International Fund for Animal Welfare

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit founded in 1969 by Brian Davies, initially to stop the commercial hunt for whitecoat seals on Canada's east coast. Headquartered in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, the organisation works to help animals and people thrive together, combining rescue and rehabilitation with habitat protection and conservation across more than 40 countries and six continents.

Its technical work spans wildlife conservation technology, marine mammal stranding response, anti-poaching and wildlife crime prevention, and ecological restoration. On Cape Cod, IFAW responds to stranded marine mammals and developed new technology for releasing them safely, improving dolphin release rates from one in ten to three in four. In India it secures elephant migration corridors; in Kenya it works to reduce poaching and campaigns against illegal wildlife trade. Frontline teams also patrol national parks and respond to strandings at sea.

The Animal Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release Program has rescued more than 275,000 animals since 2000. IFAW describes its approach as pairing fresh thinking with bold action on urgent problems, and it works in partnership with local communities, governments, NGOs and businesses, with an emphasis on pioneering new solutions and technology for better outcomes for animals, people and the planet.