National Wildlife Day was founded in 2005 to highlight the number of endangered animals across the globe and to thank zoos, animal sanctuaries and charities for their hard work. Celebrated Sept. 4, you can show your support by making financial contributions to animal-focused nonprofits.
To help with your search, here's a list of 20 animal charities to find one to donate to in honor of National Wildlife Day 2016.
1. African Wildlife Foundation
Based in Nairobi, Kenya — with offices in Washington, D.C. — the African Wildlife Foundation was founded in 1961 to work for wildlife conservation, land and habitat protection, community empowerment and economic development in Africa. In 2015 alone, AWF conserved 24 wildlife corridors, provided informal training to 24,681 people, improved 164 million acres of land and the conservation status of 36 wildlife populations.
During 2015, AWF had total operating expenses of $27.7 million — including $21.9 million for conservation programs, $2.3 million on education and outreach, $919,917 on finance and administration and $2.4 million on fundraising, according to its annual report. The organization has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator, an independent charity watchdog.
2. Best Friends Animal Society
Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends Animal Society has helped reduce the number of pets killed in animal shelters in the U.S. by 76 percent. Based in Salt Lake City, the nonprofit has a sanctuary for unwanted pets just outside of Kanab, Utah — which typically houses approximately 1,600 dogs, cats, horses, burros, birds, rabbits, goats, pigs and more — and is a leader in the animal rescue no-kill movement.
In 2015, Best Friends Animal Society spent $73.8 million on its programs, $13.6 million on fundraising and $6.4 million on management costs. Their revenue through donations and grants exceeded that by just over $14 million.
The 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study recognized Best Friends Animal Society as the Animal Welfare Non-Profit Brand of the Year and the Most Trusted Brand in the same category.
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3. Animal Welfare Institute
Since its founding in 1951, the Animal Welfare Institute strives to reduce animal cruelty in many forms, including animals used for experimentation, cruel slaughterhouses and the torture of fur-bearing animals via steel jaw legholds and wire snares. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization also strives to conserve endangered species and their natural habitat, among other initiatives.
AWI helps animals worldwide, and for the 2014-2015 year — the most recent data available — 92.3 percent of funding received went toward program expenses, at $3.4 million. The organization has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator.
4. Snow Leopard Trust
The Snow Leopard Trust works to protect the endangered snowbird and operates in five of the 12 countries the animal can be found in: China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Pakistan. Founded in 1981, the SLT is headquartered in Seattle.
In 2014 — the most recent financial information available — the SLT reported $1.76 million in expenses, with 83.3 percent committed to conservation programs. The charity has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator.
5. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund was founded in 1978 to help conserve and protect African gorillas and their natural African habitats. To support their cause, the organization promotes the continued research on gorillas and their endangered ecosystems, provides education on the significance of these animals and offers assistance to local communities. The charity is headquartered in Atlanta.
In 2015, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund reported $3.4 million in total expenses, and 84 percent of this money was used toward field programs designed to help protect gorillas. The 1987 film “Gorillas in the Mist” shared the story of Dian Fossey — portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, who received an Oscar nod for her role — and generated $61.1 million at theaters worldwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.
6. Friends of Animals
Based in Darien, Conn., Friends of Animals has been protecting animals throughout the world from cruelty and exploitation since 1957. Advocating for the affordable spaying and neutering of household pets has always been a cornerstone of the organization’s mission.
Additionally, Friends of Animals has partnered with Primarily Primates to create a life-long sanctuary for mistreated and abandoned animals. They created a Wildlife Law Program to defend wildlife and their habitats, assist in anti-poaching initiatives in Africa, launch multiple anti-fur campaigns and educate the public on animal rights.
Friends of Animals runs the only nationwide breeding control program in the U.S., which has arranged for the spaying and neutering of more than 2.5 million animals since its founding more than five decades ago. The charity has three stars on Charity Navigator.
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7. Humane Farming Association
The Humane Farming Association was founded in 1985 to protect farm animals in the U.S. from cruelty and abuse; guard the public from the mishandling of antibiotics, hormones and other chemical substances commonly used on family farms; and safeguard the environment from the effects of industrialized animal factories.
Based in San Rafael, Calif., the HFA’s National Veal Boycott campaign was named the most successful animal rights boycott in the U.S. by the New York Times, reducing veal production from a high of 3.4 million calves to well below 0.6 million.
8. EcoHealth Alliance
EcoHealth Alliance is committed to protecting wildlife and public health from the rise of disease. Based in New York City, the organization was founded in 1971 and is formerly known as Wildlife Trust. It works in the U.S. and more than 30 countries across the world on a variety of projects, including those in the biosurveillance, deforestation and pandemic prevention categories.
The organization has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator.
9. The Marine Mammal Center
Headquartered in Sausalito, Calif., The Marine Mammal Center has rescued and treated more than 20,000 marine animals — mainly elephant seals, harbor seals and California sea lions — since its founding in 1975.
In addition to rescuing and rehabilitating sick and injured sea mammals, the organization’s researchers study the animals, publishing their findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. They also provide educational programs to approximately 100,000 visitors to its Sausalito headquarters each year.
In 2005, The Marine Mammal Center was awarded U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer’s Conservation Champion Award and, in 2015, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the organization $2.75 million for marine mammal rescue efforts.
10. Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society works to save wildlife and their habitats throughout the world. Founded in 1895 — then named the New York Zoological Society — this animal charity uses science, conservation efforts and education to make a difference.
Headquartered in the Bronx, N.Y., the WCS spent 38 percent of its $266.3 million in its 2015 expenses on global programs and 35 percent on zoos — including the Bronx Zoo — and the New York Aquarium. One of the top animal charities, the WCS has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator.
