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 Pro-Animal Future.

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.

Pro-Animal Future is a collective of voters, volunteers, and small donors building a political movement to end factory farming. We use grassroots campaigns to turn public support for animals into law.

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.

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.

Everyone is crew, and all crew members have the authority to appoint themselves Chief Problem Solver of whatever problem they see most urgently being neglected. Decisions are made by the people doing the work; staff positions exist to create and sustain this environment. We don't allow the collective to micromanage the doers, who can act freely within the limits of certain finite resources regardless of whether or not they are staff.

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.

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, spreading rumors, 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. Major events (such as regular socials hosted by a PAF chapter) are free of drugs and alcohol. Whether to allow alcohol at shifts and events hosted by individual community members is up to the discretion of the host.

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.

Reporting Process

Major organization-wide policies can be found beneath this header. These policies are created and amended through the governance process of the Mission Circle (aka Board of Directors).

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. Post that belong in a different channel, or should be a reply in-thread, may be deleted. Moderators will message you with a reminder to use threads to reply to other posts, and may delete reply posts that aren't in threads to keep the channels tidy.

4. 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. It is also OK to send an invitation to an event relating to another cause, even a controversial one, but please keep your message just to the invitation and minimize additional comments that could stir that controversy within our own Slack space. The following examples are an attempt to illustrate the difference:

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.

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 mention 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? (It will help to describe as many specific details as you can.)

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.

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.

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.

Use these instructions to create a personalized message. Once you've crafted your message, show it to a PAF organizer for feedback. Then, repeat that message on each postcard during the shift, adding the voter’s name and address. While this guide suggests research-based messages, it’s equally important for you to speak in your own voice.

Download Your Voter List via MiniVAN

MiniVAN (aka MiniVan Touch) is an app you’ll use to get addresses and track the voters you write postcards to.

2. Create an account if this is your first time using the app, or sign in.

3. Once you're logged in, find Menu > “Download a new list” > “Enter a List Number”, and enter the number below, separating the two parts into the two fields:

*This will download a unique list of voters onto your phone– the app ensures no two activists will write postcards to the same voters.

1. Once you download the list, choose an address under the “Household” tab. Fill the address onto your postcard, with the names of each voter in the household. (*Write one postcard per household, not per person.)

2. Choose the option "Sent postcard" for each household member in the MiniVAN app. Once you do, those voters won’t appear on anyone else’s list.

3. Complete your postcard!

Postcard Checklist

Make sure you complete the following for each postcard:

• Voter name(s) and address on the provided lines

• A greeting with their name(s) followed by your message (see example messages below)

• If you think the voter might prefer Spanish, attach a Spanish-language sticker

• Mark "Sent postcard" for each household member in MiniVAN

Crafting Your Message to Voters

Write a friendly, concise note that describes the initiative and why they should vote yes. Write neatly, but try to make it clear that your message really was written by hand — for instance, it might help if you occasionally spill over the gray margin. Color pens (anything other than black) are highly encouraged.

What to include:

1. Address all voters in the household by their first names.

Dear [Voter Name(s)],

1. Thank them for being an animal lovers and explain that you’re writing to your neighbors asking them to support a pro-animal measure in your city.

First of all, thank you for being someone who cares about animals! I’m writing my pro-animal neighbors about an initiative on the ballot this year.

I support these measures to ban fur and slaughterhouses in the city because...

• evolving away from factory farms is a step towards a more peaceful and sustainable future for all of us.

• if we listen to our sense of compassion, we know this measure is on the right side of history.

• whether or not we eat meat, we can all agree that factory farms have no place in our community.

1. Try to mention “the climate, our community and the animals.”

2. Direct them to the campaign website to learn more.

Check out our website to learn more and let us know whether the animals can count on your vote!

1. Sign off with your name.

2. Optionally, you can draw an arrow from the word "website" in your note to the QR code to make it easier to find.

Example Messages:

Hi [Voter Name(s)],

Thanks for caring about animals! I’m writing my neighbors in [your city] about an initiative on the ballot this year to [insert initiative details]. I'm voting YES because phasing out factory farming is critical for the climate, the workers, and the animals.

Check out the website to learn more. I hope I can count on your vote!

