Heifer International
Professional services
UnclaimedInternational nonprofit development organization that supports smallholder farmers, livestock-based livelihoods, and community self-reliance.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Heifer International is a United States-based nonprofit development organization headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its work focuses on reducing hunger and poverty by helping smallholder farmers and rural communities build more productive, resilient, and market-connected livelihoods. The organization is best known for combining livestock transfers with agricultural training, community organization, and a reciprocal giving principle known as “Passing on the Gift.” The organization’s origins lie in the experience of Dan West, an Indiana farmer and Church of the Brethren relief worker who assisted hungry refugee children during the Spanish Civil War. West concluded that recurring portions of milk were insufficient to address the underlying problem and proposed supplying animals that could provide milk and reproduce. A committee was formed in 1939, the United States Department of Agriculture approved the project as a national initiative in 1942, and the organization was incorporated in 1944 under the name Heifers for Relief. Its first international shipment consisted of 17 heifers sent to Puerto Rico. Under the original model, a recipient family received a productive animal and agreed to give the first female offspring to another family in need. Recipients also shared husbandry skills and project knowledge. This was intended to create a chain of assistance within a community rather than a one-time transfer of relief. Over time, Heifer expanded beyond cattle to include goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, water buffaloes, oxen, bees, fish, llamas, alpacas, camels, rabbits, and other locally suitable livestock or income-generating assets. The organization’s programs have increasingly emphasized more than animal distribution. They may include training in animal health, feed production, breeding, natural-resource management, household nutrition, gender equity, savings, cooperative organization, entrepreneurship, and access to agricultural markets. Heifer describes its approach through principles called the “12 Cornerstones of Just and Sustainable Development,” including participation in decision-making, shared responsibility, gender equity, environmental sustainability, and economic self-reliance. Projects are generally designed with an exit strategy intended to reduce long-term dependence on outside support. Heifer’s institutional development was shaped substantially by Thurl Metzger, a Church of the Brethren member who became its first paid employee after serving as a volunteer and seagoing cowboy. From 1951 to 1981, Metzger held senior leadership roles and helped expand the organization’s geographic reach and program scope. In the 1970s, Heifer consolidated parts of its United States livestock network, acquired farms for holding and distribution, and moved its headquarters to Little Rock in 1971. Livestock procurement later became more localized, with animals sourced within the country or region where projects operate. The organization has received support from major philanthropic, corporate, and foundation donors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, BlackRock, Cargill, Mastercard Foundation, Walmart, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. A Gates Foundation grant of $42.5 million in 2008 supported efforts to improve dairy productivity and farmer incomes in East Africa, followed by an additional $8.2 million grant in 2012. Heifer has also undertaken country-specific initiatives, including a 2011 commitment connected with the Clinton Global Initiative to support rural rebuilding and economic opportunity in Haiti. Heifer operates as a charitable organization rather than a conventional consumer brand. Its public-facing fundraising often presents symbolic gifts such as a cow, goat, or flock of chickens, while donations generally support broader agricultural assistance and community development activities rather than guaranteeing that one specific animal is delivered to one particular family. Independent assessments have praised its transparency and accountability, while GiveWell has raised questions about the evidence base and cost-effectiveness of livestock-centered development programs. The organization remains active internationally, with its identity centered on sustainable livelihoods, food security, farmer-led development, and community-to-community sharing.
History
Heifer International developed from a relief initiative created by Dan West, an Indiana farmer and Church of the Brethren worker. While helping refugee children during the Spanish Civil War in 1938, West became convinced that recurring food rations did not address the underlying lack of household resources. He proposed providing pregnant cows so families could obtain milk and later reproduce the animals. The idea was taken to West’s neighbors, church networks, and relief partners, leading to the formation of the Heifers for Relief Committee in 1939. The project received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture in 1942 and was incorporated in 1944. That year, it sent 17 heifers to Puerto Rico. The first recipient families were expected to care for the animals and pass the first female calf to another family experiencing poverty. This reciprocal requirement, later known as “Passing on the Gift,” became the organization’s defining social and economic mechanism. It was intended to multiply the benefit of each livestock transfer while encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility. The early operation relied heavily on volunteers who accompanied animals on overseas journeys as seagoing cowboys. Thurl Metzger, initially a volunteer, became Heifer’s first paid employee and later served in senior executive and international-program positions from 1951 through 1981. During his tenure, the organization expanded the range of animals it distributed and moved progressively from postwar relief work toward longer-term rural development in poorer countries. Heifer’s livestock portfolio broadened from dairy cattle to goats, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish, bees, water buffaloes, oxen, llamas, alpacas, camels, rabbits, and other animals selected for local conditions. The organization paired transfers with training in animal care, breeding, nutrition, agricultural production, and community organization. Its model gradually evolved from a simple gift of an animal into a package of livelihood assistance intended to improve household income, food security, and local economic participation. In the early 1970s, Heifer consolidated its United States distribution infrastructure by acquiring several farms, including a 1,200-acre ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. The headquarters moved to Little Rock in 1971. Although the organization once maintained a substantial United States livestock-holding network, its contemporary projects generally source animals within the country or region where they will be used, reflecting local adaptation and reduced transportation requirements. Jo Luck became chief executive in 1992 after serving as Heifer’s director of international programs. During her leadership, the organization’s budget grew to nearly $100 million. Luck retired from the chief executive role in 2010 and was succeeded by Pierre U. Ferrari. Luck later shared the 2010 World Food Prize with David Beckmann of Bread for the World, recognizing work associated with hunger reduction and food security. Heifer expanded its institutional partnerships during the 2000s. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded $42.5 million in 2008 for East African dairy development, followed by $8.2 million in 2012. The organization also received support from other major foundations and companies, including Cargill, Walmart, BlackRock, Mastercard Foundation, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. In 2011, it announced a Haiti rural-rebuilding commitment through the Clinton Global Initiative. The organization’s development philosophy is summarized in its 12 Cornerstones of Just and Sustainable Development. These principles emphasize participation, gender equity, environmental stewardship, shared responsibility, and economic self-reliance. Heifer has also promoted project exit strategies so that communities can continue activities without indefinite external assistance. Its work has attracted recognition, including the 1986 Volunteer Action Award, the 1990 Presidential End Hunger Award, the 2004 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and recognition for the environmental design of its Little Rock headquarters. Heifer’s model has also received scrutiny. GiveWell has noted that public fundraising can create the impression that a donor directly purchases a cow for a specific poor family, whereas donations generally support broader agricultural assistance. GiveWell has further questioned whether the available evidence sufficiently demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of livestock-centered development programs. These critiques concern program evaluation and donor interpretation rather than a finding of misconduct. Heifer remains an active international nonprofit focused on farmer livelihoods, food security, and community-led development.
