Science-informed normativity

Abstract

A 2021 study investigates major trends in how Effective Altruism (EA) funds have been allocated for advocacy for animal welfare between 2019 and 2021. Data drawn from major donors such as Open Philanthropy, EA Animal Welfare Fund, and ACE Recommended Charity Fund showed that corporate welfare campaigns (particularly cage-free and broiler campaigns) were the most dominant form of advocacy in this timeframe. In contrast, legislative efforts, litigation, research-based advocacy (such as foundational research), and media-based advocacy received a comparably smaller share of EA funding. Wild Animal Welfare, meanwhile, experienced a significant rise in its share of funding between 2019 and 2021. Overall, the study points to an ongoing shift of EA funding priorities towards corporate welfare campaigns, even as other potentially effective advocacy methods seem to be underfunded – AI-generated abstract.