Dr. Bronner’s Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Animal Advocacy Funding Program
Top-Selling Natural Brand of Soap Has Given More Than $4.3 Million Over 10 Years in Support of Efforts to End the Exploitation of Animals
November 2, 2023
VISTA, CA – Dr. Bronner’s, the family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soaps and body care products in North America, is proud to mark the tenth anniversary of its philanthropy program to support efforts to end the exploitation and suffering of animals used for food. By the end of 2023, Dr. Bronner’s will have contributed more than $4.3 million since 2013, to leading organizations that are working to expose and reduce the suffering of animals and uphold social and environmental justice as integral to healthier and more sustainable food systems.
“Over the last decade the animal advocacy movement has significantly elevated awareness of the role animal agriculture plays in human-caused climate change and has exposed egregious animal and human rights abuses in confined animal feeding operations, while changing laws and policy to improve the treatment of animals as well as confronting barriers to access of plant-based foods,” said David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s. “I deeply admire and respect the activists and advocacy organizations leading these interconnected efforts.”
Overall, Dr. Bronner’s animal advocacy program strategically chooses organizations that fuel policy change, establish new organizations and initiatives, and sustain many others with critical resources since it began ten years ago. By the end of 2023, Dr. Bronner’s will have contributed $300,000 in funding this year alone. Recipients of support this year include Animal Outlook, Black Veg Society, Farm Forward, VINE Sanctuary, Sea Shepherd Global, and Sistah Vegan Project.
Dr. Bronner’s animal advocacy program began in 2013. Visit the Dr. Bronner’s blog to see a timeline of the development of the program and its accomplishments.
A Decade of Progress for Animals, People, and the Planet
Over the past decade, Dr. Bronner’s animal advocacy funding program has developed to address key issue areas within the movement, to catalyze tangible change. These issue areas include:
Advancing Animal Protection by Raising Awareness
Undercover investigations and public education campaigns help expose the impacts of factory farming, as well as the deceptive labeling practices some meat companies use to establish credibility with consumers. Tactics like humane-washing and other forms of misinformation downplay the cruelty inherent in practices and products, and egregious labor law and human rights violations for workers in animal agribusiness.
“Our undercover investigators witness first-hand the cruelty inherent in the factory farming industry,” said Cheryl Leahy, Executive Director of Animal Outlook. “Dr. Bronner’s has been a true partner in enabling Animal Outlook to accomplish the success and growth we have achieved so far, and they have continued to help us pull back the curtain to uncover the cruel realities of animal agribusiness.
Advancing Animal Protection Through Industry Accountability
Dr. Bronner’s supports various legal advocacy projects that use existing laws and litigation to target large-scale animal cruelty on factory farms and to protect consumers from manipulation and unfair business practices by the animal agriculture industry. These campaigns change how animals are raised, they produce resources that inform consumers, educators, advocates, and policy makers, and create a more ethical and sustainable food system.
“We are fighting to expose the truth behind meat companies and their deceptive labeling and humanewashing tactics. Our goal has always been to ensure that consumers are able to purchase products from companies that they can trust,” said Andrew deCoriolis, Executive Director of Farm Forward. “With Dr. Bronner’s as a funding partner, we are changing policy, as well as shifting public attitudes about factory farms and animal cruelty.”
Grassroots Direct Action and Creating Sanctuary
Dr. Bronner’s supports groups that employ grassroots and direct-action strategies to protect and defend animals at all levels, including wildlife and ocean conservation, and support for animal sanctuaries.
“Dr. Bronner’s has helped us save millions of lives and remain on the front lines to defend marine animals. We use direct action to defend, conserve, and protect marine wildlife and the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Dr. Bronner’s support is essential—the company is investing in our mission to save our oceans, and all marine life,” said Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd Global.
Dr. Bronner’s also supports grassroots efforts to provide sanctuary for terrestrial farmed animals, including the work of VINE Sanctuary—an LGBTQ-led farmed animal sanctuary that works for social and environmental justice as well as for animal liberation, while educating the public about the intersections between speciesism and other forms of oppression.
“We offer refuge to hundreds of animals who co-create our unique multispecies community, and we aim to undermine the social and structural causes of animal exploitation,” says pattrice jones, Executive Director of VINE. “We are proud to have Dr. Bronner’s as a funding partner to help us offer refuge and care for rescued farmed animals, while also offering the public new ways of thinking about oppression.”
Promoting Plant-Based Lifestyles
Dr. Bronner’s supports organizations that positively influence consumer choices and behaviors. One such recipient is Black Veg Society, which builds community and educates the public, particularly BIPOC communities, on the benefits of veganism and plant-based eating.
“We are honored to be recipients of Dr. Bronner’s support on the 10-year anniversary of this important funding program. We offer free cooking demos, wellness classes, and special community events like Vegan SoulFest, to get more people involved in the plant-based lifestyle movement,” said Naijha Wright-Brown, Executive Director of Black Veg Society. “With Dr. Bronner’s funding, we have advanced our mission, and encouraged more and more people to adopt plant-based eating and living.”
Funding Thought Leadership and Movement Building
Dr. Bronner’s seeks to fund projects that offer critical engagement at the intersections of food ethics, anti-racism, gender liberation, environment, and public health. This year Dr. Bronner’s supported Dr. Amie Breeze Harper, founder of the Sistah Vegan Project, whose work impacts a landscape of thought leadership centering animal liberation in a framework of anti-racism.
“Dr. Bronner’s recognizes the intersectionality of racism, gender equity and social justice in its animal advocacy program,” said Dr. Amie Breeze Harper, founder of the Sistah Vegan Project. “With Dr. Bronner’s support, Sistah Vegan Project is advancing the cultural imagination surrounding what it means to fight for animals, as well as how other seemingly disparate systems play a role in oppressing and exploiting both animals and people.”
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About Dr. Bronner’s
Founded in the U.S. in 1948, Dr. Bronner’s is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and a leading brand worldwide. The company is an independent, family-owned business based in California, committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible personal care and food products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability, and progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the “All-One” philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels. The company caps executive salaries at 5 times its lowest paid fully vested position and donates all profits not needed for business development. Dr. Bronner’s generated $170.3 million in revenue in 2022 and gave an estimated $8.5 million to fund charitable and activist causes. In 2022, a bottle or bar of Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap was sold, on average, every 0.95 seconds. 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the company.