- 2012
Receives additional Gates Foundation funding
[1]The Gates Foundation provided a further $8.2 million for related agricultural and dairy-development work.
- 2011
Announces Haiti rural-rebuilding commitment
[1]Heifer committed to support rural community rebuilding and economic opportunity in Haiti through the Clinton Global Initiative.
- 2010
Pierre U. Ferrari becomes chief executive
[1]Pierre U. Ferrari succeeded Jo Luck as president and chief executive.
- 2010
Jo Luck receives World Food Prize
[1]Jo Luck became a co-laureate of the World Food Prize with David Beckmann.
- 2008
Receives major Gates Foundation grant
[1]A $42.5 million grant supported East African dairy development and efforts to increase rural farmer incomes.
- 2004
Wins Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize
[1]Heifer received the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize for its hunger-reduction and self-sufficiency work.
- 1992
Jo Luck becomes chief executive
[1]Jo Luck, previously Heifer’s international-programs director, became president and chief executive.
- 1990
Receives Presidential End Hunger Award
[1]President George H. W. Bush granted Heifer the Presidential End Hunger Award.
- 1986
Receives Volunteer Action Award
[1]President Ronald Reagan recognized Heifer with the Volunteer Action Award.
- 1971
Headquarters moves to Little Rock
[1]Heifer moved its headquarters to Little Rock, Arkansas, near its Perryville livestock facilities.
Products and positioning
Nonprofit international development organization positioned around sustainable rural livelihoods, food security, livestock-based income generation, and community-led mutual assistance.
Agricultural development program · 1944
Livestock livelihood projects
Heifer provides livestock or other productive agricultural assets to smallholder households and community groups, together with training in animal care, breeding, nutrition, and farm management. Depending on local conditions, projects may involve cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, poultry, bees, fish, water buffaloes, or other species. The objective is to improve food security and create saleable outputs such as milk, eggs, meat, honey, offspring, or manure.
Community development model · 1944
Passing on the Gift
Passing on the Gift requires or encourages participating families to transfer the first female offspring, or an equivalent productive benefit, to another family in need. Recipients also share relevant knowledge and husbandry skills. The model is designed to extend the value of an initial intervention through local networks and reinforce mutual responsibility rather than treating assistance as a one-time transaction.
Farmer-support service
Agricultural training and market development
Heifer’s broader assistance includes farmer education, cooperative formation, household nutrition, gender-equity initiatives, environmental management, savings, entrepreneurship, and access to markets. These services are intended to help producers move from subsistence activity toward more stable and commercially viable livelihoods while strengthening community decision-making and resilience.
Charitable fundraising offering
Heifer International Gift Catalog
The Gift Catalog allows donors to select symbolic livestock, agricultural, or community-development gifts. Catalog purchases support Heifer’s wider programs and are not necessarily a direct, individually traceable transfer of the exact animal represented by a gift selection.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Haiti rural community rebuilding commitment
Haiti
Heifer announced a commitment through the Clinton Global Initiative to help rebuild rural communities in Haiti and improve economic opportunities through livestock inputs, agricultural training, and management support.
- Passing on the Gift
Global
Heifer’s signature program model asks participating families to pass an animal’s first female offspring, or an equivalent productive benefit, to another family and share the associated knowledge.
Outcome. The intended outcome is a self-reinforcing chain of household assistance and stronger community-level self-reliance.
Brand decisions
2012
Additional funding for agricultural developmentStrategyBackground
The organization continued its dairy and rural-income work following the 2008 East Africa initiative.
Action taken
The Gates Foundation provided an additional $8.2 million grant.
Additional grant value. $8.2 million (2012)
2008
East Africa dairy productivity initiativeStrategyBackground
Heifer sought to improve incomes among poor rural farmers by increasing production and marketability of high-quality milk.
Action taken
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Heifer $42.5 million for East African dairy-development work.
Aftermath
The grant expanded Heifer’s large-scale agricultural-development activity and was followed by additional Gates support in 2012.
Grant value. $42.5 million (2008)
1971
Consolidation of livestock facilities and move to Little RockStrategyBackground
Heifer had developed a distributed United States livestock network and needed facilities for holding and organizing animals for international projects.
Action taken
The organization acquired or used large farms, including a ranch in Perryville, Arkansas, and moved its headquarters to Little Rock.
Aftermath
The move established the Arkansas base associated with Heifer International and supported a more centralized operating structure.
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