Animal Defense Partnership

What Animal Defense Partnership does

Animal Defense Partnership (ADP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and headquartered (mailing address only) in Ardsley, New York, operating virtually with a distributed staff of approximately eight core members including an Executive Director (Jaclyn Leeds, Esq.), Legal Director (Jennifer Buesser, Esq.), three Staff Attorneys (James Honda, Kristin O'Neal, and Jillian Yakominich), a Programs & Operations Specialist, and a Conflict Coach/Mediator. The organization provides free, individualized legal counsel to U.S. and international nonprofits that advocate for animal protection or plant-based diet change. Service lines include Direct Legal Services (covering strategic advising for campaigns and coalitions, nonprofit compliance and audit readiness, entity and advocacy structure advising, and targeted guidance for everyday legal needs), Conflict Resolution Services (mediation and conflict coaching delivered via Zoom), live and recorded Webinars on nonprofit legal topics, an Animal Nonprofit Board Member Certification Course held annually, and a self-service Resource Library organized across eight topical areas (Board Governance, Operations, Fundraising, Compliance, Intellectual Property, Advocacy & Lobbying, Technology & Data Privacy, and more).

ADP's business model is philanthropic donation funding under 501(c)(3) status, with all services provided free of charge to qualifying nonprofits. Revenue streams comprise individual donations, planned giving, donor-advised funds, gifts of stock, and planned charitable arrangements, with Stripe processing online donations. The technology layer is intentionally light: Squarespace-hosted website, Stripe for payments, Google Analytics for traffic analysis, Zoom for virtual mediation, and TFA Forms for client intake applications. There is no proprietary technology product or platform; the organization's "intellectual property" is its accumulated legal expertise, curated content library, and movement-level relationships.

The organization was co-founded by David Ebert (now President Emeritus) and Joel Litvin, is governed by a Board chaired by Vandhana Bala, and reports cumulative impact of $9.7 million in pro bono legal services delivered to 470+ organizations since inception, with 2024 alone accounting for $2,147,006 in client savings across 161 organizations served, 5,150 billable hours donated, and 260 participants educated through 21 legal education course sessions representing 142 organizations. Named client organizations span farm animal welfare, wildlife conservation, sanctuaries, plant-based advocacy, animal media, and movement infrastructure (Mercy For Animals, Compassion in World Farming, Animal Equality, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, Veganuary, We Animals Media, Brighter Green, and others).

Name

Animal Defense Partnership

Legal name

Animal Defense Partnership, Inc.

Website

https://animaldefensepartnership.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Animal Defense Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free legal counsel, conflict resolution, webinars, and educational resources to animal protection and plant-based advocacy nonprofits in the U.S. and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Nonprofit legal counsel
• Conflict resolution services
• Legal education webinars
• Animal advocacy law

Headquarters

HQ city

Ardsley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: ADP is funded through generous philanthropic support including individual donations, planned giving, donor-advised funds, gifts of stock, and planned charitable arrangements. Donations are tax-deductible as ADP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Animal Defense Partnership provides free, individualized legal counsel to nonprofit organizations that advocate for animals and promote plant-based diet change. Services are delivered on a project-based, limited-scope basis and span governance, compliance, contracts, employment, fundraising, intellectual property, campaign strategy, entity structuring, and day-to-day legal needs. The organization supplements these direct services with conflict resolution mediation, live legal webinars, an online Resource Library of templates and training materials, and an annual board member certification course.

