A US-based charity is giving millions to welfare campaign groups in the UK. Chloe Ryan and Abi Kay investigate
A new Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) campaign to end the use of cages for laying hens has reignited debate over the extent to which overseas funding is shaping animal welfare policy in the UK, as former ministers call for greater transparency around international influence on domestic farming issues. At a Parliamentary reception in November, CIWF urged ministers to include a commitment to phase out cages in the government’s forthcoming Animal Welfare Strategy. The charity says 18% of UK eggs still come from enriched cages, about seven million hens, and argues that even improved systems fail to meet birds’ behavioural needs.
FUNDS FROM THE US
While CIWF presents the cage-free push as a natural progression for animal welfare, financial disclosures show that several of the UK’s most active campaign groups are supported by tens of millions of pounds in funding from a California-based foundation.
Coefficient Giving (known as Open Philanthropy until November), headquartered in San Francisco and established by one of Facebook’s early investors, has become a major backer of UK welfare NGOs, including CIWF, The Humane League UK and Open Cages, and legal advisory groups.
Coefficient Giving is not only a financer of UK animal welfare organisations, but also advises other high-value donors on where to direct their funds, meaning its role in shaping animal welfare policy may be broader than publicly disclosed grant totals suggest.
In January 2025, the organisation awarded CIWF a grant of $3.38m (£2.58m) for ‘broiler chicken welfare’ in addition to multiple grants over the previous nine years.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) – which campaigns on banning live exports and pig farrowing crates, as well as mandatory method-of-production labelling – has received just over £2m from Coefficient Giving since 2020.
The foundation is backed by patrons including former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson’s wife, Carrie Johnson, and father, Stanley Johnson, and two ex-Defra secretaries, Michael Gove and Theresa Villiers. It actively engages with Parliament to influence legislation on live exports and farm animal welfare, often leveraging political connections to ensure its voice is heard.
Coefficient Giving’s support for The Humane League’s work across the world has been even larger. In October 2024, the group received $8.4m (£6.2m) ‘for general support’, following identical $8.3m (£6.1m) grants in 2023 and 2022. Much of this money funds the Open Wing Alliance, a network of over 100 animal groups in 67 countries working to secure global cage-free pledges. Other UK-connected grants include $550,000 (£418,000) in December 2024 to law firm Advocates for Animals to provide legal support to campaigners on farm animal welfare.
Coefficient Giving’s 2025 annual review directly credits UK groups it funds, including CIWF, The Humane League and Open Cages, with securing reforms covering ‘around one- third of the chickens raised for meat in the UK’, or about 350 million birds annually. However, some of these funding flows are indirect, with grants distributed via umbrella coalitions or international partners, making it difficult to trace exactly how much reaches UK-registered entities.
According to an analysis of grants made between 2016 and May 2025 by a major international agri-business and seen by Poultry Business/Farmers Weekly, more than $467m (£350m) has been distributed globally by Co-efficient Giving. Grants have gone to more than 170 organisations, with the top 10 recipients accounting for over half of all spending. Poultry-focused campaigns dominate, receiving about 40% of funding, and nearly half of all grants support global initiatives. Europe is the second-largest regional focus.
WHO PULLS THE STRINGS?
Former farming minister Mark Spencer said he had been unaware of international funding behind campaigns that regularly engaged with Defra. “I did not know that was foreign money or where it was coming from. I just presumed it was UK cash. People need to know who is pulling the strings. It’s not a level playing field.”
He added that some campaigns appeared to be driven by a desire to reduce meat production altogether. “It felt to me like a vegan war. If you’re pushing to remove CO₂ slaughter or end certain production systems without alternatives, you risk making welfare worse, not better.”
Spencer warned that poorly designed reforms could shrink UK production and lower global welfare by shifting production overseas.
IMBALANCE OF RESOURCES
Former Labour Defra minister Daniel Zeichner expressed concern about the imbalance of resources in the policy space. “Sometimes, it felt as if NGOs had more people working on a policy area than I did as a minister. If political parties can’t take foreign donations, it’s fair to ask whether organisations in the same space should face similar transparency rules.”
