Life and Death

We understand our work to be of grave importance. We ask ourselves and each other to live up to a quality of work and conduct that reflects that.

Ritual Rich

We design our culture on purpose. We create rituals to vary the flow of our lives, to protect different kinds of engagement, and to mark important transitions.

Take Your Vacation Time

We know that taking care of ourselves will determine how well we show up. We encourage each other to sleep, eat well, exercise, and literally take vacation time.

Warm, Not Cool

We are not too cool for school. We make an effort to be earnest and inclusive while holding each other to high standards.

Respect the Clock

We show up punctually and prepared, and start right on time to honor everyone’s time. We communicate as soon we know any commitment won’t be kept. Upholding small agreements helps us uphold larger ones.

Relational Space

We protect time for fun, not from fun.

Pro Conflict

Conflict is a rich opportunity for growth and change, and a vital skill for everyone to master.

Explicit Expectations

You have no right to your assumptions. When you discover that expectations are misaligned, renegotiate and move on.

Ensemble, Not Soloists

We function as a team first and as individuals second. We are at our best when moving as a single organism.

Brave Curiosity

Don’t get attached to your ideas. Responsibility for ensuring an open and graceful flow of feedback lives on both giver and receiver. Be gentle and compassionate when critiquing the ideas or actions of others; be open and forgiving while receiving feedback.

What is leadership?

From the smallest team to the largest organization, there are three crucial roles which comprise leadership:

1. Communicate an inspiring vision: It is the leader’s job to define the purpose of the group in a way that inspires and motivates everyone, and sets boundaries that focus the group’s attention.

2. Model the culture: Leaders must deeply embody the values of the group so they can model behavior that aligns with those values.

3. Create more leaders: A leader should always be focused on developing more leaders by elevating people into positions they aren’t quite ready for, then providing the support they need to succeed.

When filling a leadership role in any group, keep these Principles of Leadership in mind:

Replicate, Don’t Dominate

Success is measured by how many new leaders you create. A great leader shares the most glamorous and most menial tasks, and knows when to support and when to get out of the way.

Care Genuinely

Leadership means taking a personal interest in each of the people you are leading and what they have to offer. It must be genuine; it can’t be a performance.

Listen First

Listening isn’t done until the speaker feels heard. Pausing to listen is a stitch in time that nurtures relationships for the long term.

Surrender the Small Stuff

A skilled leader is quick to let go of the details and focus on what is most important. Let people make mistakes to learn from; never micromanage.

Give Away the Passwords

Literally. (And figuratively.) Have faith in the people you’re leading and default to disclosure.

Lead Anonymously

Leaders motivated by admiration fail to empower others. Leave a legacy without getting caught.

1. Power Politics

We win for animals by building real power and being willing to exercise it. Real power is us: voters, volunteers, and small donors acting as a unified bloc.

2. Courtesy Breeds Compassion

We strive to cultivate understanding and love for all beings, even our adversaries. But until we get there, we commit to treating ourselves, each other, the public, and our adversaries with utmost courtesy.

3. Driven by Research

We know that evidence comes in many forms and from unexpected places. We base our approach on the best of it and constantly look for ways to improve.

4. Power Through Stories

The research tells us that facts and righteousness don’t win hearts and minds. We create change through our ability to connect with others. We invite the world to emotionally engage with our cause through storytelling and honest personal disclosure.

5. Everyone Is Crew

We are a movement powered by volunteers. Each person’s voice in strategic decisions is proportional to hard work. Staff positions exist to enable volunteers to make change happen. Everyone has the authority to solve problems as long as they’re willing to roll up their sleeves.

6. Frugal

We fund us, and we all deserve to know that our money is used with care. We use creativity to stay frugal so that we can build an independent movement powered by small donations.

7. Power Positive

We bring power to the surface and celebrate leadership in all forms, believing that power held wisely—and transparently—by one is power for all. When the power we hold results in harm, we do our best to act with accountability.

8. Right to be Raggedy

We dare to work towards a brighter future despite overwhelming odds. We do our best work and celebrate failure as a necessary step on the way, holding ourselves and each other with love and understanding when things blow up in our faces.

Movements need power to create positive change. Members of organizations, from the leadership team to the newest volunteer, need power within the organization to make a contribution.

However, handling power without care creates tremendous potential for abuse. We recognize two paradigms of holding power:

• Power-with uses power collaboratively to attend to the needs of everyone involved by changing structures and systems. Power with is a renewable resource.

• Power-over, on the other hand, uses power in a dominating fashion to prioritize the needs of the power holder and their allies over those with less power.

Moving collectively towards the first paradigm, and away from the second, requires effort from everyone. It is everyone’s responsibility to insist that power be held collaboratively by those with more of it, but we must be patient and compassionate with each other as we learn new ways of collaborating.

We must also be vigilant for a stealthy form of power-over called power-under. Power-under, also called leadership attack, is a particular challenge facing left movements due to the left’s ambivalence about power and high sensitivity to social power (power from things like racial and gender privilege). In a power-under dynamic, leaders or individuals perceived to have power are singled out for harsh scrutiny, with the attacker leveraging a victimhood narrative to isolate their target. Leadership attack is usually carried out by traumatized individuals without ill intent, but it is a crucial threat for organizations which must not be tolerated.

The best defense against power-under is a strong, self-conscious culture of power-with. Below are the guiding principles we use to create that culture in Pax Fauna.

Holistic View of Power

In any situation, we consider the social dimension of power as well as its structural, material, spiritual, and other dimensions.

Power is Taken, Not Given

Earned power comes from taking responsibility for a part of the group’s purpose. This kind of power is a renewable resource, where more power for one is power for all.

Bandage the Blisters

We encourage naming small tensions, and fast. It is everyone’s responsibility to bring to light tensions large and small, so that our processes can be improved with all the information available to the group.

Defend Deviation

As Dumbledore said, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” When someone questions the group consensus, celebrate them and make sure their deviant perspective is considered fully.

Take a Pause

We actively create norms and situations to make power accessible to those with less of it. The ability for anyone to ring a bell and call a pause makes it much easier for anyone to affect the group process, and ensures that tensions sensed by anyone are heard by the group.

It’s normal to feel a little awkward and uncomfortable around it, given a lot of toxic messages we’ve been taught about conflict. You might find yourself totally disinterested in engaging, or, in the other direction, very eager to take the moral high ground and engage in right vs wrong thinking. You might feel some shame that this is happening to you. You might even find that the minute you realize a conflict needs addressing, you’re too upset about the situation to approach it with the care you want. All of these tendencies are normal starting places, and if you prepare, relax, and take a collaborative, reciprocal approach to meeting the needs of everyone involved, conflict can be a great opportunity for bonding and growth.

Isn't it time we start relating to conflict differently? Conflict can be healthy and beautiful, not to mentioned playful and fun! It is natural, normal, and necessary; it’s needed to transform people, relationships, and society. In Pro-Animal Future, when we notice that there's a little tension in the air, we lean into it. If you are experiencing a difficult situation or conversation with someone in our community (or elsewhere!), the steps in this document can help you take a conflict positive approach. They are presented in order of least to most resource intensity, and in the order we recommend taking them.

When people in conflict have a conversation, often both feel a strong need to be heard by the other, making it very difficult for either party to listen. If one or both parties prepare, it’s more likely that one of them will be able to extend the emotional generosity to listen first. Once one person feels heard, they’re more likely to feel enough spaciousness to listen next.

Individual Preparation

Conflict is natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s not painful. Taking time to care for ourselves and clarify our thoughts and feelings can help prepare us to bring our best selves to resolving the conflict. This might mean removing yourself from the immediate situation, taking some time to let your feelings settle before acting, or journaling. It might help to journal privately on the following questions.

1. What happened?

2. What judgements am I having about the situation, the other person, or myself?

3. How am I feeling? Am I needing acknowledgement of anger, fear, alienation, or disgust?

   1. How are my feelings showing up in my body? Is there a weight on my chest, pain in my stomach, hotness in my head?

   2. Can I extend a sense of gentleness or compassion to myself for how I’m feeling?

4. What’s really important to me in this situation? What values are alive for me right now?

5. How might the other person be feeling? What might be important to them?

   1. If you get stuck here, you might like to continue from #2, repeating as many times as necessary until there’s a softening towards the other person and a felt sense of what the situation might be like for them.

6. What requests might I like to make of myself now, or the other person in the future?

Finding a Supportive Listener

You may find it helpful to try to find someone not directly involved in the situation who can really listen to and understand you. This might be able to help you understand and describe how you’re feeling. This may help you prepare for having a direct conversation with the person/people you are feeling in conflict with. This may also be a necessary step for you to draw on external resources to shore you up and make it safe for you to engage in the conflict, especially when you believe you are in a power-down position compared to others involved in the conflict (whether due to social factors like race and gender or due to your relative positions in the organization).

It’s important to draw a distinction between supportive listening and gossip. The difference lives in the intention behind the conversation. The purpose of gossip might be to connect with the person you’re talking to or to punish the person you’re talking about. Supportive listening is meant to help you resolve your feelings and prepare you to talk directly to the person you’re in conflict with. In these conversations, the listener focuses on your feelings rather than the actions of the other person or on “taking sides” with either of you. Clarify your intention with the listener before you start- that you aren’t asking for them to take your side or judge the other person. You might request that they keep the content of your conversation private.

Having a Conversation

You could arrange to talk directly with the person/people you are feeling in conflict with. If you do this, we suggest taking turns in speaking and trying to really listen and understand what is important to the other person and how they feel. It may be helpful to reflect what you heard in your own words and allow a chance at clarification before responding, such as by saying “I heard you say ___, did I get it?” Tips for supportive listeners above are also useful for conflict conversations. It is important to create an agreement about when, where and how long you will talk together before you begin your conversation.

One method is called the “long walk”: walk together in one direction while one person shares. When they are done sharing, turn around and walk back while the second person shares. This ensures both people have equal time to share and listen.

Having a Conversation with Support

You might also ask someone who everyone involved would trust to be present. That person’s role would be to be a silent support for everyone there. It can be very supportive to people who are having a difficult conversation to have someone with them who is just listening and helping them to feel safe and not alone - we would strongly recommend that this supporter remain silent because even when our intentions are to help, it can be very difficult to figure out something that actually helps.

Restorative Circles

Sometimes conflicts are discrete between two people, but just as often they involve many more than this. In these cases, we recommend restorative circles. Restorative circles include one or more facilitators and everyone involved in the conflict who wants to participate. They consist of the following steps.

1. Pre-circle dialogues: The facilitator speaks 1:1 with each person in the process, explaining how the process works and drawing out what’s important to each person. The facilitator checks for willingness to go ahead with the circle.

2. The facilitator works in collaboration with the parties to determine who else needs to be invited to the circle.

3. Circle dialogue: All parties meet to discuss the conflict, with an emphasis on allowing each party to be fully heard. The facilitator may ask questions such as,

   1. What do you want the person to know about how you are now in relation to the event and its consequences?

   2. What do you want the person to know about what you were looking for when you acted?

   3. What would you like to happen next? What would you like to offer, and to whom?

The facilitator encourages each participant to reflect what they heard and check for understanding before responding. This slows the pace of conversation and minimizes reactivity and further harm.

1. Post circle dialogue: Immediately after the circle dialogue or at a later date, the parties meet to harvest learning and review solutions that came from the restorative circle. Agreements that aren’t working are revised.

Advice for Making Agreements

After spending some time listening and trying to understand each other, it is a good idea to create some agreements to improve how you work together and prevent the conflict from reoccurring again in the future. We suggest that these agreements be S.M.A.R.T. meaning Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Specific. For example, instead of agreeing to be nicer to each other, you might agree to creating a specific section of a meeting where you will express gratitude for things you appreciate about each other’s work.

When Separation is Appropriate

Rarely, through attempting to process a conflict, it becomes clear that the best way to care for individuals and the group is for one or more people to separate, i.e. leave the group. Often, when this is the case, the parties will reach this understanding mutually. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to ask an individual to leave before they reach that conclusion on their own. Situations where it is appropriate to separate someone from the organization include:

• When someone presents an imminent danger, physically, psychologically, or materially to themselves, others, or the organization.

• When someone repeatedly fails to follow through on important agreements made during a conflict process.

• When someone refuses to engage in a conflict process in good faith and their behavior is reasonably causing others undue distress.

• When someone's intention is determined to be discriminatory on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information, or when someone refuses to hear and consider why their words or actions are received as discriminatory.

• When sexual misconduct by one party leaves another party unable to be in their presence safely.

• Individuals whose past trauma exceeds the ability of the organization to create a healing environment without impairing its mission, such as those with high conflict personality disorders.

• When someone actively undermines the mission and values of the organization or carries out an unjustified leadership attack.

Every circle lead has the authority to interpret these criteria and remove someone from their circle, including the Mission Circle. MC has the authority to remove someone from the organization by a bare majority vote. Any such action by MC shall be effective immediately and shall immediately strip the person of all privileges of membership, without exception unless otherwise stated.

