Direct Action Everywhere

Animal Rights Advocacy Servicesdirectactioneverywhere.com

Direct Action Everywhere is a Berkeley-based 501(c)(3) animal rights network that investigates factory farms, conducts open rescues, and campaigns for animal protection legislation through 40+ global chapters, funded entirely by donations.

Company typePrivate
Founded-
HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Direct Action Everywhere does

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a Berkeley, California-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal rights network that operates a distributed chapter model across 40+ cities in North America, Europe, Central & South America, the Middle East & Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The organization conducts factory farm investigations using drone footage and covert cameras, executes open rescues of animals from slaughterhouses and laboratories, organizes protests and vigils at targeted retailers (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Petco, Erewhon) and supplier facilities (Perdue, Smithfield, Iowa Select Farms), and pursues legislative campaigns including fur bans, a Berkeley factory farm ban (passed November 2024 with 62% of the vote), California AB 2764, and the Rose's Law animal personhood campaign.

The organization's core digital infrastructure includes the Factory Farm Watch interactive map documenting 1,300+ California factory farms, an anonymous Whistleblower Helpline connecting workplace witnesses to lawyers, investigators, and media, placard generation tools for activists, and an open-source Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 resource library covering organizing strategy, legal resources, and investigations. Supporting entities include Friends of DxE (EIN 46-4318107, the tax-deductible donation vehicle) and the Berkeley Animal Rights Center, the first community center for animal rights in the United States. DxE also hosts the annual Animal Liberation Conference as its flagship training and organizing event.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations via Friends of DxE, with channels spanning monthly recurring gifts, one-time contributions, Venmo, cryptocurrency through Coinbase Commerce, stock transfers, employer matching, and legacy beneficiary designations. A high-end Open Rescue Ally tier ($1,000+/month) provides exclusive monthly calls with leadership. Headcount is reported at 51–100 employees. The organization has faced and defended multiple corporate SLAPP lawsuits (Trader Joe's, Perdue) and high-profile open-rescue prosecutions including the December 2025 sentencing of investigator Zoe Rosenberg.

Direct Action Everywhere firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Direct Action Everywhere
Legal name: Direct Action Everywhere
Website: https://directactioneverywhere.com
Company type: Private
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: Direct Action Everywhere is a Berkeley-based 501(c)(3) animal rights network that investigates factory farms, conducts open rescues, and campaigns for animal protection legislation through 40+ global chapters, funded entirely by donations.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Direct Action Everywhere industry classification

Industry

Product category: Animal Rights Advocacy Services
NAICS: Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
SIC: Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
akta.pro primary industry: Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)
akta.pro secondary industries: Rescue, Transport & Emergency Animal Response (BPAGAIAB), Advocacy, Policy & Public Awareness (Animal Welfare) (BPAGAIAJ), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

Animal rights advocacy
Grassroots activism
Animal rescue operations
Factory farm investigations
Nonprofit organizing

Where Direct Action Everywhere is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Berkeley
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Direct Action Everywhere business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Donations and Charitable Contributions: DxE receives donations primarily through Friends of DxE, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 46-4318107). Monthly giving is encouraged as a high-impact way to support the long-term mission. The organization also accepts stock donations, Venmo, cryptocurrency, check/wire transfers, employer matching, and legacy gifts through beneficiary designations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Direct Action Everywhere product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Direct Action Everywhere is a global grassroots animal rights network that conducts undercover factory farm investigations, executes open rescues of animals, organizes protests and direct actions against targeted companies, and pursues strategic litigation and ballot initiatives for animal protection. It coordinates a distributed activist base through 40+ chapters, an open-source resource library, and an anonymous whistleblower support pipeline, and channels operations through its supporting 501(c)(3) Friends of DxE.

Product overview

Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) is a global activist network focused on achieving revolutionary social and political change for animals. The organization provides a suite of digital tools including the Placard Generator and specialized generators for campaign actions, along with Factory Farm Watch - an interactive mapping tool documenting over 1,300 California factory farms. Supporting infrastructure includes the Whistleblower Helpline for anonymous reporting of abuse and the Organizer's Hub/Resource Library offering comprehensive activist resources. Major campaigns include Right To Rescue (defending activist rescuers), Open Rescue (non-anonymous animal rescue network), Rose's Law (animal rights legislation), Adopt Don't Shop (ending retail animal sales), and Factory Farm Watch (factory farm exposure). DxE also operates the Berkeley Animal Rights Center (first US animal rights community center) and hosts the annual Animal Liberation Conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Friends of DxE: Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) supporting nonprofit organization (EIN 46-4318107) that provides grants for DxE's campaigns.
Factory Farm Watch
Right To Rescue
Berkeley Animal Rights Center