[Your First Name]

-or-

Hi [Voter Name(s)],

As a fellow animal lover, let's make a change together!

I'm volunteering on a campaign to [insert initiative details] here in [your city]. I hope you'll vote YES this November — animals deserve better!

Visit our website to learn more. Your support means the world!

Your neighbor,

[Your First Name]

-or-

Hi [Voter Name(s)],

Thanks for being someone who cares about animals! I'm writing to ask if you'll join me in voting YES to [insert initiative details] in [your city]. Whether or not we eat meat, we can all agree that factory farms are harmful to animals and the environment, and have no place in our community.

Visit our website to learn more. Your support means the world!

Your neighbor,

[Your First Name}

Tips for Success

• Write slowly and legibly! If the voter can’t read your handwriting, you wasted your time.

• Be aware that these may not actually be mailed until closer to the election. So, for instance, refer to “November” rather than “10 months from now”.

• If you live in the city where the campaign is taking place, you can mention which neighborhood.

Hosting a Postcard Writing Shift

If you are the host of a shift dedicated to writing postcards, you have just a few extra responsibilities:

• Provide postcards, pens, and a few blank sheets of scrap paper for people to draft their messages.

• Vet each activist’s message before they start mass-producing it to ensure it represents PAF positively.

• Collect all postcards at the end of the shift, store them in a safe location, and hand them off to your campaign coordinator in a timely manner.

What is an endorsement?

Endorsements are public expressions of support or approval, where individuals, organizations, and businesses publicly align themselves with the goals of a campaign.

How does this further our mission?

Endorsements are valuable for lending credibility to our campaign, expanding our reach, and building a network of allies to amplify our impact.

Here are the articles in this section:

• Table

• Tablecloth (plus clamps or weights to hold it down)

• Canopy tent or umbrella (optional)

• A-frame Sign

• Lemonade, hotdogs, or other giveaway

  • Cups, plates, serving equipment

• Vegan dog treats

• Voter handouts

• Postcards, pens, and a side table for people to write postcards to voters

• Pins and/or stickers to give away

• Bluetooth speaker with fun music playing

• A designated camera person with equipment to film conversations

• Optional: a screen with a slideshow of photos of PAF activism

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.

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.

• 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.

Main campaign posters:

Each file has 20 different designs.

Letter size: not recommended unless you do not have access to 11x17 printing

Other posters

Instructions

2. Press the poster to the surface, starting at the center and pressing out to the corners.

3. Apply a generous layer of adhesive over the top of the poster, focusing on the edges. As much as possible, use brushstrokes in only one direction (e.g. top to bottom).

If you're doing a door-to-door canvassing shift using MiniVAN, here's the list number you'll need:

Here's the field packet you might want to print and carry with you while canvassing:

Canvassing Dojo

Videos: Common Objections & Responses

Study these videos to prepare for some of the most common patters you'll encounter while talking to voters.

Videos: Full Conversations

Here are several videos of deep canvassing conversations you can review for practice:

Table of Contents

Introduction to LTEs and Op-Eds

There are two basic forms of opinion pieces: letters to the editor (LTEs) and Op-Eds. Here is a quick breakdown of each.

Pre-Writing Checklist

Here are a few key things to keep in mind before getting started on your piece.

• Decide what type of piece you're writing.
• Pick a timely topic.

  Most outlets only publish pieces that are relevant to the current news cycle. If you're responding to a specific story, be prepared to submit your piece ASAP — ideally just a few days after the original piece — while the topic is still relevant.

• Consider length.
• Choose a publication.

  Pick a target outlet that will be a good fit for the angle you’re taking, then think further about the specific audience you’ll be able to reach through that outlet and what you can convince those people to do. Keep this audience in mind as you write.

• Find your angle.

  Identify a unique perspective you could bring to the conversation, such as any specific expertise or community ties. Offer fresh insights or address potential counterarguments to your stance.

Templates & Examples

In order to help you get started, here are some basic templates for each type of opinion piece, as well as some great examples of published pieces to use as inspiration.

LTE Template

To the Editor:

Opener: Opening hook, followed by a reference to the article or recent news you’re responding to (i.e. With respect to the article “TITLE”). Support or refute the opinion or decision in question, and state your position.