Default to Transparency

As with other matters, we publish all information related to our finances unless there is a compelling reason not to do so. The main reason to publish our financial information is so that our associates may hold us accountable.

Dangers of money

We ask all associates, friends, and supporters of Pro-Animal Future to join us in keeping vigilant watch for the many nefarious issues that may arise in an organization where money is concerned, including but not limited to:

• Undue influence exerted on our mission by donors, either directly or indirectly by our need to appeal to donors.

• Replacing creativity with money; becoming lazy with how we spend money when a creative solution has greater potential.

• Conflict over how to spend money and an artificial sense of scarcity.

• Becoming overly invested in the separation between individuals receiving money from the movement and those who are not; arrogance on the part of paid staff.

Information available to the public

At a minimum, the following information shall be published on our website annually:

• IRS Form 990 returns.

• An annual report detailing our financial activity in broad terms, including:

  • a breakdown of our expenses for the year into meaningful, clearly defined categories; and

  • a breakdown of income from small, mid-sized, and large donations, and an exact amount received from each grantor of large donations. (The grantor's identity may be kept anonymous, per the section below.)

  • The identities of research fellows and the amount of their grant, as well as the identity of and amount given to anyone else for customized products or services.

  • Where our money is banked.

When financial information may be kept private to Pro-Animal Future

Generally speaking, except for the items listed above, financial information may be kept private where relevant laws allow and if there is a compelling reason to do so. Some examples are:

• The identity of a grantor, be they an individual or a foundation, if the grantor provides a credible explanation for why their identity should be kept private. (Where such exceptional circumstances apply, the donation will be published with an accompanying note: “Donor has requested anonymity.”)

• Any financial information related to active or potential legal cases.

• Identities of donors who contribute less than $5000 per year shall be kept private unless the donor requests otherwise.

Donation Integrity

Money is an incredibly potent force in our society. The overwhelming tendency of money is to reinforce the status quo by directing energy into the channels created and stewarded by economically dominant institutions. Money therefor poses a threat to any organization attempting to challenge or disrupt the status quo. At the same time, many organizations have missions which cannot be accomplished without money, and the movement ecosystem could never be complete without them. We must find a way to raise money without succumbing to its dangers.

Of the dangers listed above, the risk of co-optation is the most nefarious. We adopt the following rules in an attempt to mitigate the threat of financial co-optation. (For the purpose of these rules, a grantor is someone contributing over $5000 per year.)

• We will never accept grants from individuals or organizations with any financial or business interest in any animal agriculture, fishing, or vivisection enterprise.

• We will never discontinue, or decline to undertake, any program at the suggestion of a current or potential grantor.

• We will never hire someone or provide a research grant to a particular grantee at the behest of a current or potential grantor.

• We will never accept more than $5000 in one year from a member of the Mission Circle (Board of Directors), and giving more than that amount in one year shall make someone ineligible to sit on the board for three years.

• As much as circumstance, reason, and law allow, we shall not base decisions about our mission and programs on what we think will satisfy donors and grantors.

The main channel for communication among PAF volunteers is a Slack workspace. The purpose of this workspace is to build community and encourage each other. This is not a constructive space for debates, arguments, or criticism. These should be given directly and offline when possible.

Below are the guidelines organizers use to moderate Slack to ensure conversations there are helping our community stay strong and grow. We hope these guidelines create clear expectations about what does and does not belong in our shared communication channels.

1. All comments should be kind, respectful, and encouraging towards other community members. Comments that are critical of other community members' actions or choices will be removed. If you have feedback for someone, we encourage you to reach out to them directly, and try to understand their perspective first.

2. Do not pressure people about their individual consumption. This is not a place to tell other people why they should go vegan. Posts directly pressuring community members to be vegan or vegetarian, or shaming non-vegans, will be removed.

3. Controversial or polarizing topics are not appropriate. While debating ideas is important, that is not what our Slack space is for. Instead, we are working hard to create a welcoming space for people with different views. Posts agitating controversial topics will be removed, especially if they condemn (explicitly or implicitly) people holding opposing views. Such topics include, but are not limited to:

   • Whether certain products/activities are vegan

   • Vaccines and Covid regulations

   • Controversies around gender and sexuality

   • Religious beliefs

   Describing one's own experiences is perfectly appropriate, but do your best to avoid politicking. The following examples are an attempt to illustrate the difference:

Expense Procedure

This policy applies to all Partners and associates that need to spend money for mission-related activities.

Any member of the Mission Circle may unilaterally approve expenses less than $500 per month. Any expenses over that threshold must be approved by a decision of the full Mission Circle.

There is no guarantee that an expense will be approved after the fact, so when possible, you should seek approval before spending money. If you make an unauthorized purchase with an organizational account, you may be required to pay the money back yourself.

Circle Budgets

The Mission Circle may also approve a budget for any sub-circle. At that point, the circle lead has discretion over use of the use of their circle's budget.

Reimbursement

If an approved expense was paid by an individual Partner or associate, reimbursements may be made by check or electronic transfer, at the discretion of the recipient.

Voluntary Simplicity

We practice voluntary simplicity and want to avoid overspending or unnecessary costs. With any purchase, please put in some extra effort to find a less expensive option, within reason. In general, Pro-Animal Future is very unlikely to reimburse expenses that could be deemed luxuries, such as professional dinners or business-class tickets and other upgrades.

Some Eligible & Ineligible Expenses

Travel Expenses

Travel expenses include any kind of transportation and accommodation expenses that you incur when going on a work trip. Expenses related to this category that may be fully or partly reimbursable include:

• Accommodation

• Legal document expenses (e.g. Visa)

• Air, train, ship, gasoline, or other transportation fares

• Necessary medical expenses (e.g. vaccinations)

• Local transportation during trips (taxi fares, rental cars etc.)

• Other minor or per diem expenses that are included in that trip’s budget (e.g. meals, business material)

• Medical expenses arising from travel-related accidents, if appropriate.

Non-reimbursable expenses

We won't reimburse the following:

• Expenses incurred by spouses or other associates who accompany our Partners on their travels

• Un-authorized service upgrade (e.g. business class or hotel rooms)

• Travel insurance (unless explicitly approved by MC in writing)

• Personal services (massages, beauty treatments etc.)

• Personal purchases (gifts, clothes etc.)

• Lost personal property (e.g. luggage)

• Cannabis or alcoholic beverages

• Animal products

• Fines incurred while driving or parking

• Non-business subscriptions/ training

• Personal trips

This list is not exhaustive. Seek approval before spending money when possible, and use the normal approval process for uncertain reimbursements after the fact.

Abuse of the Expense Procedure

Any excessive expenses will be investigated. Consistent falsified or exaggerated claims, or repeatedly making unauthorized purchases with a Pro-Animal Future account, will be grounds to initiate a conflict process and may initiate a review of a Partner's membership in Pro-Animal Future.

We are initiating petitions for two ballot measures to be placed on the ballot for the 2024 election in the City and County of Denver, for the voters of Denver to decide upon. In order to reach our goal of having these initiatives placed on the ballot, we need to obtain around 10,000 valid signatures (for each petition) from people who are registered to vote at an address within the City of Denver. Given that a certain number of signatures will not be valid (for a number of possible reasons) we need to obtain at least 16,000 signatures (for each petition) for a margin of error. We will have six months to collect signatures.

If we are able to find 15 people who are willing to volunteer 5 hours per week (or 30 people who volunteer 2.5 hours per week) we will be able to achieve our petitioning goals! (Visit our website for more info)

A Ban on the Sale of Fur Products in Denver

“Every year, around 100 million animals are raised and killed for their fur. Over 95% of fur sold globally comes from farmed animals, such as mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, rabbits and chinchillas. On fur factory farms, animals spend their entire lives in cramped battery cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors.” -

In recent years, the animal freedom movement has made significant progress toward eliminating the fur industry. The sale of fur products was first banned in several California cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, and West Hollywood) followed by a statewide ban. Ann Arbor, Michigan, and several cities in Massachusetts have also banned the sale of fur products. Boulder, Colorado became the first city in the State of Colorado to ban the sale of fur products in 2021. Our campaign to enact a similar law in Denver hopes to build upon this national momentum. Passing a ban on the sale of fur products in Denver could add significant momentum toward the ultimate demise of the fur industry.

Several retail stores currently sell fur in Denver, such as Overland Sheepskin, ML Furs and Luxury Ski Wear, A Tsagas Furs and Leathers, Jonval Leathers and Furs, and Dan Sharp Luxury Outerwear. Banning the sale of fur products in Denver will have a direct impact on the fur industry, will send a signal to the industry that it is time to shift away from using animals for fur, will send a signal to society at large that buying or wearing fur is socially unacceptable, and will set a precedent, making the passing of similar laws more feasible in the future.

A City-wide Slaughterhouse Ban in Denver

There is only one slaughterhouse currently operating within the City of Denver: Superior Farms. While this slaughterhouse is not a large slaughterhouse (such as the one in Greeley) the slaughterhouse in Denver kills around 2,000 lambs per day, making it one of the biggest lamb slaughterhouses in the nation.

Why should we ban slaughterhouses in Denver? To put it simply: slaughterhouses are bad for neighborhoods, bad for the environment, bad for workers, and bad for animals. It is time for our society to begin transitioning away from factory farms and slaughterhouses, toward a more sustainable and humane food system. A slaughterhouse ban in Denver is one small step in the right direction toward a better future for all.

Environmental Issues

There are many large trucks entering and exiting the facility daily spewing toxic fumes throughout the neighborhood. Many neighbors in the area have also complained about the odors emitted by the slaughterhouse. Waste particles from the animals inevitably make their way into the air. In addition, the slaughterhouse in Denver has also been found to be in violation of various regulations related to water pollution.

Labor Issues

Working in a slaughterhouse is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. According to reports from OSHA, there have been multiple serious injuries, including amputations, at the Denver slaughterhouse in recent years. In addition to physical injuries, research has shown that slaughterhouse workers have higher than average rates of depression and PTSD due to the mental harms they are exposed to in their work.

Animal Well-being

Animals suffer immensely in slaughterhouses. An undercover investigation of another slaughterhouse operated by the same company revealed significant instances of animal abuse, with animals being kicked and thrown, and others struggling in pain long before they died. If our society claims to care about animals, and if we seek to become a more humane and compassionate society, we must collectively evolve away from allowing such places to exist.

We plan to begin petitioning in early May, 2023 and complete petitioning in late October, 2023. If we are successful, our initiatives will be placed on the ballot for the 2024 election. That will leave us with a year between Nov. 2023 and Nov. 2024 to conduct campaign activities to persuade voters to support our initiatives.

Remember to bring water and snacks, and to protect yourself from the sun. Standing outside for long periods of time can be physically demanding. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is highly recommended to protect yourself from sun exposure.

Always verify that people who sign are registered to vote in the City of Denver and that they write the address under which they are registered to vote. If we have too many signatures from people who are not registered to vote in the city, we may think we have more valid signatures than we actually have, and we may come up short in the end.

If someone makes a mistake, ask them to put a line through all the entry boxes, and use the next line down to enter the correct information

Please be very careful with petition packets, not to lose them or damage them. Pay close attention to the staples and fold the pages carefully as you move through the packet. If the staples come undone, the entire petition packet will be invalid. Officials will examine petition packets for signs of tampering with staples or in any other way.

Do not fill out any portion of the last page of the petition packet until you are instructed to do so by a notary. Petitions must be notarized to be accepted, and this page must be filled out in the presence of a notary public.

Do not answer questions from reporters or media representatives. Only designated campaign representatives will communicate with the media. If you are approached by a reporter or media representative, please direct them to our website, where they can contact us to set up a meeting.

If someone asks you a question you don’t know how to answer, you can say you don’t know and direct them to our website, where they can contact us.

Fur Ban

Q: Why should we ban the sale of fur products?

95 percent of fur products come from animals raised in fur farms, where they are kept in small cages and endure extreme suffering. The small number that are trapped endure tremendous suffering as well. In today’s world we have access to a wide range of clothing options, and killing animals just for a fashion statement is completely unnecessary and cruel.

Q: Are there any places that currently sell fur products in Denver?

There are at least 5 stores in Denver that sell a significant amount of fur products. We encourage them to transition their businesses to other clothing options.

Q: What kinds of fur products would be banned under this legislation? Would this apply to things like wool, sheepskin, cowhides, etc?

This policy would not apply to wool, sheepskin, cowhides, leather, or any fur product from an animal defined as “Livestock” under the Colorado Revised Statutes. This policy is designed to target fur products from animals typically used for their fur, such as Minks, Chinchillas, Foxes, Coyotes, Rabbits, etc.

Q: Would this apply to second-hand fur products?

No, this legislation would not apply to the sale of used fur products at second-hand clothing stores.

Q: What should we use instead of fur? Isn’t faux fur bad for the environment?

There is a wide range of natural, plant-based clothing options available. The use of any fur, whether it came from an animal, or it is faux fur, is not necessary.

Q: How would this policy affect Indigenous cultures?