Products and services

Factory Farm Watch Interactive web-based map documenting 1,300+ factory farms across California, used to expose and document animal cruelty at industrial agricultural facilities.
Whistleblower Helpline Anonymous online intake that connects workplace witnesses of animal cruelty with DxE's lawyers, investigators, and media experts to expose abuse.
Placard Generator Web-based tool that allows activists to create custom protest placards for DxE direct action campaigns.
Placard Generator for Rose's Law Specialized web-based placard generator for creating protest signs in support of Rose's Law campaign actions.
Organizer's Hub / Resource Library Freely accessible online library of activist resources organized into folders covering Vision & Strategy, Team Management, Protest & Demonstrations, Event Organizing, Press and Social Media, Legal Resources, Investigations, and Personal Organization. Licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.
Berkeley Animal Rights Center The first community center for animal rights in the United States, opened by Direct Action Everywhere to serve as a physical hub for the local activist community.
Animal Liberation Conference Annual week-long flagship conference hosted by DxE where animal rights activists connect, train, and plan direct action together; an India edition was hosted in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

Fur ban passed in Berkeley (2017), San Francisco (2018), and statewide California (2019)
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use Direct Action Everywhere

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Direct Action Everywhere technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Direct Action Everywhere partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct Action Everywhere competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Farm Sanctuary: Farm Sanctuary operates animal sanctuaries for rescued farm animals and runs advocacy campaigns against factory farming. It overlaps with DxE's open rescue work and policy advocacy (including support for ballot measures) while adding a sanctuary/rescue-rehabilitation model DxE does not run.
Mercy For Animals: Mercy For Animals conducts factory farm investigations, corporate outreach, and policy campaigns aimed at ending industrial animal agriculture. It is a direct peer to DxE, with overlapping targets (Perdue, Whole Foods suppliers) and a similar tech-enabled investigation approach.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): PETA is the largest US animal rights organization, running investigations, corporate campaigns, and protests against factory farms and animal-exploiting retailers. It is directly comparable to DxE in mission, tactics, and target audience, though PETA is significantly larger and more mainstream-oriented.
Animal Equality: Animal Equality runs undercover factory farm investigations, corporate campaigns, and legislative advocacy in the US, UK, and several other countries. It is a direct peer to DxE, sharing the investigation-driven, multinational animal rights advocacy model.
Animal Save Movement: Animal Save Movement organizes vigils at slaughterhouses and transport trucks globally, with a decentralized chapter structure similar to DxE. It is a direct peer in tactics (bearing witness, grassroots mobilization) and target (factory farms and slaughterhouses).
Anonymous for the Voiceless: Anonymous for the Voiceless runs Cube of Truth street activism and holds factory farm demonstrations in cities worldwide. It is a direct peer to DxE in grassroots, volunteer-led, demonstration-driven animal rights organizing.

Broad incumbents

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): HSUS is the largest US animal welfare organization, running investigations, lobbying, and rescue work across a much broader portfolio (pets, wildlife, equine, farm animals). It is a broad incumbent peer to DxE—overlapping in factory farm advocacy but operating at a much larger and more institutional scale.
ASPCA: The ASPCA is a major US animal welfare incumbent with rescue, investigation, and legislative capabilities. While primarily focused on companion animals and cruelty response, it operates in adjacent advocacy and law enforcement spaces to DxE's investigations and rescue work.

Emerging players

Open Cages: Open Cages is a European-focused animal protection NGO running investigations and corporate campaigns against factory farming. It is an emerging player peer to DxE, sharing the investigation-to-corporate-pressure playbook but operating primarily in Central/Eastern Europe.

Regional players

Compassion in World Farming: Compassion in World Farming is a major UK/Europe-headquartered farm animal welfare organization focused on legislative reform and corporate campaigning. It is a regional peer to DxE—comparable in factory farm advocacy but primarily operating in European regulatory contexts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Direct Action Everywhere financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Direct Action Everywhere leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Direct Action Everywhere funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Direct Action Everywhere M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Direct Action Everywhere

What does Direct Action Everywhere do?

Is Direct Action Everywhere a public or private company?

Direct Action Everywhere is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Direct Action Everywhere founded?

Direct Action Everywhere was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Direct Action Everywhere based?

Direct Action Everywhere is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.

How does Direct Action Everywhere make money?

One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.

Who are Direct Action Everywhere's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Farm Sanctuary, Mercy For Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Animal Equality, Animal Save Movement and Anonymous for the Voiceless. Broad incumbents are The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and ASPCA. Open Cages is listed as an emerging player. Compassion in World Farming is listed as a regional player.

Does Direct Action Everywhere have an API?

No public API is recorded for Direct Action Everywhere.

What industry is Direct Action Everywhere in?

Direct Action Everywhere's product category is Animal Rights Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEALAC, Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAIAB, Rescue, Transport & Emergency Animal Response. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8600.