I'm happy to share that we have raised all the remaining funds needed to benefit from the full match funding pot. This means we will be able to cover all the costs of the legal challenge. 

Following the forum post we received many enquiries which led to donations from five individuals equating to £12,500.

We are so grateful to you all and to the EA community for your continued support. 

We will have another match funding opportunity in November which we will share with the forum in due course. 

Our funding gap now sits at £4,000

Our funding gap now sits at £9,000

Thank you so much Toby. This is a great help and gets us closer to our target - our funding gap is now down to £10,000.

Following posting this opportunity, we have received our first £500 donation, leaving £12,000 left to raise. 

I will update the original post with the new totals as donations come in. 

Thank you for your support. 

Thank you for your message. 

We are not currently publicly fundraising for this and, as such, there is not a public facing link, other than this post, or the related links contained within it (which are news articles rather than about this specific funding opportunity). 

I believe this post can be shared and viewed without the need to be a member of the forum. 

Hi Michael, 

Thank you for your comment and questions. 

We would like to get funding secured before the court hearing takes place on 22nd or 23rd October. Ideally as early as possible before this. 

I will keep the post updated as we receive donations to show what our remaining funding gap is for this project. We are only looking to raise the amount indicated in the post. 

We do have an overall funding gap for this financial year (currently £295k) which we are fundraising for separately. This match fund opportunity, however, only applies to this specific project, although we will have another match funding opportunity later in the year. 

Thank you for your question Andrew. 

Our match funders for our end of year appeal also supported our end of year appeal last year with a similar match. It was likely that these Major Donors would give again, but not certain, and certainly not expected in terms of the amount they have provided for match funding this appeal. In conversations with the Major Donors, it was clear that the match element of their donation–and the extra reach and impact that match brought into THL UK–was a large part of their reason for their gift. 

In assessing our current fundraising performance and developing a strategy for the next 3 years, one of our key focusses will be converting existing supporters into donors. We currently have a large supporter database, but a lower than average percentage who are donating to THL UK. As such, our focus for this campaign is really on utilising the match funding to, not only secure vital funds to close our funding gap, but to convert those who would not otherwise have given into donors. 

Our match funders are also not just providing funds, they are lending their voice and backing to our campaign, sharing their motivations for giving, to help influence others to support the work of THL UK and become donors or increase their giving. 

Thank you for your question Andrew. 

Yes it does. That is because funding from the ACE Recommended Charities Fund and Open Philanthropy goes directly to THL (please see the answer to the question about giving to THL vs. THL UK). This is then re-granted to us in the form of a fixed annual grant from THL. This has already been confirmed for this financial year, and our current £280k shortfall sits outside this based on our own fundraising targets. 

Thank you for your question. 

THL and THL UK are two independent organisations. 

THL (the global organisation, legally based in the US) is the primary funder of THL UK. So a donation to THL will fund THL and THL UK, as well as the Open Wing Alliance. If, therefore, someone is interested in funding work globally then a donation to THL may be most suitable. 

However, if you are a UK based donor then your gift may be eligible for Gift Aid, which can increase the value of your donation to 125%, thus maximising its impact. In this instance, we would recommend a donation directly to THL UK. 

THL UK does not just work within the boundaries of the UK, it is also responsible for many of our gains for animals across Europe. 

If you are interested in fish welfare, then we would also suggest donating to THL UK. We have brought together a coalition of NGO’s, and have industry backing our calls, as well as support across the political spectrum, as we push for the introduction of UK legislation to protect fish at the time of slaughter. 

Regardless of how a donation is directed, a donation to THL or THL UK will have an enormous impact and help to end the abuse of animals raised for food. 

This question has been answered in collaboration with THL.