Who are WFAR Members?
Women Funders in Animal Rights (WFAR) is a giving circle that champions small-but-mighty, women-led animal rights and vegan groups.
Each year, WFAR members and allies donate and raise money to create a grant fund. Members then review and discuss the grant applications and vote to provide grants to small, women-led groups that are advancing animal rights and promoting veganism.
Our members also learn together and lift up one another and women-led activism and advocacy. We meet ten times a year via Zoom for presentations, discussions, and networking.
While decisions are made by the full membership, WFAR is guided in its work by a volunteer Leadership Council.
Should You Join WFAR?
Membership to WFAR is open to women and nonbinary people who want to advance animal rights and promote veganism.
If you are not a woman or nonbinary person but wish to support WFAR, we welcome your financial contributions! Donate without becoming a member of WFAR or contact us at membership@womenfundersinar.org.
Requirements for Joining WFAR:
A minimum donation of $500/year is encouraged for WFAR members joining at the individual level, as this is the amount that enables impactful grantmaking. However, we recognize that individuals' ability to donate varies. If you’re unable to contribute at that level, a sliding scale is available that starts at $100/year.
We have members who give:
$500/year minimum (General Members)
$1,000/year minimum (Organization/Entity Members)
$5,000/year and larger (Foundation Members)
Any amount in between!
Every member gets an equal vote regardless of their donation level. If you’re unable to contribute $500/year, we hope you’ll consider pitching in with your time and talents in addition to the monetary amount you’re able to donate.
Credit card donations are strongly preferred for ease of tracking. “Off platform” donations are accepted. Gifts made via methods other than a credit card on Grapevine may take 1-2 weeks to show up. They require the completion of a separate form to ensure they are attributed correctly to WFAR (we’re available to help if you have any questions). New members joining with an off-platform donation are asked to alert WFAR of their donation (see link below for further instruction).
Members can choose whether to cover the Payment Processing Fee when making an online donation. Select the edit icon on the donation form to view the options.
Members can also choose whether to support the Grapevine Community. Grapevine does not charge us platform fees, and so contributing here directly supports their small team’s work and is greatly appreciated. We encourage you to consider donating any amount.
Please review these important instructions about off-platform donations, fees, and anonymity.
All members agree to abide by our code of conduct.
Ready to Join?
Please review the requirements and FAQs on this page and choose a membership option.
When you’re ready to join, sign up for our Grapevine giving circle and make your tax-deductible donation.
Membership options
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General Members
We recommend that individual General Members donate a minimum of $500 annually to seed our Grant Fund. However, we recognize that individuals vary greatly in their ability to donate. Accordingly, members for whom the standard $500/year is not feasible may donate based on a sliding scale, with a minimum of $100/year. Members who are able to contribute more than $500 will enable WFAR to grant more funds to small, women-led organizations!
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Organization/Entity Members
Members who are representing an organization/entity, such as an employer, are considered Organization/Entity Members and are required to donate a minimum of $1,000 annually to seed our Grant Fund.
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Foundation Members
Members who are representing a foundation are considered Foundation Members. They donate at least $5,000 annually to seed our Grant Fund ($10,000 if you are an organization/entity).
FAQs
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We use Grapevine to receive donations. Please donate here. You will not be considered a member unless and until you submit your donation in the applicable amount specified above. If you would like to donate by check, consult these instructions or connect with us at membership@womenfundersinar.org.
All donations to WFAR are tax-deductible. Thank you!
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Please choose from one of the three membership options outlined above. In deciding the amount to donate, please keep in mind that the more you donate, the more amazing organizations we can fund. Currently, the applications for funding that we receive vastly exceed the amount we have in our Grant Fund.
In each of our grant cycles so far, we have had to turn down many deserving applicants. We would like to change that, and this is one of our reasons for switching to a sliding scale membership fee for individuals.
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We host ten meetings a year. We do not meet in August or December. To accommodate different schedules and time zones, WFAR alternates between daytime and evening meetings.
Four of our meetings are for members only. This is when we evaluate and vote on grant applications, discuss any major changes to WFAR, and hear from recent grant recipients.
Our other six meetings each year are open to women who want to learn more about WFAR. Open meetings have included talks by experts, including vegan dietitians and activists like LoriKim Alexander and Carol Adams. Topics have included "Bridging the Gap Between Donors and Fundraisers" and "How to Safely Document Harassment."
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There is no meeting attendance requirement; however, we find that regular member attendance helps facilitate informed grant voting. WFAR meetings are fun, welcoming, and we all leave feeling a little more connected and inspired!
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Absolutely! If you are not a woman or nonbinary person—or you’re just not ready to join yet—but wish to financially support our mission, donate now without becoming a member of WFAR.
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Yes, but you will have to disclose your conflict of interest and recuse yourself from voting for that project; because we use ranked choice voting this will not affect your organization’s chances of receiving a grant.