As a charity, you may wish to attract donors by letting them know that you adhere to the highest possible standards, and the Council on Humane Giving provides the easiest and most direct way to do that. Approved charities can use the Humane Charity Seal of Approval on promotional literature, advertisements, and web publications. Additionally, the Council supplies potential donors with information on health charities committed to offering services and resources to patients, as well as charities funding cutting-edge research without the use of animals. There is no cost to apply for or use the Seal.

To be approved by the council, a charity must execute a Statement of Assurance stating that it does not fund or conduct animal experiments now and will not do so in the future. Patient-oriented charities that fund no research at all are especially encouraged to apply. All charities that execute the Statement of Assurance will be listed on the widely distributed List of Approved Charities. The Council on Humane Giving and the charity then enter into an optional License Agreement for use of the Seal. Note that an approved charity is not necessarily critical of research involving animals; rather, it does not fund or conduct such research.

Charities interested in applying for the Humane Charity Seal of Approval may print out copies of the Statement of Assurance and License Agreement and mail or fax the completed paperwork to:

Melanie Hiller
5100 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20016
Phone: 202-686-2210, ext. 369
Fax: 202-686-2216
info@humaneseal.org

For more information about the Humane Charity Seal of Approval or for assistance with the Statement of Assurance or License Agreement, please call 202-686-2210, ext. 369, or e-mail info@humaneseal.org . You may also request these documents by mail.

The Council on Humane Giving permits a waiver of the application procedure in cases where a charity’s work and mission are well known to the Council and where the Council already has evidence that the charity meets approval guidelines. An example of such evidence could be a publicly available statement regarding a charity’s policy of funding only non-animal research.