New Report Shows Increasing Support for Non-Animal Research
By Kristie Stoick, M.P.H.
According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there
are 41,443 health-related charities in the United States. How does
a donor wade through this veritable haystack to find the best ones?
How do people identify and support the most important, scientific,
and cutting-edge health charities?
Worthwhile charities are sometimes identified by checking financial
statements to ensure that donations aren’t wasted. But is
that enough?
A new PCRM report shows that a growing number of Americans don’t
think so. These donors also want to know whether their contributions
are going to support animal experiments or toward more innovative
research or programs.
PCRM’s research staff recently analyzed data from three
telephone surveys taken over a 10-year period by an independent
pollster, Opinion Research Corporation International of Princeton,
New Jersey. (The company conducts these surveys on our behalf every
few years.) The most recent poll was conducted among a random sample
of 1,012 adults, July 18–21, 2005. The results were very
encouraging.
The report shows a clear trend toward humane giving, meaning that
more donors care about whether their money is used to support animal
experiments. Sixty-seven percent of adults polled in July 2005
said they were more likely to donate to a health charity that has
a policy of never funding animal experiments than to one that does.
That’s up 11 percentage points since 2001 and 16 percentage
points since 1996.
The survey also asked, “When donating to a health charity,
how important is it that your donation be used for innovative research
without animals rather than animal experiments?” Seventy-one
percent of respondents said that it was somewhat, very, or extremely
important; the proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds so responding
was 83 percent.
PCRM members have long been aware that no health charity has to
conduct cruel animal experiments to help advance human health.
Non-animal research, including clinical, in vitro, and
epidemiological research using the latest computer simulation and
imaging techniques is not only more humane, it is also more applicable
to human health. The general public now seems to agree.
For a copy of the full report, visit www.HumaneSeal.org.
 Kristie Stoick, M.P.H., is a research analyst with PCRM.
List of Humane
Charities Grows
 As the demand for humane giving opportunities grows, so
does the list of health charities recognized by PCRM’s
Council on Humane Giving. Nearly 250 health charities have
been awarded the Humane Charity Seal of Approval. These charities
are all working to improve human health—humanely. For
a current list of awardees, contact PCRM at 202-686-2210,
ext. 306, or visit www.HumaneSeal.org.
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