This policy exempts fur products purchased for traditional tribal, cultural, or spiritual purposes by a member of a federally recognized or state-recognized Native American tribe.

Slaughterhouse Ban

Q: Why should we ban slaughterhouses?

There are several reasons why. Slaughterhouses are bad for neighborhoods, bad for workers, bad for the environment, and bad for animals. It is time for our society to transition to a more humane and sustainable food system, and banning slaughterhouses in our city is one step in the right direction. Note: read the "About the Campaigns" section for more details about this response.

Q: Are there any slaughterhouses in Denver?

There is only one slaughterhouse in Denver, Superior Farms, which slaughters around 2,000 lambs daily. This slaughterhouse is located in a highly polluted neighborhood, 80216, one of the most polluted zip codes in the United States.

Q: What about the workers? Are there any provisions in the proposed legislation to help the slaughterhouse workers transition to other jobs?

There is a provision in the proposed legislation directing the City to prioritize any slaughterhouse employees affected by the legislation in considering any employment assistance programs operated by the City, including those provisioned by the Climate Action Fund.

Q: What will happen to the land where the current slaughterhouse is located if it closes?

Suppose land currently occupied by the slaughterhouse becomes vacant. In that case, any developer who seeks to re-develop the land will likely be required to develop the land in accordance with the City’s long-term plan, known as Blueprint Denver.

The land where the current slaughterhouse is located is designated to become a “Community Center”, typically involving a balance of residential, employment, and dining/shopping uses. They are accessible to a larger area of surrounding neighborhood users by various transportation options. They are often connected through dedicated bike facilities, transit priority streets, or rail service. They incorporate open spaces to promote social interaction and respond to the distinct uses within the center. Trees, plants, and green infrastructure provide moments of relief from the more intense activity.

This transition from industrial uses to a mixed-use community center is anticipated to be extremely beneficial to the surrounding neighborhood. We advocate for the inclusion of the local community in the redevelopment of this area, and we want to draw particular attention to the need for more affordable housing in this neighborhood.

We want affordable houses, not slaughterhouses.

Q: Wouldn’t slaughterhouses move out of town?

Banning slaughterhouses in our city is one step in the right direction toward a more humane and sustainable food system.

Q: What if I like to eat animals?

Many people who eat animals also recognize the need for our society to transition away from factory farming and slaughterhouses. This legislation isn't about anyone's personal eating habits. Instead, it addresses our society as a whole and serves as a step toward a collective evolution away from such industries.

Petitioner: "Hi there... just a quick signature to help animals?!"

Pedestrian: "Sure; what is it about?"

Petitioner: "We're collecting signatures for a ballot measure to ban the sale of fur products in the City of Denver. Are you a Denver resident/registered to vote in Denver?"

Pedestrian: "Yes, I'm registered to vote in Denver. I'm curious to know more. Why should we ban the sale of fur products in Denver?"

Petitioner: "The fur industry is extremely cruel and unnecessary. Several other cities, including Boulder and the state of California, have passed similar laws, and we want to advance protections for animals by bringing this to Denver."

Pedestrian: "Sure, I'll sign that!"

Petitioner: [after they sign the first petition] "And would you be willing to sign one more petition? This one is to ban slaughterhouses in the City of Denver."

Pedestrian: "Oh hmm, interesting. Tell me more about it. Why should we ban slaughterhouses in Denver?"

Petitioner: "In general, slaughterhouses are bad for neighborhoods, bad for workers, bad for the environment, and bad for animals. A lot of people agree that our society needs to begin transitioning toward a more humane and sustainable food system, and this is one step in the right direction."

Pedestrian: "Okay, yeah, I'll sign it."

Petitions

You will receive your petitions and any other necessary materials when you come to your first shift. See the section titled "Signing up for Canvassing Shifts" to learn how to sign up for a shift.

Clipboards

Every volunteer will be provided a clipboard with a poster attached to the backside. The poster can be used as a visual aid when explaining our petition.

QR code

Each clipboard and sign will have a QR code attached to it. The QR code will link to a general interest form. Please encourage anyone who expresses strong interest in the campaign to scan the code and get involved. The code can also be used for anyone who wants to contact us for any reason.

Signs

There will also be large sign boards available for canvassers to use as an additional visual aid to attract people to sign the petition. You can request a sign from a Canvas Captain or organizer, which you can pick or have it brought to your location.

Tables

There will also be tables for people who prefer to use a table while petitioning. You can request a table from a Canvas Captain or organizer and arrange to pick it up or have it brought to your location.

Cards/Leaflets

We will also provide you with some cards or leaflets to hand out to people who are interested in learning more about our campaign, or if they want to contact us.

Major organization-wide policies can be found beneath this header. These policies are created and amended through the governance process of the Mission Circle. Policies created by other roles and circles, along with some minor operational Mission Circle policies, live on Glassfrog.

At Pro-Animal Future, we welcome anyone who wants to join us, even if they have opposing views or work in industries that may conflict with our mission. This includes agents of industry or government who may not share our values but wish to participate for any reason. While we do not require a personal practice of veganism for participation, we do require that all members, including infiltrators, adhere to our code of conduct. Our goal is to create a welcoming and respectful community that strives to create a better future for animals and humans alike.

Expected and Unacceptable Behaviors

It is expected that everyone treats all members of the community and the greater public with respect. These expectations apply to members, associates, and guests while at PAF events, when representing PAF to the public, in PAF communication channels, or while interacting with people you meet through any of the above.

• We do not discriminate or harass anyone on the basis of race, color, or ethnicity; nationality, immigration status, citizenship, or ancestry; age; species; religion or spiritual belief; sex; sexual orientation; gender, gender identity, or gender expression; marital status; pregnancy or parental status; physical or mental ability, medical conditions, or disability status; education; or financial means, socioeconomic status, or class.

• We acknowledge that there are various methods used for killing animals for human consumption, including conventional methods as well as religious methods such as halal and kosher. We believe that all forms of killing animals for food are equally objectionable and are not part of a compassionate future. It is not acceptable to single out any particular religious method for criticism or condemnation.

• We do not condone harassment, which can range from extreme forms such as physical violence or threats of violence to less obvious actions like ridiculing, teasing, or repeatedly bothering community members, or intentionally excluding someone from otherwise open community activities, or making them feel unwelcome.

• We do not use or condone speciesist, sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, ageist, or otherwise discriminatory language, including ridiculing or demeaning comments, even if intended to be humorous.

• We honor pronouns and gender identities. When we make a mistake with someone’s pronouns, we correct it and move on.

• We do not use objectifying language toward nonhuman animals, e.g. "it," "meat," "beef.”

• We do not engage in or condone violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed against another person.

• We do not gossip about other members.

• We extend our respect and good faith to people outside our community, such as during petitioning or in public parks during community events.

Respond to conflict and disagreement constructively.

• We approach disagreements and different opinions with curiosity. We default to giving others the benefit of the doubt, especially when communicating online.

• When we perceive potential conflict, we engage in calm conversations, with the goal of understanding other points of view. We take escalating online disagreements offline to a phone or in-person conversation, or respectfully agree to disengage on the topic.

• We embody the ideals of nonviolence and nonviolent direct action by directing our anger at systems, not the individuals who are caught up in those systems.

• When we feel someone is not acting in accordance with our values we speak directly with that person one-on-one, trying to understand their true meaning and intentions, and sharing our concern.

• We are open to feedback when others express concern or hurt over our words or behavior. We listen before we respond, acknowledge when we are mistaken, and take steps to do better.

• If a conflict escalates beyond our ability to engage in it constructively, we may seek the assistance of multipartial third parties to help the original parties reach a constructive resolution.

• We acknowledge that there will be disagreements and different perspectives in the community and we aim to focus on the values that unite us. However, disagreements or debates affecting a large enough section of the community may necessitate the involvement of PAF’s Mission Circle or an authorized representative, potentially resulting in corrective action.

• We do not expect leadership to solve our personal disputes or problems.

Understand and uphold the principles of enthusiastic consent.

• We ask for and wait to be given consent before initiating any physical contact, including non-sexual contact such as hugs.

• We do not give anyone unwelcome sexual attention. This includes sexualized comments, jokes, or innuendos, inappropriate touching or groping, unwelcome sexual advances, leering, invasion of personal space, blocking normal movement, and any other behavior that makes another community member sexually uncomfortable.

• We do not record or photograph others outside the scope of public events and actions, such as protests and Meetups, unless given explicit permission.

• We do not display or share offensive images, such as videos, photos, cartoons, or drawings that are derogatory or sexualizing of others.

• We do not pressure someone to submit to romantic or sexual requests for any reason, including as a condition of receiving opportunities or to avoid loss of opportunities.

• We are conscious of power, position, and privilege when it comes to initiating any romantic or sexual behavior or relationship.

It is unacceptable to encourage, condone, or excuse violations of this code of conduct.

• It is unacceptable to retaliate against or penalize those who report, express an intent to report, assist another person to report, or participate in an investigation related to a report about any of the above behaviors.

• We recognize that the preceding list cannot include every possible situation, but we trust our community members to apply the underlying values as needed and appropriate.

• This code of conduct can apply to PAF members outside the context of an official PAF event. For instance, harassment or escalatory conflict behavior on social media may constitute a violation. Committing a violent crime or crime of moral turpitude, even outside the context of a PAF event, would also constitute a violation.

Additional Policies

Food and beverage policy

All food and beverages at PAF events must be free of animal products. Additionally, events should be free of drugs, including alcohol.

Travel and housing policy

While on a PAF-related trip, sleeping arrangements should be made thoughtfully. No one should be asked to share a bed or other sleeping arrangement (e.g. couch or car) with someone they would not already be comfortable doing so with outside of the trip.

You are encouraged to try various ways of asking people to sign and find out what works best for you. That said, you can start with these recommendations.

When asking people to sign the petition, previous experiences have shown that keeping the request as short and straightforward as possible is best. “Hi there, could you sign our petition to help animals?” or “Hi there… just a quick signature to help animals?”

It is best to keep it short because when someone sees you, they don’t know what you are doing or what you are asking for. They might think you are asking for money or asking them to talk about something that will take a significant amount of time. By letting them know you're just asking for a quick signature, they will understand that you are not asking for much.

Some people will sign without further discussion, and others will want to know more about the legislation, providing an opportunity to explain the proposed legislation in greater detail. It is best to keep the explanation brief.

As petitioners will be carrying two petitions, it might be advantageous to begin the interaction by asking people to sign one petition. After they sign the first petition, ask them if they would be willing to sign one more. It is recommended to:

1. Start with the fur petition. After that, one is signed…

2. Then ask if they would sign one more (the slaughterhouse petition).

It is recommended to begin with the fur petition because it is simpler, easier to explain, and more likely to be accepted by people.

Read the next two sections for more tips about communicating with the public. Also, read the "About the Campaigns" section for some good talking points.

We will be using Slack to provide announcements, updates, share ideas, and generally stay in communication with each other throughout the campaign.

You can join our Slack Group using

Also, feel free to reach out to any of the organizers at any time. Here are a few:

Aidan - (720) 313-4249 aidan@paxfauna.org

Brent - (720) 347-3033 brent@paxfauna.org

The list below contains other resources to help strengthen your ability to create compelling campaign content.

We have created a system for organizing canvassing shifts. The system will be updated weekly with new shifts. Please check it regularly to sign up for the shifts you want. After adding new shifts each week, we will post it in the Slack channel #canvass-shifts.

Please use the following link to sign up for open canvassing shifts:

Other notes about shifts:

-You will receive your petition packet, clipboard, and other materials when you come to your first shift.

-On your first shift, you will receive a brief orientation and the opportunity to shadow another petitioner before beginning. Just so you know – an organizer will also be there to answer questions and help you with anything you need.

-After your first shift, we encourage canvassers to continue using the shift signup system throughout the campaign, but you are free to collect signatures on your own anytime.

The ideas below contain good examples of each type of post, as well as language that you can feel free to modify slightly and use on your own page.

Table of Contents:

Petitioning in Action

Photos of you out petitioning and interacting with the public about PAF’s campaign, along with a description of how to get involved or a direct ask to your followers.

Example Posts:

Language Ideas:

• I loved getting to talk with my fellow Denver residents about voting to evolve towards a cruelty-free food system.

• If you’re an animal lover like me, you can help create a better world for animals through the political process.

• Come campaign with me if you want to help make history for animals here in Denver.

• Come find us at [X location / X time] to sign our petition and stand up for change.

Community Socials

Posts about our community events, along with an invitation to your followers to get in touch if they’re interested in joining our next social.

Example Posts:

Language Ideas:

• So proud to be a part of this community of activists standing up for animals.

• If you’re looking to connect with other animal lovers, eat a delicious & free plant-based meal, and help make history for animals, this is your chance!

• Come hang at our next social. All are welcome!

News Stories

Sharing or re-sharing any positive news coverage of our campaign can help build confidence in our mission and show our cause gaining traction.

Example Posts:

Language Ideas:

• For a written article, your caption could be a blurb from the published piece.

