Example Animal Charity Testament: How to Leave Your Estate to Animal Charities
Planning what happens to your assets after your death is an important decision. For people who care deeply about animals, creating a charitable testament can be a meaningful way to continue supporting animal welfare long after they are gone.
An animal charity testament allows you to dedicate part or all of your estate to organizations working to reduce animal suffering, promote plant-based food systems, improve animal advocacy, and create a better future for animals.
This article provides an example animal charity testament based on a hypothetical distribution among several organizations working in animal welfare, farmed animal advocacy, research, and climate-related causes.
Example Animal Charity Testament
One possible approach is to divide a charitable inheritance between several organizations according to the areas you consider most important.
For example, a person who wants to support animal welfare and reduce animal suffering could choose the following allocation:
| Charity or Organization | Percentage of Estate |
|---|---|
| Animal Charity Evaluators – Recommended Charities | 42% |
| Faunalytics | 5% |
| Good Food Institute | 5% |
| Mercy For Animals | 16% |
| The Humane League | 26% |
| Clean Air Task Force | 3% |
| Giving Green | 3% |
| Total | 100% |
Why Leave Money to Animal Charities in a Testament?
Many people donate to charity during their lifetime, but a testament provides another opportunity to support causes that matter to them.
A charitable inheritance can potentially:
- Support animal welfare for future generations
- Help reduce suffering on a large scale
- Fund research and evidence-based advocacy
- Promote alternatives to animal agriculture
- Support campaigns for farmed animal welfare
- Encourage the development of sustainable food systems
- Address environmental problems that affect animals and people
- Continue your personal values beyond your lifetime
For someone who wants their legacy to reflect compassion for animals, including animal charities in a testament can be a powerful choice.
1. Animal Charity Evaluators – Recommended Charities: 42%
In this example, 42% of the charitable estate is allocated to the recommended charities identified by Animal Charity Evaluators.
Animal Charity Evaluators focuses on evaluating opportunities to help animals and identifying organizations that appear particularly effective. Rather than choosing only one organization, directing funds toward a recommended charity pool can be an approach for people who want their donation to follow evidence-based recommendations.
This type of allocation may also provide flexibility if the most effective organizations change over time.
If you choose this approach, it is important to make sure that your testament clearly identifies what you mean by "Animal Charity Evaluators – Recommended Charities." A lawyer can help ensure that the wording is legally precise and that your wishes can be followed if the recommended organizations change in the future.
2. Faunalytics: 5%
The example allocates 5% of the estate to Faunalytics.
Faunalytics works to provide research and information that can help animal advocates make better decisions. Research can play an important role in understanding how to communicate effectively, which interventions work best, and how advocacy can achieve greater impact.
Supporting research organizations can therefore be one way to contribute to a broader evidence-based animal advocacy movement.
3. Good Food Institute: 5%
Another 5% is allocated to the Good Food Institute.
The organization focuses on transforming the food system by supporting alternatives to conventional animal agriculture, including plant-based and cultivated meat.
The idea behind supporting this type of work is that changing the food system could potentially reduce the number of animals raised and killed for food while also addressing environmental challenges.
For people who believe that technological and food-system innovation can play an important role in reducing animal suffering, this can be a meaningful part of a charitable giving strategy.
4. Mercy For Animals: 16%
The example gives 16% to Mercy For Animals.
The organization works to improve the lives of farmed animals and advocates for changes that can reduce animal suffering.
Farmed animals represent a particularly large area of concern for many animal advocates because of the enormous number of animals involved in modern food production.
Including an organization focused on farmed animal welfare can therefore be an important component of an animal-focused charitable testament.
5. The Humane League: 26%
In this example, 26% of the estate is allocated to The Humane League.
The organization focuses on improving conditions for farmed animals through advocacy and campaigns.
The relatively large allocation in this example reflects the idea that farmed animal welfare is an area where charitable resources may have the potential to influence the lives of a very large number of animals.
A person creating their own testament could choose a different percentage depending on their personal values and assessment of where additional funding is most needed.
6. Clean Air Task Force: 3%
The example allocates 3% to Clean Air Task Force.
Although the organization is not exclusively focused on animal welfare, climate and environmental issues can have significant consequences for humans and animals alike.
Climate change can affect ecosystems, biodiversity, food security, and the habitats on which many species depend.
Including a climate-focused organization in an animal charity testament can therefore reflect a broader view of compassion and concern for the future of life on Earth.
7. Giving Green: 3%
The final 3% in this example is allocated to Giving Green.
Giving Green focuses on identifying effective opportunities for climate-related philanthropy.
This approach is similar in spirit to evidence-based charity evaluation: rather than simply donating based on popularity or emotional appeal, donors can seek out organizations and interventions that appear particularly effective.
For someone who wants their legacy to address both animal suffering and climate change, including a climate-focused allocation can provide a broader charitable impact.
An Example Testamentary Giving Strategy
The allocation above represents one possible philosophy of charitable giving.
The central idea is to prioritize organizations working directly on animal welfare while also supporting research, food-system transformation, and climate action.