11. PetSmart Charities
If you’re searching for dog charities to donate to, PetSmart Charities could be a great option. With a commitment to end pet homelessness, the organization invests $30 million in more than 3,000 pet rescue groups across North America, including all 50 states and Canada. The charity was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Phoenix.
In 2015, PetSmart Charities funded more than 214,000 spay and neuter surgeries and provided emergency relief effort to more than 9,200 pets. PetSmart Charities has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the past 13 years and is ranked in the top 1 percent of animal charities in the country.
12. Performing Animal Welfare Society
The Performing Animal Welfare Society was founded in 1984 to protect performing animals, giving those that are abandoned, abused and retired a peaceful place to live. They ensure captive wildlife is kept under the best standards of care while educating the public about issues that impact captive wildlife and lobbying for the passage of legislation to protect these animals.
In 2015, PAWS spent $2.18 million on animal care and rescue, $475,100 on education and $139,700 on advocacy/consultation, among other expenses to help performing animals internationally.
PAWS received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Peninsula Humane Society in 1995 and the organization has been featured multiple times in the media, including on “20/20,” “Dateline,” “Nightline” and “Entertainment Tonight.”
13. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation partners with both the public and private sector to protect fish, wildlife, plants and habitats in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Based in Washington, D.C., the NFWF has completed more than 15,000 projects since its founding and raised more than $3.5 billion in funding.
The NFWF has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator.
14. Ruffed Grouse Society
Based in Coraopolis, Penn., the Ruffed Grouse Society strives to enhance the woodland habitat of the ruffed grouse, American woodcock and other types of wildlife in North America. Founded in 1961, RGS recently spent just under $1.5 million on general education and chapter operations, $504,738 on habitat projects, $46,025 on advocacy and $35,587 on research in 2015. RGS has four stars on Charity Navigator.
15. Jane Goodall Institute
A global nonprofit, the Jane Goodall Institute is committed to increasing the understanding, welfare and conservation of apes and improving the planet. Specifically, the charity supports conservation efforts in Africa’s Congo Basin and provides funding to young people in more than 130 countries to make positive changes in their local communities. Founded in 1977, JGI’s U.S. headquarters is located in Vienna, Va.
Members of JGI’s Roots & Shoots U.S. National Youth Leadership Council have been highlighted in Animal Planet documentaries. The organization has developed and implemented global conservation campaigns, partaken in international leadership trips abroad and represented Roots & Shoots at the United Nations. In 2014, JGI spent just under $9.1 million on total program services — including $7.02 million in animal welfare and conservation efforts, $1.8 million in education and $282,412 in communications and membership.
16. Pollinator Partnership
Founded in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership is the largest nonprofit in the world committed to protecting pollinators and their ecosystems and promoting conservation efforts. Headquartered in San Francisco, the charity works throughout North America and globally to safeguard birds, bees, bats, butterflies, moths, beetles and other pollinators. The charity’s work has received many notable accomplishments, including conducting research that impacted more than 30 million acres of agricultural landscapes and funding more than 30 research grants for honey bee health.
The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign has received several awards, including the Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal from The Garden Club of America. It was honored twice as a PESP Champion by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
17. WildAid
WildAid is committed to putting an end to the illegal wildlife trade in China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Canada, U.K., U.S., Vietnam, Tanzania, Kenya, Hong Kong and Palau. Based in San Francisco, WildAid was founded in 2000 and works to convince consumers not to buy wildlife products. In 2015, the group ran more than 150 public service announcements, including television campaigns in China that reached up to 1 billion viewers.
In addition to having four stars on Charity Navigator, the charity scored a near-perfect 99.15/100 rating.
18. Turtle Island Restoration Project
Established in 1989, the Turtle Island Restoration Project rescues sharks, marine mammals and seabirds from a variety of threats, including climate change, industrial overfishing and the destruction of coastal and riverine habitat. Based in the San Francisco area, the nonprofit has numerous accomplishments worldwide, including shutting down a Mexican sea turtle slaughterhouse — saving 50,000 sea turtles per year — and convincing Mexico to stop the legal slaughter of turtles.
The Turtle Island Restoration Project has a four-star Charity Navigator rating.
19. Bat Conservation International
Bat Conservation International strives to protect the more than 1,300 species of bats and their habitats worldwide. Over the next five years, BCI plans to work to respond to bat conservation crises quickly and effectively to help prevent the extinction of at-risk bats and the bat population as a whole. Based in Austin, Texas, BCI was founded in 1982, and since then the organization has saved the lives of millions of bat, assisted in major conservation efforts, supported training for graduate students in 62 countries and trained hundreds of wildlife managers from more than 20 countries.
In 2015, BCI spent 91.3 percent of its program expenses — $3.03 million — on protecting habitats and advancing knowledge, and 8.6 percent — $287,346 — on public programs and educational outreach. BCI was honored with a share of $1.75 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2015 to develop ultrasonic bat deterrent devices.
20. American Bird Conservancy
The American Bird Conservancy is committed to saving native birds and their habitats across the Americas. Since its founding in 1994, the organization and its partners have planted more than 3.6 million trees in nine countries to help reestablish the bird habitat, protected more than 993,000 acres of land for close to half of the bird species in the Americas and created more than 65 reserves.
Headquartered in The Plains, Va., ABC spent a total of $9 million on bird conservation programs and $577,220 on education and outreach in 2015, according to its annual report. The group has four stars on Charity Navigator.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Best Animal Charities to Donate to on National Wildlife Day 2016