• Many people actively bury their feelings about the suffering animals endure. As a result, nobody realizes that everyone else is feeling the same dissonance.

• We may not have much power as individual consumers, but this measure gives voters a chance to improve things together.

• We’ve evolved before, and we’re evolving again, but the question is: how fast? For the animals’ sake, it can’t happen soon enough.

• I’m voting yes to ban slaughter in Denver and accelerate society’s next evolution.

Community Involvement

Posts about PAF’s attendance or involvement in public or community-based events, as well as our alignment with other local causes. This shows our campaign’s intersectionality with other values and missions, and how we fit into the broader scheme of our community.

Language Ideas:

• Language that connects our cause to the particular event.

• Abundant plant food and meat alternatives are widely available, while millions of Americans thrive eating animal-free.

• Globeville in Denver is the most polluted residential zip code in the US, and this poorer community is the only part of Denver with a slaughterhouse.

• The slaughterhouse, which sits right on the West Platte River, has been in violation of the Clean Water Act for 3 years, failing to report how much pollution it’s emitting.

• When we protested outside the slaughterhouse in Denver, we met workers who were covered in animals’ blood. One of them told us he would get another job if he could. This is not surprising given the high rates of injury and depression that slaughterhouse workers face.

Your Campaign Experience

Talking about the reasons why this campaign holds personal meaning to you, why you got involved, or how the campaign’s mission fits into your life may strike a chord with others who hold similar values. Speaking to your direct experience can help inspire others to do what you’re doing!

Language Ideas:

• At a young age, I learned to eat meat without thinking about who it had been.

• In time, I realized that the discomfort I felt with eating animals had been right all along. We should be upset by the unnecessary suffering of animals.

• I’d never thought about how we could create a better world for animals through the political process, just like other movements. Ever since then, I’ve been spending my free time petitioning to end slaughterhouses and the fur industry in Denver.

Positive Animal Photos

Uplifting photos of animals you meet who are living happy and fulfilled lives, along with a message and a call to action.

Language Ideas:

• Discuss the animal’s individual traits and personality; what their life looks like vs. the fate they may have avoided.

• Animals headed to slaughter fight back. They scream, kick, and attempt to run, and some are lucky enough to escape. When they do, they often end up at sanctuaries where they are cared for like family, and they will never be slaughtered.

• If you have an emotional reaction to seeing footage of animals suffering in slaughterhouses [or fur farms], that’s a good sign that you’re a human being.

• We should listen to that compassion, because it’s a hallmark of our humanity. This initiative is on the right side of history.

• To visit an animal sanctuary is to step into a future where we give all animals the freedom they deserve. Now, voters have a chance to bring that future one step closer.

Your Own Creative Ideas!

While this list presents some suggestions around the types of posts most conducive to building support for our campaign, we encourage you to get creative and to express your passion for PAF’s cause in ways that feel authentic to you! This is your page and your audience, so feel free to experiment with different ways of building support and awareness for our mission.

Post Ideas:

• Sharing an interesting conversation or interaction while out petitioning.

• You and your fellow canvassers hanging out or enjoying some food post-shift.

• Shoutouts of other people in the community who are contributing a lot, taking a unique approach, or are stepping up in some way that you’d like to share.

• A photo of you petting a dog while out petitioning, or enjoying your time with the public.

Ensure Accuracy and Credibility

If you plan to share any facts or statistics, you are encouraged to fact-check, provide reliable sources where needed, and share the lower end of a statistic for the sake of accuracy. Misinformation can harm the campaign's reputation and credibility.

Use a Positive and Inclusive Tone

Please avoid any negative or divisive language that could alienate potential supporters. A respectful and constructive tone when posting or having online discussions will resonate with a wider audience and is more likely to be persuasive and allow you to build connections.

Share Personal Stories

Personal stories and anecdotes are very effective at highlighting the impact of our campaign on real people's lives. Sharing your own personal experiences can create emotional connections and help make our campaign more relatable. If you’d like to go deeper on this, feel free to check out our storytelling guide!

Use Visual Content

Videos, reels, and photos that include people tend to get the best engagement. People love to see other people, and to hear them speak passionately about the things they care about. An example would be a video talking about your personal experience with the campaign, why this cause matters to you, or why people should come canvass with you!

Make a Call to Action

Your posts about our campaign may very well be converting your followers to supporters. While persuading people of the importance of what we’re trying to accomplish is key, we also want to share how to channel their support into action. Whether it’s asking them to sign the petition or to come volunteer with you, it’s good practice to guide your followers on what action to take.

Examples:

• “Come join our next campaign social to learn how you can help make history for animals.”

• “Reach out if you want to join me on my next canvassing shift.” [link to proanimal.org/volunteer]

• “Donate to support our fight for animal freedom.” [link to proanimal.org/donate]

• “Be a pro-animal voter [sign our petition / vote yes].”

**Note: Include relevant links where possible to make it easy for people to take action! On Instagram, you can add a link to your story or bio, and on Facebook it’s best to link in a comment.

Our Mission: build a political movement to end the farming of animals through grassroots campaigns to turn public support for animals into law.

If you're looking for basic info about Pro-Animal Future aka Pro-Animal Colorado, or for information about our campaigns, see the video below or our .

About This Handbook

This handbook is primarily for the use of members of Pro-Animal Future. However, it is made publicly available in the interest of transparency, and in case others may find it useful.

This book is perpetually changing subject to PAF's governance process.

Master Source

This handbook is the authoritative source for policies of Pro-Animal Future. If any policy appears elsewhere in a different form, the version here is the operative one.

The Zoom Coordinator's primary role is to manage the virtual aspects of a hybrid event. They will need to manage a device connected to Zoom, provide general support for technical difficulties, and facilitate breakout rooms for any event programming. Below are the Zoom Coordinator's responsibilities:

• Request “host” access to the Zoom account prior to the event.

  Coordinate with the organizer to provide you with this access.

• Bring a laptop. This will be used as the Zoom connection to loop in virtual attendees.

• Ensure you have wifi access at the venue. Coordinate with the host for their wifi login.

• Ensure you are in the Zoom room 5 minutes early. Showing up before the announced start time of the online portion of the event will allow some extra time in the event of any issues.

• Troubleshoot any technical difficulties (e.g. audio issues/echoing).

• Hold the computer close to the presenter during announcements and teach-in.

• Facilitate breakout rooms in Zoom (if applicable).

  If there is a programming section of the event that requires splitting into groups, don't forget about participants joining online!

  • Create breakout rooms for virtual participants in Zoom

  • Breakout Rooms > Enter # of rooms & how to assign them > Create (more detailed instructions can be found here)

Tips & Best Practices

Goals

• Establishing goals for the event in advance can help with preparation and planning.

  • Is the goal of this event simply to connect socially, or to accomplish work tasks?

  • Determine the goal before planning, determining a location, and assigning roles.

• Social events are a great opportunity for getting campaign participants to contribute to necessary tasks that would otherwise take up a lot of organizers’ time (e.g. preparing petition packets).

Scheduling

• If this is a regularly occurring event, schedule a recurring event time to make it easy for people to remember and attend.

• Biweekly is a good cadence for keeping people engaged without overwhelming them.

Timing

• It’s recommended to make the event drop-in so that people don’t avoid coming if they can’t make it on time or need to leave early.

  • For a drop-in schedule, 2.5-3 hours is a solid event time frame.

• The event should be in the evenings (after 5pm) for best attendance.

• Events should not run too late, in order to be respectful to the host (8:30-9pm is a good cutoff time).

• Weekends should be avoided as people often have plans, or are out canvassing!

• Share the general timing of dinner, any programming, and announcements.

  • Determining an event schedule and communicating it out in advance is important, especially with a drop-by event. This helps ensure people don’t miss important announcements, or dinner.

Location

• Find a location that is relatively centrally located to where the campaign is happening.

• Find out who is open to hosting socials, and keep a list to rotate through.

• Find public locations (e.g. parks) that are appropriate for sizable gatherings and allow reservations.

• If the location is outside, make sure there is a nearby indoor space, covering, or backup plan in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Headcount

• Establishing a rough headcount in advance can be helpful, especially if food is involved or there is limited space at the event location.

  • Creating an RSVP link works well (Volunteer Sign Up link or an evite system).

• Plan on having about 25% more attendees than the number of people that sign up.

  • Assume that at least a handful of people will show up that did not RSVP for the event (don’t expect most people to sign up for a casual social event!). Take this into consideration when planning food, location, and other event details. It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared!

Organizer responsibilities are typically fulfilled by the Campaign Lead, but can be delegated as needed. There is a lot that goes into this role, so this checklist will include links to other sections of the guide that provide more detail on the tasks for which the organizer is responsible.

• Organize and plan the event

  • Schedule the event

  • Determine the location

  • Plan event programming schedule

  • Establish work goals

  • Estimate rough headcount

• Promote the event to the community

  • Create an event signup

  • Design an invite graphic

  • Send a Slack message in #announcements

  • Create a Google Calendar invite

  • Post in Vegan Community Events on Signal

  • Post the event on Connect For Animals

  • Share the event on social media

  • Coordinate personalized invites from Activist Stewards

• Determine the goal of the event

  • Settle on a type of event schedule

  • Decide on a work task for the event if that is a priority

    • Coordinate with the Workstation Director on the work task and share what supplies you’ll be bringing

• Assign all other event roles (found in the rest of this section)

• Update all other roles on the number of attendees (particularly the cooks)

• Ensure there are lots of upcoming canvassing shifts posted for the MC to announce during the event in order to urge people to sign up

• Post in any Slack carpooling channels several days in advance to help form a plan for people to get there

• Bring all necessary supplies for the event

• Enforce PAF’s rules & policies during the event

• Following the event, ask people to share any photos they took in Slack

This guide includes recommendations for organizing and promoting events, delegating event roles and work tasks, and other tips on how to throw a great event!

Here are the articles in this section:

Thank you for using your own social channels to help spread our Pro-Animal message! While you’re welcome and encouraged to post freely about the campaign on your social media accounts, this guide offers some suggestions to overcome writer’s block and make your posts more effective.

Here are the articles in this section:

Remember that not everyone may be aware of these rules, especially a newer attendee, so it’s important to be kind and welcoming in your approach to correcting any policy violations.

1. No drugs or alcohol.

   All social and community events should be free of recreational drugs and alcohol. It’s the organizer’s responsibility to ensure the host is aware of this policy, and to state it in marketing materials so that attendees are also aware. This ensures that events remain professional as well as safe and inclusive to those in recovery, children, or those that don’t wish to be around drug and alcohol use. If an attendee or host violates this policy, politely and discreetly remind them of our rules, welcome them in, and offer to put their items aside for them to take with them when they leave (e.g. put items in the fridge if the host is ok with it).

2. Event space is clean, safe, and welcoming.

   It’s important that we provide a clean and welcoming space for the event. The space should be reasonably cleaned, sanitary, and free of clutter. We want to ensure the comfort of all event attendees, as well as to create a positive first impression for anyone new to the community.

3. Respect the host’s space.

   All attendees of the event should be respectful of the host’s space and any rules they may have for their home. Set a precedent of taking shoes off by the door, and asking the host before bringing any animals. Check in with the host before the event to see if they have any special rules for their space, and communicate those as needed in the promo for the event. Hanging signs about removing shoes or other important rules may also be helpful. If any guests are not abiding by the host’s rules, gently and discreetly remind them.

4. Meals should be budget-friendly and hypoallergenic.

   The cook(s) should be made aware of our requirements around allergens and dietary restrictions, as well as our food guide to help them plan. We will offer to reimburse them, as long as they try to abide by a target budget of about $100 (or about $4/attendee).

5. All attendees and organizers should practice veganism during the event.

   This applies to the preparation of food, any food brought by attendees, and visible items in the host’s space. If someone violates this policy, gently and discreetly remind them of the expectations of these events. If they made or brought an item that does not follow this policy, help them to put it aside to ensure no one eats it by mistake.

1. Schedule and Fill Shifts

It is the shift captain’s responsibility to schedule regular shifts, as well as to enlist canvassers to sign up. Shift captains should host at least one shift per week on average (travel and other circumstances allowing).

1. Act as Shift Host

During each shift, we want to ensure canvassers feel supported and that they are part of an organized group. Shift captains should kick off the shift with a briefing and plan for the day, provide support and check in with volunteers throughout the shift, and close with a discussion around successes and learnings.

1. Support New Canvassers

First-time canvassers will need to be set up with clipboards, petition packets, and guidance on how to get started. The shift captain should provide resources, orientation, and training for any

inexperienced canvassers at the start of each shift. We recommend shift captains spend some time giving them tips and allowing them to shadow someone before heading off on their own.

1. Provide Resources

It is the shift captain’s responsibility to bring all necessary materials for the shift and to supply volunteers with resources.

1. Take Campaign Photos

It’s important for our team to have photos of canvassing in action. Ideally, shots would include the A-frame sign or clipboards, have faces visible, and include shots of people signing the petition. We also encourage a group shot before or after your shift!

