The Open Philanthropy Project awarded a grant of $100,000 to Farm Forward to support its work to secure pledges from institutions including universities, technology companies, and religious organizations to source higher-welfare animal products through The Leadership Circle. This grant falls within Open Philanthropy's work on farm animal welfare.
While Farm Forward typically works with institutions that purchase fewer animal products than the large food companies with which other advocacy groups work, it also seeks stronger welfare commitments, such as sourcing 100% of chicken from farms that are certified to at least the level of Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 2 within two years. The Leadership Circle also asks institutions to commit to continuous improvement and investments in highest-welfare farms and ranches. Open Philanthropy finds it plausible that the institutions Farm Forward works with may exert cultural influence that may have an effect on much larger food companies.