Body: Explain your stance, including your ties to the issue and why you are speaking out. Add supporting details and explain why other people should care too. Use data, statistics, and/or illustrative examples to back up your claims.

Call to Action: Propose a solution and make a call to action. Clearly outline the urgency of the situation and what is at stake if no action is taken. Describe the possibility for change if we do act.

Conclusion: Recap your point and include specific information on how readers can get involved.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Op-Ed Template

Heading

Title

Date

Author / Credentials

Opener: Use a captivating opening to engage the reader. You could lay out a shocking visual or use a powerful story - there are many ways you can grab the reader’s attention. Establish the problem, and the ways in which it directly impacts the reader or their community. Lay out why this argument is timely and why the person reading should care right now.

Body: Over the next few paragraphs, present the problem and argue several supporting points. Use data and statistics to show your claims have merit, and cite powerful examples to bring your argument to life and evoke an emotional response from the reader. Then, provide some hope. Lay out your proposed solution and describe what the future could look like instead if we choose to combat the stated problem as a community. If there is a common counterargument, it may be useful to address and refute it here. You may also want to briefly describe who you are, what efforts you’re making, and why you’re in a position to share your opinion.

Conclusion: Describe what steps can or are being taken to address your points, or perhaps how you or others have already started working towards a solution. Include a memorable detail or story to leave readers with. Echo your opening statement and summarize your argument. Conclude with a call to action, compelling readers to be a part of this change and providing details on how.

Personal details: Most publications require a quick description of the author to add to the end of the piece, including why they are uniquely qualified to share their opinion. Maybe you know a lot about the topic, are part of a community that is impacted, etc. Many publications also require your headshot with submission.

Examples of Published Pieces

What is your connection to the individual or group?

Ideally, we want to leverage existing personal relationships in making these asks. If you have an individual or group in mind but aren’t personally associated with them, connect with your Campaign Lead to work together on the outreach.

How should you reach out?

Ideally, this conversation would happen in person or over the phone so you can discuss the details and build rapport. Avoid more impersonal outreach like email. This gives you the ability to have an open discussion about the campaign and immediately address any questions or hesitations.

What talking points should you use?

How can you personalize your outreach?

Think about how you can focus your conversation on what will matter most to that specific individual or group. For example, when speaking to an environmental organization, focusing on talking points centered around the environmental harms of fur farms and slaughterhouses will highlight how our causes are aligned.

What if they need more information?

Revision Checklist

Here’s a checklist of questions to run through as you edit your writing.

• Is my point clear?

  • Do I state my argument clearly in the introduction, and does it remain consistent and clear throughout my piece?

  • Are all of my examples and evidence in support of this point?

• Is my piece cohesive?

  • Are my ideas presented in a clear and logical manner?

  • Do my paragraphs and sentences flow smoothly?

• Are my examples compelling?

  • Did I provide sufficient, persuasive examples, evidence, and data to support my claims?

• Did I cite my sources?

  • Did I fact-check all evidence and use citations?

    • While formal citations aren’t necessary, fact sources should be mentioned within the body of the sentence. (Example: According to recent data from Oxford, eating plant-based reduces your greenhouse gas emissions by 75%.)

• Is my writing engaging?

  • Does my opening grab the reader’s attention?

  • Does my closing paragraph leave a lasting impression or effectively call readers to action?

• Is my language simple and straightforward?

  • Will the average reader understand my wording and the points I’m trying to make?

  • Did I use any jargon that may be unfamiliar?

• Did I proofread my piece?

  • Did I thoroughly check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors?

  • Are my verb tenses consistent throughout my piece?

• Is it the right length?

  • Did I follow the general word count requirements for publishing an opinion piece?

  • If it’s too long, can I condense the content without losing impact?

Table of Contents

Telling Your Story Effectively

Here are a few suggested tips in order to help your story come to life. This is primarily for use in writing op-eds since LTEs are typically very short.

1. Share your unique background. Are you part of a community that will be impacted by the measures? Do you have an area of expertise that lends itself well to the topic at hand? This is your chance to build credibility as a messenger and emphasize why your opinion should matter to the reader.

2. Pick a theme. What is the unique angle you want to present that may get people to look at the issue in a different way? Following a cohesive narrative helps to present a clear perspective.

