message from the board chair

From the ongoing challenges of a relentless pandemic to the threats of climate change, both humanity and the world’s rich biodiversity face many perils. Time and time again nature has demonstrated its resilience, to heal and to adapt to change. It is this same spirit of resilience and adaptation that fills me with optimism as I witness the impact of IFAW’s initiatives to embody the fundamental principles of animal welfare and conservation.

In a world where problems are immense and complicated, IFAW has continuously applied a robust strategic approach to the business of saving lives. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to conservation challenges. But context-specific solutions exist to benefit individual animals, wildlife populations and human communities. As a result, IFAW chooses flexibility over rigidity; compassion over indifference; hope over despair.

2021 has reinforced humanity’s interconnectedness with the natural world. When nature is threatened, humans follow. To consider humankind separate from nature does a great disservice to both. We are as dependent on nature and the health of its biodiversity as we are on each other. This interdependence is a compelling reason why it is so important to focus on achieving meaningful, measurable impact.

By rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing animals into secure habitats, IFAW is enabling impact in more than 40 countries around the world. Threats to nature may ebb, flow and evolve, but they are unlikely to disappear. IFAW will continue to forge forward because individual animals matter—intrinsically—to the health of populations and to the sustainability of our planet.

My career has focused on the critical intersection between systems, science and solutions. As Chairman of IFAW’s Global Boards of Directors, I have witnessed firsthand the strategic, impact-based solutions that IFAW applies to the complex problems that keep animals and people from thriving together. From challenging outdated conventions to ensuring that local communities have their voices heard and are ensured a seat at the table, IFAW is contributing to a more hopeful future for us all.

Whether in the field implementing projects or behind closed doors advocating for legislative or regulatory change with policymakers, IFAW will continue to build on decades of trust, transparency and collaboration. The work must continue if we are to save the world’s animal species and the ecosystems we share.

I am proud to lead a Board that is committed to IFAW’s mission of ensuring that animals and people thrive together. It is a privilege to accompany the organization on this shared journey as a global community united in its passion and hope for a sustainable future for the wildlife of our shared planet. 

As fellow stewards of the natural environment, I thank you on behalf of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

To ever-reaching impact,

Mark T. Beaudouin

Chair, Board of Directors

message from the CEO

Amidst the backdrop of a lingering global pandemic and increasing climate-driven threats from natural disasters, 2021 has been a year of immense challenge for humans and the world’s animal species. Upon this imperfect stage, IFAW reaffirms its deep-rooted, half-century commitment to achieving impact in our business—the business of saving lives.

As nature repeats warning signs of humanity’s exploitation of the environment and its wildlife, it is critical that we face these ongoing challenges not with despair, but with clarity and commitment. Whether domestic or international, terrestrial or marine, impact must be at the heart of IFAW’s work. By rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing individual animals back into secure wild habitats, IFAW is achieving that impact.

People reach out to IFAW because they have faith that we will act. We rescue, provide assistance and show compassion because individual animals matter. Envisioning a world where both animals and humans thrive alongside one another, we promote stewardship and collaboration, fresh thinking and bold action.

To ensure that our programs address the pace of change and maximize impact, our renewed strategic approach aligns resources geographically, across two pillars: Rescue and Conservation. With this dual focus, IFAW leads and supports strategic interventions that reduce or eliminate threats to individual animals, populations and ecosystems, generating impact in more than 40 countries through on-the-ground projects and global advocacy efforts.

To sustain the welfare of species and the places they call home, our work must be comprehensive. It must fully respect the rights and opinions of each member of the local community, because our impact will ultimately be felt by them as well.

Throughout the pandemic, my priority has been to keep the IFAW family safe so that our global work can continue. Because it simply must continue. In the business of saving lives, IFAW remains ready to act as responsible stewards of this shared planet. Each successful rescue effort, each poaching incident or human-wildlife conflict averted, each policy win reminds me of the resilience and unwavering commitment of our people who strive daily to achieve meaningful, sustainable impact.

We invite you to share the impact of IFAW’s work in FY21, and to join us as we continue to take bold steps forward for animals, people and the place we call home.

Azzedine T. Downes

President and CEO

International Fund for Animal Welfare