1. Foster a Sense of Community

Research and past experiences have shown that when volunteers feel a sense of belonging, relatedness, and community, they are more likely to stay involved. The shift captain is responsible for creating a sense of community among volunteers in their shift by providing support, feedback, and encouragement, and facilitating discussion and cohesion among the group.

Table of Contents

Filling Your Shift

1. To check on who has signed up for your shift, click on ‘Pro-Animal Future Canvassing Shifts’ under ‘My signup sheets’ on the main page of the .

1. This will take you to a table view, where you can review volunteer names and contact info for anyone who has signed up.

1. If you still have open slots available, reach out directly to volunteers to encourage them to sign up. You can do this in a few different ways:

   • Use the #canvass-shifts Slack channel to spread the word about your shift and encourage volunteers to sign up.

   • Use Action Builder to reach out to volunteers individually.

Using Action Builder for Shift Outreach:

1. **If this is your first time logging in, reach out to Brent to give you access.

2. Apply filters using the right-hand table labeled ‘Filter Results’.

   • Select 'Info'.

   • Open the ‘Include’ drop-down menu.

   • Search for and select the time frame of your shift (i.e. Sunday afternoon). This will filter your results to only show volunteers that specified availability for that day and time.

1. Click on ‘Run Query’ at the top of the panel to filter your results.

1. From the filtered list of volunteer names, select the volunteer you’d like to reach out to, and take note of their contact preferences.

1. Reach out via their preferred mode of contact.

   • For outreach to new volunteers, we recommend saying something along the lines of the scripts below, but add in some personal touches to make it your own!

2. If you have a back-and-forth with a volunteer about canvassing at your shift, add a short "note" to their file in Action Builder.

Outreach Scripts

Script A (for new canvassers):

Hi _____,

I'm_____, and I'm helping to organize the Pro-Animal Future ballot measure campaigns in Denver. I saw you filled out the volunteer interest form. Thanks for doing that!

We have a few quick steps we still need from you: 1) Join our Slack channel so you can stay connected with the campaign. 2) Watch our short orientation video or schedule an orientation call with Brent. 3) Sign up for your first shift!

We currently have some shifts posted for [insert shift times]. Would you be interested in signing up for one? There will be an organizer there who will give you your materials, get you started, and help you gain confidence canvassing.

Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to help.

Script B (for less-new canvassers):

PAF’s Code of Conduct

Pro-Animal Future's extends to online settings. Even when representing PAF on your own personal channels, we ask that our code of conduct be followed and that all members of the community and public be treated with respect when discussing our campaign. A few things to keep in mind when engaging with others online:

• We do not use or condone speciesist, sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, ageist, or otherwise discriminatory language, including ridiculing or demeaning comments, even if intended to be humorous.

• We approach disagreements and different opinions with curiosity. We default to giving others the benefit of the doubt, especially when communicating online.

• We embody the ideals of nonviolence and nonviolent direct action by directing our anger at systems, not the individuals who are caught up in those systems.

Our Goals

While PAF’s objectives may change over the course of a campaign, the goals for our online presence are typically centered around:

• Convincing undecided voters to support our measures.

• Coaxing supportive voters to strengthen the campaign by subscribing, donating, or encouraging their friends and family to support.

• Recruiting new activists to join our campaign and help us reach more people.

Your Audience

You know your online audience better than anyone! It may be helpful to cater your messaging to who your followers are, and adjust the goals of your posts accordingly. For example:

• If you are followed by a lot of activists, it may be a good idea to have your posts centered around donations or recruiting, including for remote volunteer opportunities.

• If you are followed by a lot of local non-vegans, your messaging could be more informational in order to enlighten people on why they should support our measures.

Collaboration with PAF

When you make a post related to the campaign, feel free to tag us at @proanimalfuture, or add us as a collaborator when posting to Facebook or Instagram. If your account is private, you can ask us to follow you by direct messaging the PAF account if you’re open to us re-sharing the content that you post for more visibility!

You can also help us by interacting with our content, which broadens its reach. Links to our PAF channels are below:

Role assignment helps to establish accountability for each person’s assigned duties, which lends to a well-organized and successful event. Below is a list of roles that can be assigned in order to help the event run smoothly. Each page details the responsibilities asked of each role. It’s important to share these pages with the individuals taking on these roles so they have a clear understanding of what they are accountable for.

All of these tasks should be completed at least one week before the event unless otherwise specified.

Event Marketing Checklist

• Add the event to the if a headcount is needed. Instructions on how to log in and create the event can be found .

  • Be sure to distinguish the social event from canvassing shifts (capitalize title, add asterisks, etc.) to make it stand out so it’s easy to find

  • Add the location in the title

• Create an invite graphic that includes the basic information. You can start with one of . Make sure to include the following:

  • Event title

  • Basic details on the purpose of the event (e.g. hang out with community activists, discuss campaign progress, etc.)

  • Day & time

  • Location

  • Whether food will be provided

  • Rough event schedule (timing for dinner/announcements) if the event is drop-in

  • Campaign branding

  • Any other important details specific to the event

• Send a Slack message in #announcements that contains the event graphic and basic information, including:

  • Date & time

  • Location details

  • Reminder to RSVP & hyperlink to the RSVP page

  • Send another reminder the morning of the event

• Create a Google Calendar event and invite everyone from our email list.

  • Pull the email list from either Action Builder or Slack

    • : Export > Specialized > Email Addresses

    • Slack: #campaigngeneral channel > View all members of this channel > Settings > Copy member email addresses

  • Copy & paste attendee email addresses into the “Add guests” section of the Google Calendar event

    • Hide the full guest list from the invite by deselecting “See guest list” under Guest permissions

  • Include location, time, and details around dinner and the timing of announcements in the Google Calendar event description

• Post about the event in online vegan communities and platforms to attract new attendees.

  • Post in Vegan Community Events on Signal

  • Post on platform

• Promote the event on social media.

  • Create an event page on Facebook (Events > + Create new event)

  • Share the invite graphic on the PAF Instagram account

• Encourage people to bring their friends and family to the event. Ask that they on behalf of anyone they plan to bring so that we can get a more accurate headcount.

• Encourage Activist Stewards to send personalized invites to their assigned campaigners the night before or morning of the event.

The host's primary responsibility is opening their home so that the community has a place to gather and connect. Below are the responsibilities and expectations for hosting:

• Ensure your space is clean prior to the event.

  • Make sure your kitchen, bathroom, and common areas have been cleaned. Those in the cleaning role will ensure those areas are returned to you clean

  • Ensure your space is reasonably free of clutter (clear items off of tables, counters, etc)

• Confirm that you have enough plates, silverware, and space to host the event. The organizer will let you know the expected number of attendees.

  • If you don’t have enough plates & silverware, let the organizer know and attendees will be asked to bring their own. Let’s try to avoid disposables wherever possible

  • If you are concerned there won't be sufficient space based on the number of attendees, reach out to the organizer

• Create a plan for washing dishes and silverware. This will be completed by the cleanup crew.

  • Ensure dishwasher is clear and ready to be loaded (if you have one)

  • Ensure dish rack is clear, and sponges, soap, and dish rags are available

• Provide the cleanup crew with cleaning materials.

  • Broom or vacuum to clean the floors

  • Multipurpose spray/disinfectant to wipe down surfaces in the kitchen, common areas, and bathroom(s)

  • Paper towels or rags

  • Toilet bowl cleaner & brush

• Make sure your space is recreational drug free.

  • No drugs, drug paraphernalia, or alcohol should be visible

  • No offers for beers or drinks

1. Contact Info for Brent Johannes, Campaign Lead -- you can reach out to Brent to request additional resources, for assistance in creating shifts, or any campaign-related questions.

   • brent@paxfauna.org

   • Brent can also be reached via our Pro Animal Slack channel

2. Canvassing Quick Guide

3. Instructions for Petitioning

4. Pro-Animal Colorado Main Page - also found on via the QR code on petition clipboards

   • Shift Sign-Up Page

   • Volunteer Interest Form

   • Upload Campaign Photos

   • Post-Shift Report Form

   • Canvassing Guide

5. Action Builder

6. Pro-Animal FAQ Page

Cooks will be reimbursed for the cost of the food. It is recommended to have at least two people in this role where possible, especially if a lot of attendees are expected. We have created a food guide with some ideas that take into account the guidelines listed below:

• Food should be simple and inexpensive, with a target budget of $100 per event, or about $4/attendee (if more than 25 attendees).

• Food should also be easy to transport, and ideally not too much work!

• Food should be hypoallergenic and take into account various dietary restrictions.

  • It goes without saying, but please make sure everything is vegan!

  • The main should be gluten- and nut-free, or have a gluten- and nut-free option

  • Low salt and oil is preferred

• Provide complete recipe labels for all dishes.

• Coordinate with the host if the use of their kitchen is needed for food prep during or prior to the event.

  • Ensure they have the supplies and appliances you need for the food you'll be preparing or reheating

  • Ensure they have space in the refrigerator/freezer for any perishables

• Set up an efficient “food station” that allows people to easy grab a plate, silverware, and food while moving through a line.

The goal of the announcements portion of an event is to inspire enthusiasm for the campaign by sharing exciting progress, to give shoutouts to those going above and beyond in their contributions, and to call the community to action based on the immediate needs of the campaign. This all falls under the responsibility of the event MC, with more detailed responsibilities listed below:

• Prepare the announcements ahead of time, including all necessary numbers and metrics.

• Get the group to quiet down for announcements (“Hello, hi” - “Hi, hello”).

• Keep track of the time so you can begin announcements during the time frame specified in the event invite & promotional messages.

• Make announcements.

  • Share updates on key campaign statistics.

    • Number of signatures reached

    • Percent to signature goal and pacing

    • Other core goals and progress toward OKRs

  • Invite shoutouts to other campaign members in the group. Start with your own shoutout(s). These can include:

    • Community members who are going above and beyond

    • People excelling in their roles or at canvassing

    • People who recently made creative contributions other than canvassing

    • Celebrate the contributions of anyone leaving / moving away

  • Explain each role for the social, shout out the community members filling them, and invite people to volunteer to fill those roles for the next event.

  • Include a Call to Action.

    • Discuss what the campaign needs most right now, and how people can directly contribute (be as specific as possible!).

• Get people excited to sign up for shifts!

  • Ask people to take out their phones and sign up right then and there

  • Start passing around a laptop/tablet during announcements to get people signed up for canvassing shifts

• Kick off any other programming or breakout groups.

1. Guiding Activists through the Ladder of Engagement

Each activist steward will have an assigned set of activists that they’ll help to move through the ladder of engagement. The goal of the activist steward is to invite people to get more involved in the campaign over time, to begin to identify with the work, and to engage in the campaign more deeply.

1. New Canvasser Onboarding

Once someone fills out the volunteer interest form, we want to do everything we can to encourage their involvement. Activist stewards are responsible for outreach to new campaigners, as having a connection with someone ahead of time will help them to feel a part of the group and more comfortable signing up for their first shift.

1. Building Relationships with Campaigners

Grassroots movements such as ours rely on a group of dedicated activists. Offering canvassers a consistent sense of connection helps create a feeling of belonging and shared commitment to the campaign. When people feel connected to others around a shared goal, they are more likely to remain engaged over the long term. The activist steward should spend time getting to know all canvassers assigned to them, staying in contact, and encouraging them to participate in campaigning and social events.

1. Updating Activist Profiles & Notes in Action Builder

In order to track activists’ progression through the ladder of engagement, you’ll need to keep their profiles up to date in Action Builder. Important notes from your conversations with campaigners should also be logged so that other organizers are aware, as well as any recent outreach so we can avoid repetitive messaging.

1. Encouraging Growth

As the person guiding activists through the levels of engagement, it’s important to encourage individuals to grow within the campaign. If anyone is interested in taking on additional responsibilities or leadership, an activist steward should help connect them with the opportunity to do so.

The following principles of Relational Organizing should guide you as you engage in the Activist Steward role:

1. Relationships are the building block of the organization. Research has shown that the single greatest factor in determining whether someone will get involved and stay involved in a social movement is whether they have friends in the movement. The steward’s job is to ensure every person who gets involved makes friends in our community so they can sustain over the long term.

2. Take a genuine interest in people. Relational organizers face a paradox. We’re trying to organize people to build a powerful social movement. However, if people feel that we’re only interested in them as pawns in our strategy, their motivation will fall apart. The solution is this: to succeed as an activist steward, you need to take a genuine interest in the people you are organizing. You have to connect with the part of you that genuinely wants to get to know them and see them grow as individuals through their participation in the movement.

3. Communicate often, and not always about the campaign. If every message you send someone has an ask, they’ll get tired of hearing from you. Make sure some of your conversations with your activists are mainly social. Ask lots of questions to keep the conversation going. It’s a good idea for your first message to a new activist to focus on starting a relationship. For instance, ask about their “animal rights story” or how they became interested in activism.

