a secular humanist

Heifer International

One of my favourite charities, Heifer International, provides domestic animals, seeds, plants and bees as well as education in sustainable agriculture, to financially-disadvantaged families around the world.

Here is their gift catalog

History
American farmer Dan West, the founder of Heifer International, was serving as a Church of the Brethren relief worker in Spain during the Spanish Civil War when he became frustrated at being forced to decide how to allocate a very limited amount of food aid (see rationing, triage). Upon his return to the United States, he founded Heifers for Relief, an organization dedicated to providing permanent freedom from hunger by giving families livestock and training so that they “could be spared the indignity of depending on others to feed their children.” The basic philosophy of Heifers for Relief was based on the proverb, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; you have fed him for a lifetime.” West also conceived the slogan “Give not a cup, but a cow.”

The first group of seventeen heifers—young cows who have not given birth—was shipped from York, Pennsylvania, to Puerto Rico in 1944. Each heifer was meant to serve as a continual source of milk, offspring and fertilizer. To ensure that the gift animals would have a lasting benefit in the region, he asked each participating family to take education in animal husbandry, and to agree to donate any female offspring to another family. In this fashion, he imagined that a single gift would multiply far beyond the original investment.

Heifer International today
Today the organization is known as Heifer International and gives gifts of sheep, rabbits, honeybees, pigs, llamas, water buffalo, chicks, ducks, goats, geese and trees as well as heifers. As of 2006, these animals and plants have been distributed in more than 125 countries around the globe. Each gift perpetuates Heifer’s interest in agroecology and sustainability.

Heifer International is mainly funded by alternative giving: Donors may purchase “shares” of a gift or pay for an entire animal. Heifer International’s listed price includes the purchase price of the animal itself, as well as the cost of its veterinary care and transport to the village. The recipient family’s training in animal husbandry, sustainable agriculture techniques and business practices are also rolled into the listed price.

Today, rather than shipping animals overseas, the organization purchases them in the country they are destined for. This puts money into the local economy, reduces transportation costs and promotes better health for the animals because they are already accustomed to the local climate, food and diseases.

Heifer International works to ensure that the gift of each animal will eventually help an entire community to become self-sustaining. Animals such as goats, water buffalo and camels are “seven M” animals: they provide meat, milk, muscle, manure, money, materials and motivation. Once its immediate needs have been met, a family is free to sell any excess at market. Heifer International provides a breeding animal along with the gift animal so that it can produce offspring. Participating families are required to “pass on the gift”, that is: they must give at least one of the female offspring to a neighbor who has undergone Heifer’s training. In time, that neighbor will pass along one of the offspring of its animal, and so on.

Heifer International is involved in several other progressive global initiatives which provide people with clean water, access to education and emergency housing.

Traditionally Heifer raises funds from chapters organized around schools, colleges and churches. The organization also offers a “wedding registry” in which engaged couples can register for gifts to Heifer instead of traditional wedding presents. Currently, Heifer International is embarking on a campaign called Hope for the Future, which is dedicated to raising $800 million by 2010 to lift five million families worldwide to self-reliance.

Heifer International operates three learning centers around the United States. The Heifer Ranch, the previous site of the distribution center in Perryville, Arkansas was turned into the first educational center in the 1970s. Since then, the Ceres Education Center in Ceres, California and the Overlook Farm in Rutland, Massachusetts were built as additional learning centers. They offer experiential learning programs for visitors to learn about world hunger and poverty.

Awards
Heifer International received the 2006 Social Capitalist award from Fast Company magazine.

Heifer International also received the 2004 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize for its efforts to eliminate hunger and help communities become self-sustaining. It was the first US-based organization to win the $1 million award since 1997.

In 2003, Heifer International was named one of Forbes magazine’s top 10 charities.

In 2007, the Heifer International Headquarters building was named one of the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Projects.

In 2008, the Heifer International Headquarters building was named a National AIA (American Institute of Architects) Institute Honor Award Winner.

Accountability standards
A 2005 report by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance (WGA) found that Heifer International met all of its standards for charity accountability. The WGA found that Heifer International is truthful in its representations of how money is spent, does not allocate an excessive part of its budget for fundraising or administrative expenses and makes its financial statements readily available to the public.

The American Institute of Philanthropy gave Heifer International an “Open Book Credit” for making complete financial documentation available on request.