The Humane League is an international nonprofit organization working to end the abuse of animals raised for food. Through corporate engagement, grassroots advocacy, and public pressure campaigns, they drive institutional change to improve conditions for millions of animals worldwide.
The Goal
The Humane League sought to acquire highly engaged new supporters in a cost-effective manner while gathering petition signatures to support a crucial corporate pressure campaign. Beyond list growth, their goal was to bring in activists who would continue engaging over email at higher rates than the average supporter acquired through paid social.
The Challenge
Meta had been The Humane League’s primary acquisition channel, supplemented occasionally by sponsored email placements. However, acquisition costs on Meta were rising, making it increasingly difficult to scale efficiently. The team needed a solution that would deliver a competitive, predictable CPA, provide highly engaged supporters, and contribute meaningful signatures to an active corporate pressure campaign.
The Solution
Care2 provided access to its network of highly engaged online animal welfare activists at a competitive, set CPA. Together, we ran a petition campaign calling on Subway to honor its 2015 commitment to transition to cage-free eggs.
By leveraging Care2’s built-in activist audience, The Humane League was able to maximize acquisition dollars while ensuring supporters were aligned with their mission and ready to take action. The petition gathered 20,000 signatures, all delivered directly to the company, adding tangible pressure to the ongoing corporate campaign.
The Outcome
Petition & Lead Results:
- 16,233 new leads acquired
- 30.32% lower CPA than the most cost-effective Meta campaign run during the same month (May 2025)
Email Engagement Performance
- 6 months post-acquisition, Care2-acquired supporters demonstrated an average engagement rate 58% higher than supporters from The Humane League’s top-performing Meta campaign
- The average cost per supporter engagement at 6 months post-acquisition was 72% lower than their top-performing Meta campaign
Because Care2 delivered highly engaged supporters at such an efficient CPA, the most important long-term metric – cost per engagement – significantly outperformed paid social.
Beyond list growth, the petition signatures contributed meaningful pressure to the campaign targeting Subway’s cage-free commitment, ultimately contributing to an impactful win for egg-laying hens.
The Experience
“We had a really positive experience with Care2. Their team was responsive and flexible throughout the campaign setup process, and once we gave final approval, our petition was live within two hours. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish. I’m looking forward to working with Care2 again.”
— Marie Barnett, Sr. Digital Advertising Manager
Care2 enabled The Humane League to acquire highly engaged supporters at scale, reduce acquisition costs, and strengthen an active corporate campaign, all while maintaining a clear and efficient process. Now, Care2 and The Humane League are continuing to explore opportunities to bring in highly engaged animal advocates while maximizing long-term engagement and campaign impact.
