ratio issue is usually a distraction often face long-distance transport in a cash transfer not present with livestock but... ( Similar problems as in the above bullet point could arise if they dont reasoning behind these programs entire.! Understand How you use this website will be butchered be butchered '' 315 src=. The evaluators had a positive view of Heifer International works to end and! Alton Brown shares How the charity Heifer International salary ranges from approximately $ 157,823 year... Edited on 28 February 2023, at 22:48 is Little or no initial investment to acquire,! Particular on the consumption of animal source foods, and about the used! 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Appears to say next to nothing about the projects families in the area where International... ( Similar problems as in the area where Heifer International salary ranges from approximately $ 157,823 per year for Director... Of livestock gifts, and i was trying to argue that such compensation is unnecessary and heifer international scandal the issue need. Fact that 90 % of all funds raised good intentions of useless self serving operations going in! Also organizations that pay substantial salaries and make a difference buys livestock in-country, which includes,... 80 % of all funds raised it ends with transforming lives WMUs five year study can be found here http. Appears to say next to nothing about the Rwanda evaluation ( see the Development impact writeup!
