Newsdate: Thursday January 12, 11:00 am
Location: WASHINGTON DC

Brooke USA Foundation (Brooke USA), the US-based nonprofit dedicated to alleviating the suffering of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people they serve, announced it successfully completed year-end fundraising efforts with a successful #GivingTuesday and productive Season of Hope campaign, generating $207,593 from both programs and contributing to a most productive 2023 with over $1.2 million toward awareness, programming, and advocacy.

Woman in India with her white horse

Brooke USA understands that the livelihoods and well being of an estimated 600 million people, mainly from rural communities, depend on 100 million working horses, donkeys, and mules.
© 2020 by Brooke USA New window.

 “Ending the year at an all-time high with well-executed fundraising efforts is vitally important to achieving our mission, and positions us to start 2023 with unique opportunities to grow and expand,” said Emily Dulin, CEO of Brooke USA. In fact, Brooke USA’s strategic plan calls for innovation in fundraising and events, geographic expansion across the country, further involvement in advocacy toward the passing of the Ejiao Act, increased grant giving to equine organizations serving the developing world, and added microgrants for United States rescue and rehab nonprofits  through Brooke USA’s  Bridge Grants managed by the Equus Foundation (www.equusfoundation.org/emergency/emergency-funding.php).

To achieve its yearly goals, Brooke USA depends on funding from private individuals, foundations, and corporations to help those who need it most – human and animal alike. The organization does not receive public or government funding, or any type of financial support from national animal welfare organizations.

Brooke USA mainly supports the work of Brooke: Action for Working Horses & Donkeys, the world’s largest international equine welfare charity which has been in existence for more than 80 years.  Brooke’s goals are to reach the largest number of animals in the world’s poorest countries, benefitting the people who depend on them.

Brooke USA also provides its support to other organizations providing services in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and the Caribbean. For the last two years, Brooke USA has provided funding to US-based organizations in economic distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic and most recently provided emergency relief to horses and riders in the Ukraine and working equines and their families affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan. Brooke USA also partnered with the Horses & Humans Research Foundation to learn more about the horse culture and attitudes toward equines among Native American communities.

Brooke USA supports programming that raises the visibility of working equines as valued contributors to the world economy, emphasizing their critical role in agriculture and livelihoods. Brooke USA understands that the livelihoods and well being of an estimated 600 million people, mainly from rural communities, depend on 100 million working horses, donkeys, and mules.

Working equines are essential to the livelihoods of millions of families across the developing world. They provide draught, traction, and transport for selling goods at market and giving people access to other essentials. Their inherent value to families and their direct and indirect contribution to both household and national economies, makes them an important means to reducing poverty, providing access to food and water, and securing gender equality.

Brooke USA sees animal welfare and human welfare as inextricably linked; a threat to the equine, as posed, for instance, by the donkey hide trade, poses a direct threat to livelihoods. “At Brooke USA we understand that healthy, happy animals lead to prosperous people,” concluded Dulin.

About Brooke USA Foundation (Brooke USA): The mission of Brooke USA is to significantly improve the health, welfare and productivity of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people who depend on them for survival worldwide. We are committed to sustainable economic development by reducing poverty, increasing food security, ensuring access to water, providing a means to education, and raising basic standards of living through improved equine health and welfare. We accomplish this by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need.

Brooke USA strives to alleviate the suffering and vulnerability of developing communities by funding and implementing programs that improve the quality of life and health of working equines and thereby positively impacting their economic sustainability, protecting the planet, ensuring gender equality, and guaranteeing life on land resilience. We want to see healthy, happy people and equines that work in partnership to achieve sustainable local economies.

Press release by Emily Dulin