The overall distribution can be summarized as follows:
- Animal welfare and animal advocacy: 94%
- Climate and environmental giving: 6%
This creates a testamentary giving strategy where the primary focus is on reducing animal suffering, while a smaller portion is directed toward climate-related causes.
However, there is no universally correct allocation. Your own distribution should reflect your personal values and the causes you believe can benefit most from additional resources.
How Much Money Could This Represent?
The percentages can be applied to any amount you choose to leave to charity.
For example, if your charitable estate were $100,000, the distribution would be:
- Animal Charity Evaluators – Recommended Charities: $42,000
- Faunalytics: $5,000
- Good Food Institute: $5,000
- Mercy For Animals: $16,000
- The Humane League: $26,000
- Clean Air Task Force: $3,000
- Giving Green: $3,000
The same percentages could be applied to a larger or smaller charitable inheritance.
The key advantage of using percentages rather than fixed monetary amounts is that the distribution automatically scales with the size of the estate.
Consider Using a Percentage Rather Than a Fixed Amount
When creating a charitable testament, some people choose to leave a specific dollar amount, while others leave a percentage of their estate.
A percentage-based approach can be useful because the value of an estate may change significantly over time.
For example, if you leave 42% of your charitable inheritance to a particular cause, the amount donated will automatically increase or decrease depending on the value of your estate.
This can make percentage-based gifts particularly suitable for long-term testamentary planning.
Review Your Testament Regularly
Charitable organizations, research priorities, and the needs of the world can change over time.
For this reason, it may be worthwhile to review your testament periodically.
You might consider asking:
- Are these still the organizations I most want to support?
- Have my charitable priorities changed?
- Are there new and more effective opportunities to reduce animal suffering?
- Does my wording account for changes in organizations or charity names?
- Does my testament still comply with current laws?
- Is my family situation different from when I created the testament?
Regular reviews can help ensure that your charitable legacy continues to reflect your values.
What If a Charity No Longer Exists?
One important consideration when writing a charitable testament is what should happen if an organization closes, changes its name, merges with another organization, or significantly changes its mission.
A carefully drafted testament can potentially include instructions for such circumstances.
For example, you may wish to specify that if a named organization no longer exists, the gift should go to a successor organization or to another charity with a similar mission.
The exact wording should be prepared with professional legal advice because the appropriate solution depends on the laws applicable to your estate.
A Legacy of Compassion
A charitable testament can be more than a financial document. It can be an expression of the values that shaped your life.
If you care about animals, you may want your legacy to contribute to a world where fewer animals experience suffering and where society treats animals with greater compassion.
By supporting animal advocacy, research, food-system innovation, and climate action, charitable giving can become part of a broader vision for a better future.
The example allocation in this article prioritizes:
- 42% to Animal Charity Evaluators' recommended charities
- 5% to Faunalytics
- 5% to the Good Food Institute
- 16% to Mercy For Animals
- 26% to The Humane League
- 3% to Clean Air Task Force
- 3% to Giving Green
Together, these allocations represent a vision centered primarily on animal welfare, while recognizing that environmental and climate-related challenges are also important.
Ultimately, the most meaningful charitable testament is one that reflects your own values and priorities.
If your goal is to leave the world a better place for animals and future generations, a well-planned charitable inheritance can be one way to turn that intention into a lasting legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an animal charity testament?
An animal charity testament is a will or testament that leaves some or all of a person's estate to organizations working to improve animal welfare or reduce animal suffering.
Can I leave my entire estate to animal charities?
Depending on your country's inheritance laws and your family circumstances, it may be possible to leave some or all of your estate to charity. However, legal restrictions may apply, particularly regarding certain family members. Consult a qualified legal professional in your jurisdiction.
Should I donate to one animal charity or several?
There is no single correct answer. Some people prefer to concentrate their donation on one organization, while others diversify their charitable giving across several organizations and approaches.
Why use percentages in a testament?
Percentages allow charitable gifts to scale with the value of your estate. This can be more flexible than specifying fixed monetary amounts.
Can I change my charitable testament later?
In many jurisdictions, a testament can be updated or replaced during your lifetime, provided you have the legal capacity to do so and follow the applicable formal requirements.
Is this example a legally valid testament?
No. This article provides an example of a charitable allocation, not a legally valid testament. The legal requirements for a valid testament vary by jurisdiction. You should seek advice from a qualified lawyer before preparing your final document.
Final Thoughts
Leaving a portion of your estate to animal charities can be a meaningful way to extend your commitment to animal welfare beyond your lifetime.
The example presented here prioritizes animal-focused organizations while also allocating a smaller share to climate and environmental causes. It demonstrates how a person might use percentage-based charitable gifts to create a long-term philanthropic legacy.
Whether you choose to leave 1%, 10%, 50%, or more of your estate to charity, the most important thing is that your testament reflects your values and is prepared in accordance with the law.
For those who want to help create a world with less animal suffering, a carefully considered charitable testament can be one powerful way to make a lasting difference.