Showing up to an event where you don't know many (or any!) people can be intimidating. The greeter's primary goal is to make all guests feel welcome, particularly those who are new to the community. The responsibilities of the greeter are as follows:

• Welcome community members as they come through the door.

  • Stand by the door towards the beginning of the event

  • As the event goes on, try to notice new people that arrive and welcome them (introduce yourself if they are new)

• Have name tags and Sharpies ready by the door for people to put on as they enter (the organizer will provide these). Name tags make the event more accessible to newer people, and help create an environment of belonging even for those who don’t know anyone.

  • Ask people to fill them out & put them on as they enter

• Give extra time and attention to people who are new to the community to help them feel welcome and comfortable.

  • Ask attendees if this is their first campaign social event

  • If so, spend some extra time connecting with them

  • Introduce them to another community member you think they might connect with

• Be vigilant in helping others connect throughout the event. If you see any attendees who are alone or having a hard time connecting with others, talk to them, introduce them to others, or invite them into existing conversations.

• Remind people to take photos at the event! Kick things off by taking a few yourself.

Some campaign socials may include a 20-30 minute teach-in by a community member or organizer. This is a great way to collectively elevate our skills, to ensure we are taking the time to learn from each other, and to implement best practices. The trainer's responsibilities are as follows:

• Agree on a training topic with the organizer.

  This can be something you feel you excel at, something you recently learned, or a skill or practice you feel knowledgeable about (e.g. canvassing best practices, outreach messaging, recruiting volunteers, leveraging social media, etc.)

• Prepare and practice your teach-in before the event.

  As this will be shared with the larger group, you'll want to make sure you're prepared!

• Be sure to include audience participation in your teach-in! It shouldn’t just be a lecture.

  Ask the audience questions or include activities.

• Send an outline of your training to the organizer.

  Share this with the organizer at least two days before the event. This gives them a chance to review the material and provide feedback.

• Bring any materials you need to execute your workshop/training.

  For example, if you plan to have attendees write down their thoughts on a particular topic, make sure to bring pens and paper.

• Deliver your workshop at an agreed-upon time during the event. This is typically following announcements.

The shift captain’s role is to support, guide, and coordinate other canvassers during shifts. The shift captain hosts shifts by providing materials, orienting new volunteers, and briefing/debriefing the group.

If you are interested in stepping up to an organizer-level role and taking on the responsibilities of a shift captain, please reach out to Brent for more information and an introductory call!

Here are the articles in this section:

As an activist steward, your role is to connect with a set of individual volunteers we'll assign to you. Your main goal? Keep them involved in the campaign. You'll be their first point of contact for any questions they have or resources they need. It's all about building relationships with your activists, and making them feel comfortable and confident about their part in the campaign.

If you are interested in stepping up to an organizer-level role and taking on the responsibilities of an activist steward, please reach out to Brent for more information and an introductory call!

Here are the articles in this section:

Completing work tasks at social events can help fulfill key campaign priorities by breaking up tasks among a large group of people. The workstation director is responsible for facilitating these work tasks, as detailed in the responsibilities listed below:

• Work with the organizer to select a work task prior to the event. Here are some .

• Coordinate with the organizer to ensure all necessary materials are brought to the event based on the agreed-upon work focus. Here is a of the items needed for various work tasks.

• Break up work tasks into small steps and plan to assign people to each step for efficiency (e.g. a group to staple petition packets, a group to number them, etc.).

• Set up workstations as needed.

  • Set up all necessary materials on tables/surfaces

  • Make sure there are chairs at the workstation (if available)

• Distribute tasks among those looking to help.

• Patiently provide clear instructions on how to complete each task.

  • Make sure to welcome any questions so we can avoid mistakes

  • Demonstrate the task if appropriate

• Perform quality assurance checks.

  • Visit each station to make sure each task is being completed correctly and well

  • Gently correct any mistakes, and confirm the rest of that station’s group knows to avoid further confusion

  • Jump in to help as needed!

• Balance socializing and working following the tips below.

Tips for Balancing Socializing & Working

It is important to ensure you are striking a balance between socializing and working so that people don’t feel put off by what is being asked of them.

• Set up workstations and let people offer to help!

  • Allow work tasks to be completed on a voluntary basis. You would be surprised by how many people are looking to help, or looking to keep busy during the freeform section of the event

• Keep the tasks relatively basic and repetitive. This will allow for people to chat and socialize while completing the work.

• Set up workstations in a way where socializing is easy. This could be around a large table, creating a circle of chairs, or placing the materials in a central location where people can work and not be isolated from the rest of the party.

• Try to rotate out people where possible so the same group isn’t working for most of the event.

Once someone expresses interest in participating and fills out the interest form, the next step is to help them get involved in the campaign. The activist steward should reach out to the potential canvasser soon after they have completed the form in order to provide them with a connection within the campaign and encourage them to attend an upcoming shift or social event. It is especially important to form a connection with newer campaigners in order to help them feel more comfortable getting involved.

The process for onboarding new canvassers is as follows:

1. Initial Contact: Potential canvassers reach out to us to express interest in helping with the campaign, or we contact them to see if they’d like to contribute.

2. Volunteer Interest Form: We send the Volunteer Interest Form for them to fill out. This needs to be completed before they can begin canvassing.

3. Share Resources: Once they’ve filled out the form, direct them to the Pro Animal Colorado main page. Here, they can find everything they need to get started including petitioning instructions, canvassing talking points, the link to join our Slack channel, and the orientation video.

   • **Note: Don’t just send them the link and expect them to take it from there, though! Walk them through each of the following steps.

4. Join Slack: Invite the campaigner to join our Pro Animal Future Slack channel. They’ll want to begin with the #welcome-start-here channel, and can opt into any other channels they’d like to join.

5. Orientation Call or Video: The volunteer interest form contains links to either watch an orientation video or schedule a call with an organizer. If this is not completed within a week or two of filling out the interest form, reach out with a gentle reminder on how to get started.

6. Sign Up for First Shift: People who complete the interest form will likely need some encouragement to sign up for their first shift. We find that specific personal invites work well! That is, inviting them to a specific shift at a time they said they’d be available to volunteer. Make sure to let them know that an organizer will be there to help them get started with their first shift.

7. Attend First Shift & Onboarding: The activist shows up to their first shift and is onboarded. They will receive resources and tips on how to begin canvassing, and will shadow the shift captain or an experienced volunteer.

8. Attend Second Shift: The activist attends a second shift after their initial canvassing shift. This is an equally important milestone as attending their first shift, as it shows that they plan to continue participating in the campaign.

Table of Contents

Organizer FAQs

Tips for Running Your Shift

Tips for Creating a Sense of Community for Volunteers

Organizer FAQs

If a volunteer comes to a shift but hasn’t filled out the interest form, can they still participate?

Volunteers need to complete the interest form and agree to the code of conduct before they begin canvassing. You can direct them to the link and have them complete it before they get started – it only takes a couple minutes.

What should canvassers do with completed petition packets?

Canvassers should keep their completed petition packets and let Brent or Sage know so they can arrange to collect them. Completed petitions can also be notarized and collected at social events. Canvassers should not fill out the notary form on the last page of the packet until it has been collected.

What is the average rate of signatures per hour, in case anyone asks or is looking for a rough goal?

Experienced canvassers average around 22 signatures per hour.

Can people who say they will be registered to vote soon still sign?

No, people need to be registered at the time of signature. Let them know we’ll be petitioning through October and they can find us another time.

What should I do if approached by a reporter? Can I answer their questions about the campaign?

Avoid answering any questions from reporters and instead direct them to the website, where they can find additional information and contact our team.

Tips for Running Your Shift

• Ask questions. Check in with the volunteers you are working with and listen to them. Report back to the team on anything we could be doing to better support volunteers.

• Remind first-timers not to worry about how many signatures they get, and just focus on getting comfortable with asking people to sign.

• Remind volunteers that people need to be actively approached for signatures - most people will not stop and engage on their own.

• We have to operate under the assumption that people from the animal agriculture industry will be trying to gather information on our campaign. If petitioners violate the rules (found in the petition packet), they could receive a fine.

• Get lots of photos throughout the event!

Tips for Creating a Sense of Community for Volunteers

• Pull volunteer phone numbers from Action Builder and start a group text before your shift!

• See if anyone wants to meet up before or after a shift for coffee, a bite to eat, etc.

• Message volunteers you have previously worked with to recruit for future shifts.

• Take group photos! Be sure to upload these to our Dropbox, and maybe share afterwards via a group text or Slack

• Share wins in Slack! You can do this in the #canvass-shifts or #campaign-general channels. Here are some ideas:

  • Share a group photo

  • Share the group’s overall signature count

  • Give a shoutout if someone got a large number of signatures

  • Shoutout a new volunteer after their first shift

Table of Contents

What to Bring to Your Shift

Running Your Shift

What to Bring to Your Shift

If you need materials, reach out to Brent to coordinate!

• A-frame sign

• Kits for new canvassers – be sure to have some extras on hand, just in case someone brings friends along!

  • Two clipboards (one for each petition packet)

  • Each of the two petition packets (fur and slaughterhouse) for every new petitioner

• Extra petition packets in case anyone has filled theirs

• Extra clipboards

• Canvassing Quick Guides for new volunteers

• Many extra pens (we will provide you a box of pens when you start hosting shifts)

• Supplies for volunteers – Pro-Animal Future will provide these for you

  • Sunscreen

  • Snacks

  • Water

• Volunteer Contacts – be sure to add these to your phone! This will allow you to easily update volunteers in the event of any changes, as not all volunteers are active on Slack. Use Action Builder to find the volunteers on your shift and save their phone numbers.

• Scrap paper for notes and tallying signature counts

Running Your Shift

Start of Shift

• Arrive first at the designated meeting location to welcome shift participants

• Make sure canvasser petitions are folded to the signature page and clipped there to protect the pages and staples

• Provide campaign updates – these can be found in the #campaign-general channel in Slack!

  • Share the number of total signatures achieved

  • Share the percent to our total goal

• Briefing

  • Discuss plan for the shift: distribution across the event, meeting location and time for post-shift debriefing, share where you’ll be standing if anyone has questions

  • Reminders:

    • QR code on the signs links to the PAF website for anyone looking for more information

    • Ask for contact information for anyone who has been inside Superior Farms

    • Talk to anyone who is super supportive of the campaign about volunteering with us, and try to get them to fill out the volunteer form

  • Ask if there are any questions before getting started

  • (Optional but encouraged) Have canvassers set a group goal around the number of signatures they’d like to reach during the shift

• Pass out resources

  • New Volunteer Kits: Clipboards, both petition packets

  • PAF-provided volunteer resources: Sunscreen, water bottles, snacks

  • Check in to see if anyone needs new petition packets

• Provide orientation to new volunteers

  • Provide some basic talking points and the Canvassing Quick Guide

  • Consider some brief role-playing to allow them to practice asking for signatures

  • Offer to let them shadow you or another seasoned volunteer

  • Stay close by for their first shift in case they have questions or need help

  • Remind them not to worry about how many signatures they get their first time, and to just focus on getting comfortable!

During Shift

• Check in with newer volunteers

  • How are you doing? Do you need any help?

  • Have you gotten any questions you don’t know how to answer?

• Step in to help as needed

  • If you hear anyone struggling or unable to answer a question

  • If someone provides wrong information, let them know after their interaction for next time

• Be available to answer volunteer questions

• Provide additional resources as needed

• Take photos of the campaign in action!

  • Visible A-frame sign or clipboards

  • Visible faces

  • Action shots of people signing petitions

End of Shift

• Meet at designated location

• Debriefing Questions

  • How did it go? What did you notice?

  • What was your favorite interaction today?

    • What did you learn from it?

  • What was your least favorite interaction today?

    • What did you learn from it?

  • What are some other things you learned today? Any insights to share with the group?

• Take time to provide feedback to volunteers to help them improve and become more confident

• Reminder to complete the post-petitioning report form – found using QR code on clipboards underneath packets

• Consider getting a group signature tally from the shift

• Take a group photo and post to Slack and Dropbox

You should perform these tasks for all the activists in your assignment using Action Builder.

**Note: Use the filter panel to search by Info > Activist Steward > [Your Name] to show only your activists. Find more detailed instructions here.

• Update volunteer engagement assessments from the past week, upgrading and downgrading ratings as needed

• For anyone marked ‘1’:

  • Reach out to encourage them to sign up for their first shift, or attend an upcoming community event

• For anyone marked ‘2’:

  • If they attended their first shift in the past week, reach out to see how it went, how they’re feeling about canvassing, and if they have any concerns

  • If they did not sign up for or attend a shift over the past week, reach out to personally invite them to an upcoming shift

  • In either case, personally invite them to an upcoming community event

• For anyone marked ‘3’:

  • If they haven’t attended any shifts or events in the past ~2 weeks, message them an invitation to a specific shift or community event.

• Reach out to anyone that doesn’t fall under any of the above categories just to check in and see how they’re doing. It’s key to maintain a relationship with all volunteers assigned to you

  • Even if they are canvassing and attending events, just say hi! Ask them how they’re doing. You don’t need to say anything about the campaign, just deepen your personal connection.

