The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit organisation founded in 1969. For more than 55 years, it has worked across six continents and the ocean in more than 40 countries, headquartered in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts. Its mission is to help animals and people thrive together through animal rescue, rehabilitation, release, and habitat protection.
The organisation operates across several interconnected areas: animal welfare, conservation, wildlife rescue, and habitat protection. Since 2000, IFAW has rescued more than 275,000 animals. In Cape Cod, its work improved dolphin release rates from one in ten to three in four, an example of its approach to measurable conservation outcomes.
IFAW works in partnership with local communities, governments, NGOs, and businesses. The organisation describes its approach as combining innovative solutions with direct action, reflecting its dual focus on immediate animal welfare and longer-term habitat protection.