Zeichner warned that heavy use of judicial review by groups was becoming ‘a near-daily tool’, absorbing significant ministerial time.
INDIRECT FUNDING
Open Cages CEO Connor Jackson confirmed that the group benefits from philanthropic funding, but rejected the claim that foreign support is what gives NGOs influence.
He clarified that Open Cages does not receive funding directly, but through its membership of Anima International, and said its current support amounts to £126,000/year. “Any support we receive goes toward work already shown to be effective, such as engaging companies on the Better Chicken Commitment and raising awareness of the welfare problems associated with fast-growing broiler breeds.”
Jackson disputed the idea that foreign backing drives NGO influence. “Brits care deeply about animal welfare. Public sentiment is what gives NGOs a strong voice, not overseas funding. UK welfare charities already receive significant backing from British supporters.”
He said the best route for farmers to influence policy was collaboration. “We often find common ground when talking with producers.
The recent 30kg/sq m stocking density move was a good example of a pragmatic step forward. The conversation is usually not whether welfare should improve, but how.”
Jackson added that Open Cages’ focus is on reducing suffering, not opposing livestock farming. “We prioritise areas like intensive poultry production, where suffering is most severe, and we work constructively with producers, breeders and planners to address practical challenges.”
COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING
Anthony Field, CIWF head, said it was incorrect to suggest its campaign was propelled by external influence. “Our End the Cage Age campaign started when our founders were campaigning to end the use of cages in the 1970s. Our aim is to end outdated and unnecessary cruelty for hundreds of millions of animals kept in systems that restrict natural behaviours.”
Field said cage-free production was already widely used. “Cage-free farming is proven and widely adopted by producers and retailers. Higher welfare can go hand in hand with competitive production.”
He added that funding streams do not dictate CIWF’s strategy. “Most Open Philanthropy funding for End the Cage Age was spent outside the UK and forms only part of our international work. The majority of our UK income comes from individual supporters. None of our funders have any input into our priorities or political engagement.”
Field said the UK public, not foreign donors, is driving demand for change. “The UK has reached a tipping point where the public overwhelmingly supports an end to cages. We chose to campaign on this because it aligns with consumer expectations and retailer commitments.”
On trade and competitiveness, he said: “We have co-signed British Egg Industry Council letters to government and repeatedly stressed the need for fair trade and a level playing field. We do not want to see lower-welfare imported eggs entering the UK.”
Chris Platt, CAWF co-founder, said: “Animal welfare doesn’t stop at borders, and neither does compassion. UK farmers have been clear that they want a level playing field, and so do we. Whether support comes from inside or outside the UK, what matters is that it helps ensure animals here are treated well and that lower-welfare imports don’t undermine the higher standards British farmers are proud of.”
EGG TRADE CONCERNS
Producers warn any cage ban must be accompanied by import restrictions requiring overseas eggs and egg products to meet UK standards. Without this, domestic farmers fear being undercut by lower-welfare systems.
CIWF itself echoes this concern, warning the UK must not ‘import animal cruelty’ by allowing caged egg imports if domestic law changes.
As the government finalises its new animal welfare strategy, the question is not just whether cages will be banned, but who is really steering the course of British farming policy. The Humane League UK and Coefficient Giving did not respond before deadline.
Coefficient Giving fact file
Headquarters San Francisco, US
Founders Dustin Moskovitz (Facebook co-founder) and Cari Tuna
Focus Global health, criminal justice reform, AI safety, and farm animal welfare
Farm Animal Welfare Programme Has committed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide to reduce animal suffering and promote meat alternatives
Major grants
- Compassion in World Farming: £10.2m (2021-25 – including funding for fish welfare in 2021 and spend elsewhere in Europe)
- The Humane League/Open Wing Alliance: 2024: $8.4m (£6.2m), 2023: $8.3m (£6.1m), 2022: $8.3m (£6.1m)
- Advocates for Animals: £925,000 (2022-24)
- Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation: £2m (2020-26)