Table of Contents

Tips & Things to Remember

Quick Links

Tips & Things to Remember

Onboarding

• Advise people to download the Slack app on their computer and/or phone. Direct them to begin with the #welcome-start-here channel.

  • Downloading the Slack app is recommended.

  • Some channels are optional and must be opted into.

• Read through each volunteer’s interest form responses to get a better understanding of the way they see themselves being involved in the campaign, as well as any particular needs, challenges, interests, etc. These details can help to create effective outreach that is more specific to each volunteer, and to ensure everyone is involved in a way that feels good to them.

• Let the new volunteer know that the Volunteer Sign-Up sheet will be updated regularly. They will receive their petition materials and orientation when they arrive at their first shift.

• If they are unable to make the available times and locations, let them know we can adjust shift times or schedule new ones depending on their availability and needs. Make sure to communicate this to a shift captain or leader so that we can accommodate them.

• If they’re nervous to get started, remind them of the resources available (Canvassing Guide, Instructions for Petitioning, etc.), and encourage them to practice and get comfortable.

Outreach & Relationship-Building

• This is a relationship-based role with a focus on getting to know each volunteer assigned to you and maintaining a relationship with them in order to help them feel comfortable and engaged.

• Try to find the balance between checking in too much and too little. A weekly check-in message to each volunteer assigned to you is recommended.

• Make sure you are taking notes in Action Builder to keep track of where each volunteer is at, including concerns or schedule updates that may be relevant to their canvassing participation.

  • Note upcoming vacation(s) or periods of time they will be unavailable, concerns around their experience, what they are looking for out of their participation, or any other notable responses that are worth logging for future reference.

• It would be great to use social events as an opportunity to check in with your assigned people. If they show up to an event, make sure to help them feel welcome and provide encouragement for their participation so far.

• If anyone is interested in taking on more responsibility or leadership, help connect them with the opportunity to do so.

Quick Links

• Contact Info for Brent Johannes, Campaign Lead

  • brent@paxfauna.org

  • Brent can also be reached via our Pro-Animal Slack channel

  • You can reach out to Brent to request additional resources, for assistance in creating shifts, or any campaign-related questions.

• Action Builder

• Pro-Animal Colorado Main Page - also found on via the QR code on petition clipboards

  • Shift Sign-Up Page

  • Volunteer Interest Form

  • Upload Campaign Photos

  • Post-Shift Report Form

  • Canvassing Guide

• Canvassing Quick Guide

• Instructions for Petitioning

• Pro-Animal FAQ Page

There should be at least two people in this role. The responsibilities of the cleanup crew are as follows:

• Clean and tidy up the kitchen following dinner.

  • Collect dirty dishes from around the space

  • Load up dishwasher (if applicable), wash and dry dishes and pans used for cooking

  • Wipe down surfaces, stovetop, and sink

• Clean the bathroom at the end of the event.

  • Spray and wipe down surfaces

  • Clean the toilet

  • Wipe down floors as needed

• Tidy up the common spaces where people were hanging out and/or eating.

  • Move furniture or items back or original locations (if applicable)

  • Wipe down surfaces

  • Quick sweep as needed

• Check in with the host to see if anything else needs to be done.

Table of Contents

Possible Event Schedules

Announcements & Programming

Completing Work Tasks

Possible Event Schedules

This section includes some examples of schedules that can be used for different flavors of social events based on the maturity of campaign as well as immediate goals.

Social-Focused Schedule

This schedule prioritizes creating connections and helping canvassers feel less isolated. Announcements and a breakout session are done early on to break the ice.

• 5:30-6:00 Event starts, people arrive & socialize.

• 6:00-6:20 Announcements & frame breakout sessions.

• 6:20-6:30 Take a break to serve dinner.

• 6:30-7:15 Breakout sessions.

• 7:15-7:30 Whole group debrief: breakout groups can share stories with the whole group.

• 7:30-8:30 Casual socializing.

Work Party-Focused Schedule

For a social event centered around getting work done, the work itself can be a great icebreaker.

• 5:30-6:45 Kick off work tasks. As people arrive, they are sent directly to a workstation if they're interested in helping. Structure the station and tasks so that socializing is easy.

• 6:45-7:00 Take a break to serve dinner.

• 7:00-7:15 Announcements.

• 7:15-8:30 Open socializing & continue work. Many people will be eager to continue working and that should be encouraged.

Training-Focused Schedule

As the campaign and community matures, you are encouraged to introduce a training element into the social events. To protect the core goal of building community, trainings and teach-ins should not last more than 20-30 minutes.

• 5:30-6:15 Event starts, people arrive & socialize.

• 6:15-6:30 Icebreaker activity in groups (optional).

• 6:30-7:00 Break to serve dinner.

• 7:00-7:10 Announcements.

• 7:10-7:30 Training/teach-in.

• 7:30-8:30 Casual socializing.

Announcements & Programming

Announcements

The goal of this portion of the event is to inspire enthusiasm for the campaign by sharing exciting progress, showing recognition through shoutouts, and getting people fired up to contribute to the campaign’s goals. Announcements should include:

• Provide updates on key campaign statistics

  • Number of signatures reached

  • Percent to signature goal and pacing

  • Other core goals and progress toward OKRs

• Invite shoutouts to other campaign members in the group. Start with your own shoutout(s)

  • Community members who are going above and beyond

  • People excelling in their roles or at canvassing

  • People who recently made creative contributions other than canvassing

  • Celebrate the contributions of anyone leaving or moving away

• Explain each role for the social, shout out the community members filling them, and invite people to volunteer to fill them for next time. Ask people to raise their hands to indicate interest in helping

• Call to Action

  • What the campaign needs most right now, and how people can directly contribute (be as specific as possible!)

• Get people excited to sign up for shifts! Ask people to take out their phones and sign up right then and there

• Once you’re done with announcements, take your laptop around the room soliciting people to sign up to shifts

Programming & Breakout Sessions

Breakout groups can be helpful both in fostering connections between community members, and for the sharing of ideas as it relates to the campaign. Here are some recommendations for how to run these breakout sessions:

• Start breakout groups earlier in the event, as this helps to break the ice and form connections among attendees (~30 minutes to an hour after the event starts).

• Instruct people to break into small groups of 3-4, rather than larger groups that don’t allow people to talk or connect as much.

• Provide specific prompts for people to discuss.

  • ~4 prompts is good. We want to spark lively discussion and allow enough time for people to discuss each topic and share their ideas

• Prompt ideas include:

  • Inspiring stories while petitioning

  • Frustrating stories while petitioning

  • Things you are struggling with or need advice on

  • Things you learned (what worked, what didn’t)

• Spend about 20-45 minutes in breakout group discussions before bringing things back to the larger group. Play the timing by ear: if most groups are still enthusiastically sharing, you can extend it.

• See if each small group is willing to share one idea, learning, or piece of advice that could benefit the larger group.

• It may be helpful to create a shared document that people can add tips to. This can be pinned in Slack and promoted so that people use it as they continue campaigning.

  • Capture any key learnings from this discussion and add them to the document

Completing Work Tasks

Leveraging social events to accomplish time-consuming, repetitive tasks can help prevent these tasks from occupying too much of organizers’ time, allowing them to fulfill other crucial functions of the campaign. When we break large-scale tasks up among many people, it can save a lot of time!

• As mentioned in the Event Roles section, the role of Workstation Director can be delegated.

  • This should be assigned to someone who is well-versed in the tasks you are asking them to direct in order to ensure quality control

• If the role is delegated, coordinate with the assigned Workstation Director to select a work task for the event based on the campaign’s current priorities.

• There are some ideas for work event tasks later in this section

• If delegated, coordinate with the Workstation Director to let them know what materials you’ll be bringing based on the agreed upon work focus

  • Here is a checklist of the items needed for various work tasks

Tips for Balancing Socializing & Working

It is important to ensure you are striking a balance between socializing and working so that people don’t feel put off by what is being asked of them.

• Set up workstations and let people offer to help!

  • Allow work tasks to be completed on a voluntary basis. You would be surprised by how many people are looking to help, or looking to keep busy during the freeform section of the event

• Keep the tasks relatively basic and repetitive. This will allow for people to chat and socialize while completing the work

• Try to rotate out people where possible so the same group isn’t working for most of the event

Ideas for Work Event Tasks

• Creating petitioner kits

  • Stapling petition packets

  • Numbering petitions

  • Laminating petitioning sheets (for backs of clipboards)

  • Putting new petitioner clipboards together

• Deep canvassing & promotional tasks

  • Text banking

  • Making buttons & stickers

  • Folding leaflets

  • Cutting out spray paint stencils

General Supplies Checklist

• Name tags

• Sharpies

• Extra plates

• Extra silverware

• Laptop and/or tablet (for Zoom participants and shift sign-ups)

  • Even if the Zoom Coordinator (or someone else) is bringing one, it's good to have a backup

Work Supplies Checklist

Make sure the appropriate supplies are brought to the event based on the work task you’re looking to accomplish. It’s a good idea to set a goal for what you’d like to get accomplished at the event so you can bring the appropriate quantities (bring extras, just in case!).

Petitioner Kits:

• Petition packets

• Pens

• Staplers

• Staples

• Manuscript covers

• Clipboards

• Printed posters

• Tape

• Laminator

• Laminator sheets

Buttons:

• Button maker

• Printed button sheets

• Protractor blade

• Button covers

• Button pin backings

• Mylar sheets

Deep Canvassing Items:

• Phone number lists (for text banking)

• Printed leaflets to fold

• Rulers

• Stencil paper

The following sections describe how to search and filter results within Action Builder, as well as how to update activist profiles including engagement ratings and notes so we can keep track of outreach and participation.

Getting Started with Action Builder:

1. Navigate to Action Builder and log in.

   • If this is your first time logging in, reach out to Aidan to give you access.

2. The ‘Wall Chart’ tab on the home page displays everyone who has completed the volunteer interest form, as well as their engagement rating (called an “assessment” in Action Builder), which is displayed to the left of their name.

3. To find a campaigner’s profile to update their assessment, you can easily search by name using the steps in the next section.

4. You can also filter your results using various criteria such as assessment rating, contact info, and last updated date.

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Searching & Filtering

Updating Activist Profiles

It’s important to update engagement assessments and take notes in Action Builder to keep track of where each campaigner is at. Notes should include concerns and schedule updates that may be relevant to canvassing participation. You should add notes for any recent outreach, upcoming vacation(s) or periods of time they will be unavailable, concerns around their experience, what they are looking for out of their participation, or any other notable responses that are worth logging for future reference.

Table of Contents

Updating Engagement Assessments

Outreach & Notes

Updating Engagement Assessments

1. From the main results page, click the down caret to the right of a campaigner’s name and select ‘New Assessment’.

1. Alternatively, you can click into someone’s profile and select ‘Update Assessment’ from there.

2. Assign them a new engagement assessment based on their current level of engagement.

Outreach & Notes

1. From the filtered list of activist names, select the individual you’d like to reach out to, and take note of their contact preferences.

1. Be sure to check for any recent updates or notes before sending a message to see if anyone has logged anything important to know about this individual.

   • You can find existing notes by clicking into an activist’s profile and either scrolling down to their activity feed at the bottom of the page.

   • If another organizer has reached out to this individual in the past week, hold off your outreach in order to avoid overwhelming them.

1. Reach out via the preferred mode of contact noted in their profile.

2. Log the outreach as a ‘Note’ so that other organizers can see that someone has been in touch and what was discussed, so we can avoid over-messaging.

   • To do this, you’ll click ‘+ Add Note’ at the top of the activity feed section of their profile.

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Searching By Name

1. To search for a campaigner by name, select the magnifying glass icon in the upper right-hand corner of Action Builder.

2. When the ‘Search Entities’ box appears, enter the first and/or last name of the person you’re searching for.

1. Your results will appear in a dropdown as you type the first or last name, from which you can select the person you’re looking for. This will take you to their volunteer profile.

Searching By Filter Criteria

1. To search for a campaigner using criteria other than name, use the ‘Filter Results’ panel to the right.

1. Scroll down to the section with your preferred search criteria, and select the down caret to the right to drop down the fields and enter in your criteria.

   • Assessment: Filter results to show anyone marked with a specific assessment rating (e.g. everyone with a ‘2’ rating).

   • Info: This filter can be used to select a variety of information. You can use this filter to show anyone assigned to you as an activist steward, filter by preferred contact preferences or shift times, etc.

   • Follow Up: Filter results to show anyone who you have followed up with or who has received a follow up in general.

   • Contact Info: Filter results to show profiles that contain certain contact info (phone number, email, address, etc.), or that are missing this information.

   • Last Updated: Filter results to show profiles that have been updated, or have not been updated within a specified time frame.

   • Location: Filter results to include only canvassers located in a certain location (e.g. filter to include only residents of Denver).

2. Click on ‘Run Query’ at the top of the panel.

Filtering Your Activists

This section describes how to apply a filter to show only the activists assigned to you as an Activist Steward.