3. Speak to readers’ values. People often make decisions based on their values rather than on facts. Readers will be more likely to be persuaded by something that addresses those values directly (i.e. compassion, integrity, justice, equality, etc.).

4. Use an inclusive tone. If your goal is to persuade the reader of your viewpoint, the reader must feel that they are part of the community being addressed. Use inclusive language to show this is about all of us, not just vegans. Avoid any activist jargon.

6. Write a compelling opening hook. In order to sway public opinion, you first need to get people to read your piece. Hook them in the beginning by evoking some kind of emotion - outrage, joy, disgust. You could tell a dramatic story, use wit and irony to question conventional wisdom, cite a shocking new study - write something attention-grabbing.

Using AI to Support Your Writing Process

Creating a First Draft with AI

One of the hardest parts of writing is getting started. Here are some step-by-step instructions on how to use AI to help jumpstart a first draft for your piece.

2. Input your instructions and parameters. Below is an example of input you could use, but you may want to play around with different inputs to see what types of results you yield.

   Please write a [letter to the editor / op-ed piece] using the following parameters:

   • Topic: [Describe your topic, argument, supporting points you’d like to use, as well as any other details you’d like to include in your piece]

   • Tone: [Examples: Formal, informal, persuasive, conversational, critical, informational, upbeat, descriptive, introspective] This depends on your topic as well as your target publication. You can always use multiple!

   • Word count: [# of words]

3. Refine the output. Review your results and request re-writes based on changes you’d like. Ask to refine certain parts of the piece by providing additional instructions around what you want.

4. Add supporting evidence. Add in any facts, statistics and examples that you compiled to support your claims.

5. Polish for clarity and readability. Polish up the piece and make sure it flows logically with a clear progression. Make sure your point is strong and your arguments are solid.

6. Personalize your piece by adding in anecdotes, examples, and some personal flare! AI doesn’t have the ‘human touch’, so you'll want to use the output as a starting point from which to write your piece, adding in your own voice for authenticity.

Other Ways to Use ChatGPT

1. Ask for ideas. If you’re struggling with writer’s block and can’t come up with something to write about, ask AI for some ideas with an input like “What are some topics I can write an opinion piece about related to rights for farmed animals?”

2. Have it write specific sections of your piece. Your input could be “Write me an engaging opening hook for the following piece [input the rest of your piece]."

3. Teach it to write in your voice. One way to get a great first draft is to write the first section yourself, clearly laying out the tone of your piece and using your unique voice. You can then ask AI to draft the rest of the piece to match your voice and tone.

4. Ask to refine weaker sections. If there is a sentence, section, or paragraph that you feel doesn’t flow well or isn’t as strong as you’d like, ask GPT to rewrite it for you. You could even request synonyms or ask “what is a better way to say [X]?”

5. Shorten your piece. If your piece is too long, ask GPT to shorten it for you. You could say “Please shorten this to [X number] words” or “can you make this section more concise while still maintaining the key points? [enter input]”.

If you have a relationship with a local organization, business, or individual that you think may endorse us, have a conversation with them about our campaign to see if they’re willing to support. Possible endorsers include:

Note: If the individual or group you’d like to reach out to does not fit the definition of a local business or nonprofit, be sure to connect with a PAF staff member to discuss outreach strategy.

Tips to Get Published

1. Choose the right publication. Identify media outlets that align with your target audience and the topic of your piece by reviewing what types of things they typically publish. Look through their recent opinion pieces to avoid redundancy.

3. Write a compelling headline. The editor may end up changing it before publication, but it’s a good way to capture their attention and summarize your angle.

4. Submit a polished piece. It should be free of any errors, read smoothly, and rely on credible sources.

5. Have some backups. It’s common for op-eds to be rejected before finding the right fit. Keep refining your writing and targeting other publications.

Submitting Your Piece

1. Review submission guidelines for the publication that you’re targeting. You can usually find instructions for submission on their website. Closely follow the instructions.

2. Include your piece in the body of your email. If the publication requires you to email your piece rather than filling out a submission form, make sure to include it directly in the body of your email rather than as an attachment.

3. Make an outreach plan. Submit your piece to your preferred publication, then follow up to give that editor a deadline by which you’ll begin submitting to other outlets.

