What is $5 Friday?
I started “$5 Fridays” to inspire people to support farm animal rescue and advocacy organizations. Every Friday, I select an organization and kindly ask everyone to donate $5 to it. Many people don’t have a lot to give but most people can give a little. If we all donate $5, it will add up and help support animals.

How can you help?
1) Donate $5 directly to the $5 Friday pick via their website.

2) Post the organization’s name and your donation amount in the comments section below so we can keep a running total of donations. I confirm our total with the organization the following day.

That’s it. It’s that simple!

How do I select the organizations?
I interview organization leaders, speak with volunteers, read websites and Google reviews, check social media activity, review the organization’s financials, and think critically about every decision. I focus on organizations that can quantify the effectiveness of their work and make the biggest impact for animals.

Why should we donate?
Farm animal rescue and advocacy organizations rely on our generosity to propel their work. Whether it’s providing humane education to students, designing and printing veg starter kits, launching online pro-animal advertisements, employing undercover investigators, organizing boycotts or protests, advocating for pro-animal legislation, or providing medical care, food, and shelter to rescued animals, it costs money to run these organizations. Our donations directly help them save more animals’ lives.

Our new $5 Friday total is $10,830 donated to help animals!
That’s amazing!
Let’s keep it going!

$5 Friday Pick #16
The Ethical Choices Program
United States

Here are five reasons to donate $5 to The Ethical Choices Program:

1. The Ethical Choices Program (ECP) provides humane education aligned with state standards in high schools throughout the country. They inspire students to show compassion for farm animals, learn about the environmental impact of animal agriculture, and encourage them to choose healthier plant-based food.

2. The ECP delivered 300 presentations to more than 8,300 students in classrooms and assemblies in 2015. Given the recent addition of 13 highly trained educators, they expect to reach 60,000 high school students in 2016. Imagine the impact they will have showing that many students Farm to Fridge and exposing them to the truth about the agriculture industry and the benefits of plant-based food. The ECP is poised to make a massive positive impact for farm animals.

3. With every $20 supporters donate, the ECP reaches 100 students with their presentation. Handouts include pamphlets on compassionate athletes and cruelty-free eating, providing them relatable mentors and recipes. They even show them where they can buy veg options at fast food restaurants! Approximately 5 of every 25 students who experience a presentation change their habits radically and approximately 1 out of every 25 go vegan. Many more may make the transition when they get older after receiving more exposure to the issues surrounding animal agriculture. This is an especially important audience to reach since students don’t receive humane education in schools, tend to be open-minded about social justice issues, and may not receive exposure to the issue elsewhere.

4. The ECP Board of Directors includes Dr. Will Tuttle, author of “World Peace Diet,” NFL football player and vegan advocate David Carter, and Cowspiracy documentarian Kip Andersen, to name a few! The organization has a clear and focused mission statement and they operate efficiently and strategically.

5. Teachers currently receive questionnaires to complete after each presentation and students will begin completing electronic surveys in 2016 to measure the impact of the presentations. The anecdotal feedback has been sensational. Here is a sample:

“Wow, I cannot thank you enough for coming and speaking to all of my classes over the two-day span. After the kids digested your information over the weekend, I’ve had multiple students come and tell me they are now vegetarians because of you enlightening them on the treatment of animals and what meat really does to your body (just some of the reasons they mentioned). You spoke volumes to them and were engaging from start to finish!” — Lauren S. Lloyd, Food and Consumer Science teacher

“As always, your presentation was informative and enlightening. You take on a difficult and uncomfortable topic that no one wants to acknowledge, but we all benefit from knowing the realities of how are and where “meat” products are produced. You provide a valuable learning experience for students.” — Geralrd Climmons, science teacher

“Thank you for taking the time to come and share with the students and staff . The presentation was informative, shocking and interesting. Rarely, do we gather such a large group of students for a presentation, due to the students losing interest and becoming disruptive. However, you captivated the entire audience and kept their attention the whole time. Also, because of your presentation some of the students and teachers have changed their eating habits, including myself! I no longer eat beef, pork or drink cow’s milk. I look forward to having you back next school year and I appreciate your dedication to a great cause.”
— Regina McComb, Food and Consumer Science teacher

“I really enjoyed the program. It was very informative. You made me want to look at my own life and change the way I eat. I feel as if I am equipped to make informed decisions about where to get my food from. It is nice to know that people care so much about the world we live in. We can make an impact (on nutrition and wellness), one person at a time.” — Whittney McPherson, Food and Consumer Science teacher

What are high school students saying about Ethical Choices Program? Click here to find out!

Let’s show The Ethical Choices Program team how much we appreciate everything they do to make the world a more humane place for animals by empowering them to do even more. Click here to donate $5 directly to The Ethical Choices Program. All donations will be 100% matched today! Thank you for participating in $5 Friday.

Please list your donation amount in the comments section below or on my personal Facebook page so we can track our total. Thank you!

Farm animal sanctuary picks now receive additional exposure as regular features on Animals of America!