Passing on the Gift allows families who received Heifer gifts to become donors as they pass on these gifts to other families in need.

Genuine Need & Justice ensures that those most in need are given priority in receiving animals and training.

Accountability means that we are mutually accountable to the communities we serve for how we achieve common goals.

Improving the Environment through sustainable farming techniques, reforestation, and tree-saving biogas is at the core of our projects.

Sharing & Caring embodies the belief that global problems can be solved if everyone commits to sharing resources and caring for others.

Full Participation is expected by all participants. Leaders at the grassroots level should involve all members in decision making.

Sustainability & Self-reliance is the goal for families we work with so that they will continue to thrive after our support ends.

Training & Education are key to ensuring that animals are well cared for and that self-reliance is achieved by project participants.

Improved Animal Management means that project participants learn how to keep their animals safe, healthy and productive.

Spirituality is expressed in common beliefs about the value and meaning of all life, a sense of connectedness to the earth and a shared vision of the future.

Nutrition & Income are the rewards Heifer expects recipients to reap from their gift animal through the consumption and/or sale of products such as milk, eggs, cheese, honey and wool.

Gender & Family Focus encourages women and men to share in decision making as well as in the benefits the animals and training bring.

Long-Term Solutions

Heifer applauds and supports the vital work of disaster relief organizations. However, in times of crisis, it's important to explain the distinction between their work and ours.

Ever since our founder, Dan West, came up with the phrase "not a cup, but a cow," Heifer's approach to providing global assistance to struggling countries has been characterized by long-term development, rather than short-term relief.

After immediate needs for food, shelter, fresh water, clothing and other necessities have been met, Heifer works within communities to empower disaster survivors with the economic means - such as livestock, training and other resources - to rebuild their families, their neighborhoods and their hope for sustainable futures.

Here's how Heifer International works:

A typical Heifer project consists of three essential components:

• Livestock and other material goods
• Training and extension work
• Organizational development, which includes planning, management, record keeping, passing on the gift, reporting and evaluation.

And it all starts in a community.

First, Heifer helps a community group analyze their situation. They ask: What do we need? What are our resources? What would we like to see happen in five years? Then, they plan specific activities to achieve their goals.

At this point, the Heifer "living loan" becomes reality. Farmers prepare for their animals by participating in training sessions, building sheds, and sometimes planting trees and grasses.

Then the livestock arrives – bringing with it the benefits of milk, wool, draft power, eggs and offspring to pass on to another farmer.

Finally, the group evaluates its progress, and the cycle repeats as the group moves to more and more ambitious goals, each time visioning, deciding, implementing and reflecting.

Every family and community that receives assistance promises to repay their living loan by donating one or more of their animal's offspring to another family in need. This practice of "Passing on the Gift" ensures project sustainability, develops community and enhances self-esteem by allowing project partners to become donors.

This is Heifer's sustainable approach to ending hunger and poverty – one family, one animal at a time. It's not temporary relief. It's not a handout. It's securing a future with generations of people who have hope, health and dignity.

Passing on the Gift

"Passing on the gift" is fundamental to Heifer's entire approach.

As people share the offspring of their animals – along with their knowledge, resources, and skills – an expanding network of hope, dignity and self-reliance is created that reaches around the globe.

"Passing on the Gift" creates a living cycle of sustainability that develops community and enhances self-esteem by allowing project partners to become donors.

Improving Animal Management and Training

Heifer's Animal Well-Being Guidelines

Heifer conducts training programs for para-vets, or Community Animal Health Workers (CAHW) when local professional veterinary care isn't available. It's one of several strictly-followed Animal Well-Being Guidelines, which also include:

• Giving preference to purchasing animals that are already acclimatized to the local area.
• Providing full training to farmers before they receive any livestock.
• Using appropriate shelter and separate pens for animals of different species.
• Teaching zero grazing techniques, which enhances animal health and ensures that adequate food and water are provided.
• Emphasizing nutrition, including clean water at least twice a day.
• Encouraging indigenous breeds.
• Providing project participants with all initial vaccinations.

The Zero-Grazing Method

A way to raise livestock in shelters that keep them safe from disease and predators, while also keeping the animals from harming crops and vegetation.

Heifer Green: Caring for the Earth

Heifer's model of holistic development doesn't stop with ending hunger

Heifer's work is focused on ending hunger, but we can't end hunger without also caring for the earth. Poor agriculture is often related to soil erosion. Lack of water is often related to deforestation. And global warming is already hurting the world's most poor and vulnerable through drought and changing ecosystems. If we are going to set families on a path of sustainable prosperity we must make sure that we work for a sustainable environment.

We've made the work of achieving environmental sustainability a part of everything we do at Heifer. We've built Heifer's headquarters to be a model sustainable building and we were honored with a Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating. In our projects we teach farmers around the world how to farm in environmentally friendly ways including organic farming methods. We also introduce appropriate technology such as biogas that saves forests from being harvested for firewood. In everything we make a healthier planet our goal.

Biogas

Biogas is a key element in many Heifer projects. By using manure to make fuel, project participants are able to stop cutting forests for firewood.

Sustainable Agriculture

At Heifer we call it "agroecology" which is just a fancy word for farming in balance with the environment. Watch this video to see the holistic approach Heifer takes in helping farmers manage pests organically, conserve water, and build healthy soil.

Urban Agriculture

With more and more of the world's populations moving to cities, urban agriculture is becoming an increasingly important part of our work. Watch this video to see how Heifer is using urban agriculture to provide good food to communities around the US and teaching children about good nutrition from the ground up.

Rebuilding Soil

Soil is the foundation of a healthy ecosystem and the key to good soil is organic matter. When Hurricane Stan washed away the organic matter from a Heifer project in Guatemala the farmers were devastated. But with the gift of livestock they were able to begin rebuilding their soil in a sustainable way.

http://www.heifer.org/give/give