4. Follow up! Be sure to reach back out to editors if you don’t hear from them to make sure that your submission wasn’t missed. For an op-ed, you should follow up after about a week. For an LTE or time-sensitive piece, you could follow up after about 24-48 hours.

5. Reach out to other outlets. If the first outlet doesn’t respond, don’t be discouraged. Repeat the process for the second most ideal outlet, and line up a few other backups. Even the best pieces can see multiple rejections before an editor accepts them, but do take a look at your piece before you submit it again in case you see anything to improve.

Pitching to Publications

In order to get your piece published at an outlet, you need to pitch it to the editor in your submission email. Write a short pitch to explain why your piece is of interest to the publication’s readership, as well as any connection you have to the issue. It can also be helpful to explain why you’re specifically interested in being published at that outlet.

Submission Email Examples

Here’s an example of an email pitch sent to The Denver Gazette with an op-ed responding to a recent news story they published. This op-ed was published by the Gazette.

Hi Gazette editorial team,

Given the Gazette's commitment to fairness, I wanted to offer a response op-ed that addresses these flaws and provides voters with a more comprehensive perspective on the ban's potential impacts. As the Gazette ran the original story, I'd like to offer it exclusively to you all first, if interested. Let me know!

Below is a draft of the response. Thank you!

Following Up

News outlets get buried in emails every day, and may need a nudge to make sure they see your email and consider your piece. It's good practice to provide a deadline so that you can begin pitching elsewhere if you don't get a response. As LTEs are often time sensitive, you'll want to bump them after a day or two. For op-eds, it's best practice to give them about a week unless there are specific time constraints. Below is an example of a follow-up email:

Hi Megan,

Hope you're having a great week! Just checking in once more to see if you are planning to pick up Justin's piece as our second "pro" op-ed on the slaughterhouse measure to align with the two guest "con" op-eds.

Can you let me know if you plan to publish it by EOD Friday so I can begin pitching elsewhere if needed?

Thank you!

Formal Endorsement

Our goal is to get endorsement commitments from a variety of individuals, organizations, and businesses in the local community. A formal endorsement means that they are okay with us telling people that they publicly support our campaign. This may include featuring their name and logo in our campaign marketing materials or on our website.

Other Ways They Can Support

If you feel comfortable making additional asks to those who eagerly support us, there are many other ways that endorsers can help. If someone agrees to one of the following, put them in touch with your Campaign Lead.

Campaign Marketing

• Mentioning us in their newsletter

• Sending an email to their subscribers on our behalf

• Putting up signs in their business

• Backlinking us on their website

Event Partnership

• Co-hosting an event with us

• Giving out PAF marketing materials at their events

• Offering coupons, discounts, free food or goods, raffle prizes, etc.

• Allowing us to speak at one of their events

• Speaking to our community at a PAF event

Shared Media

• Partnering with us on a social media post

• Co-writing an op-ed with us

• Sharing our messaging with their base

• Inviting us to participate in their hosted media (podcast, blog, etc.)

• Making an introduction to other individuals or groups who might support us

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:

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

PAF’s Code of Conduct

• 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:

• Define a shared goal: Create a sense of connection among the community and with the cause by sharing a reminder of the ultimate goal that unites us.

  • Example: We are here not as individuals, but as a part of a movement that refuses to turn a blind eye to the suffering of animals. We share in our commitment to creating a world where every being has the right to live freely.

• Signal urgency: Remind people of the weight and urgency of our cause.

  • Example: Every day, we are surrounded by constant reminders of the individuals who have been lost to the oppressive systems that exploit and harm them.

• Share compelling stories or campaign statistics: Show how our efforts are moving the needle, or changing hearts and minds.

  • Share a moving story from canvassing or interacting with the public

  • Prepare some stats about the work we’re doing

    • Number of volunteer hours, completed voter conversations, etc.

• Establish a moral imperative: Create a sense of shared responsibility. Acknowledge that while what we do is hard, we have an ethical responsibility to fight for those who are being exploited and harmed.

  • Example: While at times what we do can feel heavy, frustrating, even futile, now is not the time to give in to those feelings. Now is the time to step up our efforts to fight for those who are suffering.

