10 Of Our Favorite Wildlife Conservation Charities Worth Your Support

If you want to help wild animal populations and promote biodiversity around the world, one of the most effective things you can do is donate to a wildlife conservation charity. 

Conservation charities do very important work across the globe, helping to bring depleted species back from the brink of extinction and taking steps to reverse the effects of climate change.

10 Of Our Favorite Wildlife Conservation Charities Worth Your Support

However, with hundreds if not thousands of conservation charities out there, it can be difficult to know which ones to donate to. That’s why we’ve created this guide to our top 10 favorite wildlife conservation charities. 

By donating to a charity on this list, you will be making a difference to the future of our world and its wildlife. 

1. Jane Goodall Foundation 

The Jane Goodall Foundation is one of the most respected and recognized wildlife conservation charities in the world, and for good reason. 

The charity is named after Jane Goodall, a primatologist who traveled to Africa in 1960 to observe the wildlife.

What she saw encouraged her to start the Jane Goodall Institute in an effort to educate the public about the problems facing wildlife and how they could help. 

Today, the Jane Goodall Foundation continues to do essential work, heading some of the most important research into wildlife conservation, (see also: 5 Important Wildlife Conservation Schemes India Are Using Right Now)particularly into chimpanzees.

The charity focuses specifically on the impact of deforestation on chimpanzee populations, using findings of research to petition the government into making positive change. 

2. World Wildlife Fund 

You’ve probably heard of the World Wildlife Fund, although you may know it better by its acronym: WWF. 

The World Wildlife Fund addresses a variety of concerns regarding wildlife conservation, (see also: Wildlife Conservation Funding: 10 Biggest Funding Sources)focusing on the most urgent threats to wildlife populations and biodiversity.

This charity has tackled numerous ecological and conservation issues, from the state of the world’s oceans to deforestation and climate change. 

A few of the world’s most endangered species partly owe their continued survival to the work of the WWF. These include sea turtles, elephants, rhinos, wales, gorillas, tigers, rhinos and polar bears amongst others. 

3. Defenders Of Wildlife 

If you’re particularly passionate about saving North American wildlife, you should consider supporting Defenders of Wildlife. 

This charity not only does field work to help endangered animals in North America, but it also works through the courts to make legal changes in the name of conservation.

One of the charity’s biggest focal points is giving advice to North American citizens to help them coexist peacefully and sustainably with local bear populations. 

However, it’s not just North American wildlife that Defenders of Wildlife helps to protect.

The charity also does important research to help animals worldwide, and some of their work has positively impacted wildlife populations such as the polar bears and sea turtles as well as manatees, sharks, wolves, and panthers. 

4. Save The Elephants 

As a charity, Save the Elephants does exactly what its name suggests.

Elephants are targeted disproportionately by poachers because of their ivory tusks, so Save the Elephants works to give elephant populations the best chance of survival. 

To ensure a hopeful future for elephants, Save the Elephants does conservation work on the ground to look after these animals’ natural habitats and educate the public about these amazing creatures.

They also research tirelessly to ensure that people and elephants can coexist peacefully. 

5. World Animal Protection 

World Animal Protection is the charity you should support if you love bears and want to ensure that these magnificent animals continue to grace our planet. 

This charity works with Oyster Worldwide, and some of their best-known work was for Romania’s bear sanctuary in 2007.

Volunteers from the charity continue to help the bear sanctuary in Romania, although thanks to their hard work, the organization is now thriving. 

Now, the charity focuses mainly on intervening in bullfighting, stopping the farming of sea turtles and of course, rescuing bears that are being farmed for bear bile. 

6. International Union For The Conservation Of Nature

6. International Union For The Conservation Of Nature

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, is a global network made up of both civil and government organizations.

Its main mission is to spread knowledge so that progress can be made with regards to wildlife conservation and economic (see also: All The Economic Benefits Of Wildlife Conservation Listed)development (which the charity contends are closely interlinked). 

By collecting data on global biodiversity, the IUCN is able to fund training for both businesses and individuals to financially thrive whilst positively impacting the environment and its wildlife.

7. Gorilla Doctors 

For those of our readers who love gorillas, Gorilla Doctors is the perfect charity to which to donate.

Its main mission is to protect eastern lowland and wild mountain gorilla populations by providing these animals with veterinary care. Currently, this is the only charity doing this type of work for gorillas

Gorillas are extremely endangered, (see also: Why Are Gorillas Endangered?)with less than 900 individuals remaining worldwide. This is why the work Gorilla Doctors facilitates is so important.

Preventing illness in the remaining gorillas in the wild is essential to ensure that populations don’t continue to dwindle. 

8. Charles Darwin Foundation

The Charles Darwin Foundation focuses its efforts on the endangered species in the Galapagos Islands. 

One of the main animals the charity helps is the giant tortoise, hence the charity’s logo, but it also helps many other species and the ecosystem in the area, which is particularly delicate and needs a lot of support to remain healthy. 

9. International Rhino Foundation

It’s a sad reality that although rhinos are endangered, and have been for many years, poachers continue to target these beautiful animals for their horns. 

The International Rhino Foundation makes huge efforts to combat the depletion of the global rhino population through research and grassroots conservation work in communities that coexist with rhinos. 

By ensuring that locals understand how to help rhinos living around them, the International Rhino Foundation promotes sustainable coexistence between humans and animals. 

10. International Animal Rescue 

The final charity we’d like to talk about today is International Animal Rescue. 

Animals of different species all around the world are being affected by the climate crisis, wild animal (see also: Why Most People Choose To Ignore Wild Animal Suffering)trafficking and other ecological issues. International Animal Rescue helps all kinds of animals from all over the world in various predicaments. 

From supporting Borneo’s endangered orangutan population to stopping the illegal pet trade in Java (which especially impacts macaques), International Animal Rescue is hands-on with their work.

From working on the ground to improve conservation efforts to providing their donors with crucial information and updates, this is one of the most valuable wildlife conservation charities around. 

Final Thoughts 

There are so many wildlife conservation charities to choose from, and depending on your specific passions regarding animal welfare, you might choose to donate to a more niche charity that doesn’t appear on this list.

However, the charities we have chosen to promote all do extremely important work and have achieved great things in the field of conservation. 

Whether you want to help local communities to coexist with the wildlife surrounding them in a sustainable way or ensure that animals can be rescued from cruel and exploitative practices, there’s a charity on our list to match your priorities. 

Even small donations to the above charities can make a big difference to the wellbeing of wildlife everywhere, and in turn, will help to benefit wider ecosystems and human communities. 

Olivia Kepner