About Us
 
 ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE
 Mailing Address:
 P.O. Box 3650
 Washington, DC 20027		   Physical Address:
  1007 Queen Street
  Alexandria, VA 22314
 Tel: 703-836-4300
 Fax: 703-836-0400
 awi@awionline.org

AWI is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans.

HISTORY

Since its founding in 1951 the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has sought to reduce the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by people. In the organization’s early years our particular emphasis was on the desperate needs of animals used for experimentation. In the decades that followed we expanded the scope of our work to address many other areas of animal suffering.

Today one of our greatest areas of emphasis is cruel animal factories, which raise and slaughter pigs, cows, chickens and other animals. The biggest are in our country, and they are expanding worldwide.

Another major AWI effort is our quest to end the torture inflicted on furbearing animals by steel jaw leghold traps and wire snares. AWI continues its work to protect animals in laboratories including promotion of development of non-animal testing methods and prevention of painful experiments on animals by high school students. Representatives of AWI regularly attend meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to fight for protection of threatened and endangered species. Similarly, we attend meetings of the International Whaling Commission to preserve the ban on commercial whaling and we work to protect all marine life against the proliferation of human-generated ocean noise including active sonar and seismic air guns. AWI works to minimize the impacts of all human actions detrimental to endangered species, including the destruction of natural forests containing ancient trees, and pollution of the oceans destroying every kind of marine life.

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT (1951 - 2002)
 Christine Stevens (1918 - 2002)

Directors
 Barbara K. Buchanan
Penny Eastman
John Gleiber
Charly Jabbour
Mary Lee Jensvold, Ph.D
Cathy Liss
Cynthia Wilson, Chair

Officers
Cathy Liss, President
Cynthia Wilson, Vice President
Charly Jabbour, Treasurer
John Gleiber, Secretary

Scientific Committee
 Marjorie Anchel, Ph.D.
Gerard Bertrand, Ph.D.
F. Barbara Orlans, Ph.D.
Roger Payne, Ph.D.
Samuel Peacock, M.D.
Hope Ryden
Robert Schmidt, Ph.D.
John Walsh, M.D.

International Committee
 Aline de Aluja, D.M.V. - Mexico
Ambassador Tabarak Husain - Bangladesh
Angela King - United Kingdom
Godofredo Stutzin - Chile
Agnes Van Volkenburgh, D.V.M. - Poland
Alexey Yablokov, Ph.D. - Russia

STAFF AND FIELD REPRESENTATIVES

AWI's staff.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Program Expenses

91.5%
Administrative Expenses

7.4%
Fundraising Expenses

1.1%

For a full breakdown of AWI's 2004-2005 Finances, click here.

For our latest Internal Revenue Service Tax Return (Form 990) (703) 836-4300 or go to GUIDESTAR.

RATING BY INDEPENDENT PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS

The Animal Welfare Institute has been evaluated by both Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy. In addition, we also meet all of the standards to qualify for the Combined Federal Campaign.

These independent evaluations assure the public that AWI is properly governed; that our program is consistent with our statement of purpose; that our funding is sound; and the bulk of our annual expenses is devoted to our program of protecting animals. For further information on AWI, go to:

  • Charity Navigator
    1200 MacArthur Boulevard
    Second Floor
    Mahwah, New Jersey 07430
    Phone: (201) 818-1288
    Fax: (201) 818-4694
    www.charitynavigator.org
  • The American Institute of Philanthropy
    3450 N. Lake Shore Dr.
    P.O. Box 578460
    Chicago, IL 60657
    Phone: (773) 529-2300
    Fax: (773) 529-0024
    Email: aipmail@charitywatch.org
  • The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the charitable workplace fund drive conducted by the U.S. Government for all federal employees. The Animal Welfare Institute is listed under Animal Funds of America. CFC #10474.

A copy of our Annual Report may be obtained from:

Animal Welfare Institute
P.O. Box 3650
Washington, DC 20027

or downloaded by clicking here (PDF).

DONATIONS

AWI is supported entirely by memberships, donations, and bequests. We are not funded by any government or private agency. Your contribution is tax-deductible. Click here to learn about the various ways you can support AWI.

BECOME AN AWI MEMBER

For information on becoming a member of AWI, Click here.

(Revised 11/26/07)