• Discuss the value of our work: Remind people of the value in what we are doing and that every win, however small, can be a catalyst for larger change.

  • Example: Through our work, we are not only fighting to ban cruel industries here in Denver, we are laying the groundwork for a future in which this is the accepted norm. Denver can serve as an example for more compassionate choices everywhere.

• Encourage involvement & recruitment: Emphasize that we are part of a collective movement where every individual contributes to our broader progress and that the more people we get involved, the stronger we are.

  • Example: Every member of our community brings a unique set of experiences, skills, and perspectives to the table. The more people we can get to join in our efforts, the greater our strength as a movement.

• Call to action: Acknowledge and express gratitude for the contributions people have made so far, while calling the community to action based on current campaign needs.

  • Example: Thank you to everyone whose efforts have gotten us to where we are. Now, more than ever, we need your support in order to get these measures passed. [Insert specific action]

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.”

• “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 Code of Conduct

• 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.

Audiences and Goals

PAF’s social media has three target audiences, with different goals for each. Every post should deliberately target one or more of these:

• ACTIVISTS: Recruit and mobilize. Inspire new activists to join our campaign and keep current activists motivated.

• PASSIVE SUPPORTERS: Subscribe and donate. Request donations from people who already strongly support our goals but are unwilling to mobilize.

• PERSUADABLE VOTERS: Convince. Win their support by using research-backed rhetorical strategies and targeting common opposition arguments.

Our Tone

Pro-Animal Future relies on our base of activists to help spread the word about our organization’s campaign and mission – this includes helping to build an online presence via social media. Your help in creating posts for our channels is vital for communicating our campaign message, building support for our cause, and expanding our activist base!

Here are the articles in this section:

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.

Table of Contents:

Messaging Guidance

Here are a few things to consider when posting to PAF’s social channels.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. Focus on Visual Storytelling

Visual content (photos, videos, reels) that include people or animals tend to get the best engagement, and can be used to tell our story effectively. People especially love to see other people, so it’s great to include photos and videos of our community members in as many posts as possible. You can find some good ones in our Slack channels!

1. Make a Call to Action

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.

Examples:

• “Come join our next campaign social.”

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

**Include relevant links where possible to make it easy for people to take action! On Instagram, you can include a link in a story, and on Facebook it’s best to link in a comment. You can also add links into your images by using the QR code app in Canva.

Do’s & Don’ts

A quick list of what to do and what not to do when posting to PAF channels.

Engaging with Other Content

Liking or commenting on other posts helps to boost our engagement and broaden the reach of our account.

Here are some things to keep in mind when interacting with other posts and accounts.

Here are the articles in this section:

Getting Started as a Facebook Page Manager

1. If you have been invited to be a page administrator, you will need to accept the invitation. You will receive the invite via your personal Facebook account.

2. Once you’ve accepted the invitation, you will be logged in as PAF. To switch between your personal account and PAF, you can click on the profile icon in the top right corner, then on the icon surrounded by arrows.

Creating Posts with Meta Business Suite

1. Once in Meta Business Suite, you’ll select “Planner” from the left-hand sidebar of the home page. This will take you to the tool that allows you to schedule posts.
2. From the ‘Planner’ view, you can see all posts and stories that have been scheduled for the week in a calendar view format.

3. Create a new post by either selecting one of the post options in the upper right-hand corner, or by clicking anywhere within the column of the day you’d like to post.
4. You’ll be redirected to a page where you can create and schedule your post. Under “Post to” at the top of the page, click the dropdown menu to ensure both Facebook and Instagram are checked (if you plan to post to both).

1. Create your post:

   • Add photos and/or a video.

   • Write a caption.

   • Preview your post on the right-hand side of the page, and toggle between a Facebook and Instagram feed preview using the dropdown.

Scheduling Posts with Meta Business Suite

1. After creating your post, scroll down the page to find the “Scheduling options” section. Make sure that “Schedule” is selected rather than “Publish now”.

2. Select the day and time you’d like to schedule your post for both Facebook and Instagram.

   • You can click the “Active times” button to see recommended times to post based on when our audience is most active.