1. Apply filters using the right-hand table labeled ‘Filter Results’.

1. In the filter panel, select the down caret next to ‘Info’.

2. Click to open the dropdown menu next to ‘Include’.

1. Search for and select your name.

2. Click on ‘Run Query’ at the top of the panel to run your search.

1. Your results will display only activists who are assigned to you as their Activist Steward.

Filtering By Engagement Assessment

This section describes how to apply a filter to show activists assigned a particular engagement assessment. This can be used with the Activist Steward filter above in order to make outreach easier by targeting specific engagement levels.

1. Apply filters using the right-hand table labeled ‘Filter Results’

1. Under ‘Assessment’, select an engagement rating (1-5) to filter your results.

1. Click on ‘Run Query’ at the top of the panel to run your search.

1. Your results will display only activists assigned that particular engagement rating (e.g. only activists rated as a ‘1’).

**Note: Do not use ‘Quick Apply’ to make updates to activist profiles, as these updates will be applied in bulk to all campaigners in our system. For example, if you select ‘Quick Apply’ > ‘Add Assessment’, the selected engagement score will be applied to ALL activists.

Our goal is not only to get more people involved in the campaign, but to encourage greater involvement from those currently contributing. This section provides an overview of the scale we use to track engagement, and what we should be doing for activists at each stage in order to move them up the ladder and help them to deepen their connection to the campaign.

Engagement Assessments & Actions:

In order to track engagement levels, each activist is assigned a number in . Below is a guide to the number ratings used in Action Builder to identify the level of campaign participation of each individual, and the actions needed to engage activists at each stage:

– No Assessment

This person has completed the volunteer interest form and been entered into our system, but no actions have been taken, and they have not yet been contacted.

• ACTION: Get in contact with this person to start building a relationship, get them informed on the campaign, and share next steps to get started. Mark them as a ‘1’ once we reach out, and mark the name of their Activist Steward in their profile.

1 – Prospect

This person has been contacted and assigned to an Activist Steward. They have not yet attended their first shift.

• ACTION: Reach out to encourage this person to sign up for their first shift or come to a community event. Mark them as a ‘2’ once they attend their first shift.

2 – Recruit

This person has signed up for and attended at least their first shift.

• ACTION: Stay in touch with this person, ask them how their first shift went and encourage them to sign up for another shift. Mark them as a ‘3’ once they begin attending regular shifts.

3 – Community Member

This person regularly attends shifts and community events. This is the ideal stage that we would like to get our campaigners to.

4 – Organizer

This person has taken on leadership responsibilities within the campaign, such as a role as an Activist Steward or Shift Captain.

• ACTION: Rely on each other for support! Ask questions about what’s working well for other organizers, and offer your own strategies, wins, and learnings in the #organizers Slack channel.

5 – Staff

This person is a staff member at Pax Fauna and has additional responsibilities within the campaign.

• ACTION: These are the people you can come to with any questions or concerns, or when decisions about the campaign need to be made.

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Onboarding

If someone expresses interest in taking on additional responsibilities within the campaign as an organizer, you’ll need to help them get situated in their new role.

• Send them the to review at their own pace. Ask them to reach out once they’ve finished looking it through, and you can set up an onboarding call.

• Schedule an onboarding call with the new organizer.

  • Discuss the role and what it entails – primary responsibilities, expectations, what it will look like on a weekly basis, etc.

  • Ask them if any questions came up while reading through the , or if they have any questions or concerns about the role in general.

  • Discuss how much time per week they feel they’re able to dedicate this role, and how many activists they feel they can take on.

  • Offer to do a tutorial on depending on their level of comfort.

• Discuss next steps in getting them started.

  • Let them know you’ll be sending them the to sign, and provide a brief overview of what it is and why it’s needed.

  • Give them a heads up that you’re going to begin assigning them activists in Action Builder.

• Send them the to sign.

• Add them to your organizer-specific Slack channel.

Assigning Activists

Once the new organizer has been onboarded, you can begin assigning them activists in Action Builder.

• • Select the down caret next to any activist’s name > Select ‘+’ button next to Activist Steward > Click ‘Create New Response > Enter the organizer’s name

• • Search activist name > Select down caret to the right of their name > Select ‘+’ button next to Activist Steward > Select a response (organizer’s name) from the dropdown

• Send the Activist Steward a message letting them know each time you assign them a new person.

Maintaining Engagement

While organizers are responsible for helping to keep volunteers engaged with the campaign, part of your role is keeping the organizers engaged in their leadership role.

• Check in with newer activist stewards to see how they are doing in the leadership role, and if there is any support you can provide.

  • Specifically ask them how they’re doing with Action Builder, and if they need a quick overview or refresher.

• Check in with activist stewards who don’t seem to be updating outreach notes in Action Builder, and see if they’ve been performing their weekly outreach.

  • See if they’re still comfortable with their level of involvement.
• Reach out to all other activist stewards, even ones with consistent participation, just to see how they’re doing and how you can support. We want to be careful to avoid burnout!

• Send occasional reminders in your organizers Slack channel to perform outreach and update activist profiles (especially when we have a lot of new activists in the pipeline!).

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Outreach to New Volunteers

Script A (For Canvassers New to the Movement)

Hi _____,

I'm_____, and I'm helping to organize the Pro-Animal Future ballot measure campaigns in Denver. I saw you filled out the volunteer interest form. Thanks for doing that!

How did you hear about the campaign? What inspired you to want to work on something like this?

**First, focus on dialogue and getting to know them. Then after some back-and-forth, start bringing them through the steps to get more involved:

As far as becoming a volunteer for the campaign, we have a few quick steps we still need from you: 1) Join our Slack channel so you can stay connected with the campaign. 2) Watch our short orientation video or schedule an orientation call with Brent. 3) Sign up for your first shift!

Here is the link to get you started:

We currently have some shifts posted for [insert shift times]. Would you be interested in signing up for one? There will be an organizer there who will give you your materials, get you started, and help you gain confidence canvassing.

Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to help.

Script B (For More Familiar Activists / People Involved in the Movement)

Outreach After First Shift

Hey ___! This is ___ with the Denver slaughterhouse/fur campaign. Just wanted to check in with you about your first canvassing experience with our campaign. How was it for you?! Do you think you’ll want to sign up for a second shift sometime? [Invite them to sign up for a specific upcoming shift, depending on response and noted availability]

Outreach For Volunteers Who Have Dropped Off

Hey ___! I noticed you haven’t signed up for a shift recently and just wanted to check in. Any concerns with the campaign or with your experiences canvassing? If there’s anything I can do to help make your involvement with the campaign a better experience, let me know! We have a [shift/social event] coming up soon on ____ – are you able to make it? We would love to see you there!

Crafting Your Own Outreach

Examples of check-in questions to engage community members

Introductory:

• What inspired you to get involved?

• How did you hear about the campaign?

• Have you been involved in activism before?

• What concerns do you have?

• How are you feeling about petitioning?

• What are your goals for your involvement in the campaign?

Further along in the process:

• How did your first canvassing experience go?

• Is there anything I could help you with to make it a better experience?

• Are there any obstacles you’re facing that are keeping you from meeting your goals?

• Are there any other areas of the campaign in which you’d like to get involved?

  • Writing Op-eds, cooking for social events, helping with social media, moving to an organizer role, etc.

1. Navigate to the .

2. If this is your first time signing in, select the green ‘Create your own signup sheet’ button in the upper-right corner:

1. On the next screen, select ‘Sign In’, and log in. If you have not received the login information, you can reach out to Brent directly via Slack or .

1. Under ‘My signup sheets’ select ‘Edit’ next to the ‘Pro-Animal Future Canvassing Shifts’ signup sheet:

1. Select the green ‘+’ button to add a row to the signup table , and fill out the necessary fields. **Note: Try to keep the rows in date order to make upcoming shifts easier to find!

• What: Shift location and meeting spot with a specific address

• When: Shift date, including a start and end time

• People needed: Using previous shifts at the same location as a frame of reference, add how many volunteers are needed for the shift

2. Recruit volunteers for your shift!

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Onboarding

If someone expresses interest in taking on additional responsibilities within the campaign as an organizer, you’ll need to help them get situated in their new role.

• Send them the to review at their own pace. Ask them to reach out once they’ve finished looking it through, and you can set up an onboarding call.

• Schedule an onboarding call with the new organizer.

  • Discuss the role and what it entails – primary responsibilities, expectations, what it will look like on a weekly basis, etc.

  • Ask them if any questions came up while reading through the , or if they have any questions or concerns about the role in general.

  • See if they are able to commit to a regular shift where a shift captain is needed (same time and location each week).

• Discuss next steps in getting them started.

  • Let them know you’ll be sending them the to sign, and provide a brief overview of what it is and why it’s needed.

  • Ask them to start signing up for shifts that they will be hosting.

• Send them the to sign.

• Add them to your organizer-specific Slack channel.

Scheduling

As the Shift Captain Coordinator, part of your role is to get shifts scheduled, and to ensure that each shift will be hosted by a shift captain.

• • Beyond the regularly scheduled shifts, it's good practice to add additional shifts to focus on (e.g. weekdays, different locations and events) in order to make sure we’re not oversaturating certain events, and to attract volunteers with differing availability.

• • Message your organizers’ Slack channel with this request.

• As you plan out shifts for the month, coordinate with existing shift captains to confirm their availability for their regular shift(s) as well as any others they want to take on.

  • Ask if they have any upcoming unavailability. If so, ask them to send a message in Slack to see if someone else can cover the shift.

  • Ensure these shifts either get filled or canceled if there is no one to host. Try reaching out to consistently involved shift captains to see if they can cover.

• Each week, review upcoming shifts to ensure there is a shift captain signed up.

• If any shifts are missing a host, coordinate with the shift captains to fill it.

  • Message your organizers Slack channel with the shifts that need to be filled.

  • Reach out to shift captains individually as needed.

Maintaining Engagement

While organizers are responsible for helping to keep volunteers engaged with the campaign, part of your role is keeping the organizers engaged in their leadership role and holding them accountable.

• Check in with newer shift captains to see how they are doing in the leadership role, and if there is any support you can provide.

• Check in with shift captains who haven’t hosted any recent shifts (last ~2 weeks or so).

  • See if they’re still comfortable with their level of involvement.

  • Confirm if there are other shifts that would work better for them, or if there are potential new shifts that may work for them to host.

  • Ask them if they’re available to host an upcoming shift.

• Message all other shift captains every few weeks to check in.

  • Confirm they are providing orientation to new volunteers.

  • Ask if they are still doing a briefing and de-brief at the beginning and end of their shifts.

  • If needed, remind them to take group photos during their shifts to share on Slack!

  • See how they're doing and how you can support. If someone is seeming burned out, maybe suggest that they take some time off.

Supplies & Resources

It’s important to ensure that shift captains are equipped with all the resources they need to host their shifts.

• Check in with shift captains who have upcoming shifts, but haven’t reached out for supplies in a while (~2-3 weeks) to ensure they have everything they need.

  • It may be helpful to keep a document to track outreach and who you provide supplies to.

Tips

• Make sure the cook(s) prepare extra food, as there will likely be more people that show up than are signed up via the RSVP link

• Our goal is to keep the budget to around $100/event, or about $4/attendee (if more than 25 attendees)

• Check in with the host to ensure they will have enough plates and silverware for your expected number of attendees (remember, 25% more than RSVP). If they won’t, bring extras or ensure the invite asks attendees to bring their own. Bring some backups just in case people forget

  • Try to avoid disposables, but they can be brought as a Plan B if needed

• Ask the cook to keep allergies and dietary restrictions in mind. The main should be gluten- and nut-free, or have a gluten- and nut-free option. Low salt and oil is preferred

Food Ideas

The rule of thumb for Pro-Animal Socials is to provide a main course (or several, if multiple cooks cook separately) of fresh, healthy food. The meal should be supplemented with ordered in bulk from Amazon, as these are inexpensive, filling, and easy to prepare. The PAF chapter in your city should provide hot dogs, with at least 1 hot dog per attendee. They can simply be sautéed in a pan with oil, or grilled.

For cost and ease, the main(s) will usually be some kind of stew or chili, though cooks are allowed to be more adventurous if they wish! Below are some ideas of other recipes and items to serve that fit our food guidelines:

Main Courses

• +

• &

Dessert

Easy Amazon Purchases

Source.

Purpose

This agenda is useful when assembling a group of people who do not already constitute a formal team to accomplish a task together. It can take as little as 10 minutes, or as long as 90 minutes, depending on how much time you have and the scope of the task you're trying to accomplish.

Principles

A few rules for the meeting before you jump in:

1. Privacy: Hold the briefing in a place where others cannot overhear it.

2. Presence: Begin only when all participants are present.

3. Faces: Members are identifiable to each other, and making eye contact.

4. Fast: Each step (below) takes no more than 20% of the total time allotted for the meeting.

5. Facilitator: One person is responsible for facilitating and keeping time.