Product overview

Animal Defense Partnership is a nonprofit organization providing free legal services to nonprofits that advocate for animals and plant-based diet change. The organization operates a multi-service platform centered on Direct Legal Services, which encompasses Strategic Advising for Campaigns/Collaborations/Programming, Nonprofit Compliance & Audit Readiness, Entity & Advocacy Structure Advising, and Targeted Guidance for Everyday Legal Needs. Supporting these core offerings are Conflict Resolution Services (mediation and conflict coaching), Webinars (live and recorded legal education), Resource Library (handouts, videos, and recorded content), and an annual Animal Nonprofit Board Member Certification Course. Since 2016, ADP has provided over $9.7 million in pro bono legal services to 470+ organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Legal Services Free, individualized legal advice delivered to nonprofits working to protect animals and promote plant-based eating. Services are offered on a project-by-project, limited-scope basis covering governance, compliance, contracts, employment, fundraising, intellectual property, and other day-to-day legal needs.
• Strategic Advising for Campaigns, Collaborations, & Programming Legal insight provided during the earliest stages of campaign planning, coalition building, and program development for animal protection organizations. Includes strategic advising calls, document review, written recommendations, and ongoing support options.
• Nonprofit Compliance & Audit Readiness Support for animal protection organizations seeking to strengthen internal policies, manage risk, and stay audit-ready. Covers expense reimbursement, document retention, foreign granting, international donations, and cross-border operations.
• Entity & Advocacy Structure Advising Support for organizations considering a new entity, navigating 501(c)(3) versus 501(c)(4) structures, or clarifying the legal limits of lobbying and advocacy work. Helps organizations make informed choices aligned with their goals.
• Targeted Guidance for Everyday Legal Needs Issue-specific legal support to help animal protection organizations navigate day-to-day legal questions. Covers corporate matters, nonprofit compliance, corporate governance, tax-exempt status, employment practices, contract drafting, fundraising compliance, and intellectual property.
• Conflict Resolution Services Pro bono dispute resolution services including mediation and conflict coaching provided by a professional mediator. Mediation brings parties in dispute together to resolve issues with a neutral mediator; conflict coaching helps individuals develop plans to work through conflicts. Sessions are conducted remotely via Zoom, with up to 4 hours of mediation and 1.5 hours of conflict coaching provided free of charge.
• Webinars Live, accessible legal webinars designed for animal protection and plant-based diet change organizations. Topics cover board governance, fundraising, risk management, nonprofit formation, compliance, lobbying rules, intellectual property, and privacy laws, with practical real-world application focus. Includes both recorded sessions and upcoming live events, with certificate programs for completing multi-session courses.
• Resource Library Online library offering practical legal guidance for animal protection and plant-based advocacy nonprofits at every stage. Features succinct handouts, short videos, and recorded webinars organized by topics including getting started, board governance, operations, fundraising, compliance, intellectual property, advocacy & lobbying, and data privacy. Accessible via free account registration.
• Animal Nonprofit Board Member Certification Course A five-session certification course held every spring covering nonprofit board service fundamentals. Topics include the role and responsibility of the board, directors' individual duties, board meeting requirements, financial and legal oversight, and protecting the organization. Certification requires attendance at all sessions plus quiz completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• $9.7 million in pro bono legal services delivered to 470+ organizations since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vegan HacktivistsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWebsite development partner credited for building the ADP website. The Vegan Hacktivists contributed technical expertise to create the organization's web presence.
• Violet StudiosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite development studio credited for building the ADP website. Violet Studios contributed web design and development services.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing service used by ADP to accept online donations. Stripe handles credit card processing for the donation system, with donor information collected including name, billing address, and email address.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Public Counsel: The largest pro bono law firm in the U.S., providing free legal services to nonprofits, underserved communities, and children. Comparable in offering direct, free legal services specifically targeted at the nonprofit sector.
• Taproot Foundation: A nonprofit that connects skilled professionals (including lawyers) with nonprofits for pro bono engagements. Comparable as a pro bono services intermediary delivering free professional services to qualifying nonprofits.
• Vera Institute of Justice: A national nonprofit providing legal advocacy, research, and capacity-building support to advance justice. Comparable as a mission-driven nonprofit delivering legal expertise and structural support to advocacy organizations.
• Animal Legal Defense Fund: A national nonprofit that uses the legal system to protect animals, providing free legal assistance to prosecutors, law enforcement, and animal protection organizations. Highly comparable as a legal-services nonprofit operating in the same animal protection niche.
• Lawyers for Good Government: A nonprofit that mobilizes lawyers to provide pro bono legal services to nonprofits, communities, and advocacy organizations. Closely comparable in the pro bono legal services delivery model.
• Earthjustice: The largest nonprofit environmental law organization in the U.S., providing free legal counsel to advocacy groups. Comparable as a cause-focused legal services nonprofit that bundles direct counsel, strategic advising, and litigation support.

Emerging players

• Pro Bono Net: A nonprofit that builds technology and infrastructure to support pro bono legal service delivery. Comparable as part of the pro bono legal services ecosystem serving nonprofits and vulnerable populations.
• Causeway (Law Foundation of Silicon Valley): A legal services nonprofit providing free counsel and capacity-building support to community-based organizations. Comparable in targeting advocacy nonprofits with free legal infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono: The largest U.S. professional association for lawyers, operating programs that coordinate and promote pro bono legal service delivery nationwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the pro bono legal services space.

Others

• Humane Society of the United States: The largest U.S. animal protection organization and a likely ADP client. Relevant as a representative end-user of ADP's services and as the dominant incumbent in the animal welfare ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/animal-defense-partnership

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Animal Defense Partnership