1. Click the blue “Schedule” button at the bottom of the page once your post is ready.

Table of Contents

Campaign Narratives & Message Suggestions

Here are a few examples of message ideas that build off of the pro-animal narratives we have found to be the most effective. These can be used for protest signs, chalking messages, etc.

Listen to Your Emotions

Animals don’t deserve this / Animals deserve better

Does your vision of a peaceful world include slaughterhouses?

Animals feel pain. Compassion is human. / It’s only human to be pro-animal

If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all vote to ban them

He needs his coat. You don’t.

Love animals. Don’t [eat / wear] them.

Be a Pro-Animal Voter

Animals can’t vote, but you can

Vote for a pro-animal future

Animals need your help. Amplify animals’ voices

Animals Fight for Freedom

Animals’ lives are not ours to take / Animals are not ours to [wear / eat]

Fur belongs to the animal that was wearing it first

Animals are here with us, not for us

Animals belong with their families, not in [factory farms / fur farms]

All beings deserve freedom

Animals fight for freedom. Will you be their ally?

Protecting Our Community

Slaughterhouses are bad for neighborhoods/workers

No more trauma: slaughterhouses harm our communities

Affordable houses NOT slaughterhouses

Unmasking the Humane Myth

There is no humane way to kill someone who doesn’t want to die

Nothing humane happens in a slaughterhouse / No such thing as “humane meat”

Trust the science on animal consciousness

We Are Evolving

Leave [slaughterhouses / fur] behind

Cavemen wore fur. Have you evolved?

Let’s evolve away from eating animals

Be on the right side of history. End violence against animals

How to Make Your Messaging More Effective

Here are a few examples of messages that don’t build off of effective campaign narratives, and how you can make them more powerful.

Table of Contents:

Navigating the Different Platforms

A quick overview of the differences to note between the social platforms where PAF has a presence. You'll want to vary your post captions between platforms to fit the content style, tone, and number of hastags.

Facebook & Instagram Content Types

Facebook and Instagram offer a few different content types to consider when making post. Here’s a quick breakdown of the differences.

Hashtag Suggestions

Feel free to get creative with these, but here are some hashtags you can use. Be sure to prioritize including the #ProAnimalFuture hashtag!

1. Log in to Pro-Animal Future’s Twitter account using the credentials provided. Reach out to a PAF partner if you need the login info.

2. Click the blue “Post” button at the bottom of the left-hand navigation menu, or start creating your post in the box found at the top of the home page that says “What is happening?!”

3. Create your post in the pop-up box.

   • Add a caption by typing in the box where it says ‘What is happening?!’

   • Add a photo, gif, poll, or emoji in the media menu at the bottom left.
4. Click the blue ‘Post’ button to post to PAF’s feed immediately, or select the calendar icon from the media menu to schedule your post for later.

1. If scheduling, you can enter in the desired day & time for the post in the window that pops up after clicking the calendar icon.

   • You can view already scheduled tweets by clicking the “Scheduled Tweets” link at the bottom of the window. If you see a tweet that’s already been scheduled, be sure to schedule yours for a different day.

1. Click "Confirm" to schedule your post.

While there are many options, a great tool for creating memes is Mematic, which is a free app! You can find it in the App Store or Google Play store. This section includes instructions on how to create memes using the app.

Using Mematic

1. Open the app and look through the options on the home page to get started.

1. Choose a meme template from the layouts at the top of the home page.

2. Click anywhere on the blank image screen to get started creating your meme.

3. In the image options screen that pops up, select ‘See All’ next to the Memes section to review and search all available memes.

4. Select a meme, and add text, captions, and additional formatting using the bottom menu bar on the next screen.
5. Toggle to the ‘Export’ option in the bottom menu. In the Export menu, select ‘Remove watermark’ to remove the Mematic watermark, then select ‘Save’ to save the image to your phone.

1. Your meme is now saved in your photos. You can upload it to social media from there!

Table of Contents

Strategy Considerations

How to Track & Prioritize Outreach

Tracking outreach is key during efforts to obtain endorsements. This allows for a coordinated approach in identifying, performing outreach, and tracking conversations and commitments to a wide range of potential endorsers.

Outreach Priority Levels

In the tracker, ranking potential endorsers by priority level helps guide outreach strategy.

• Low-hanging fruit: Very likely to support our efforts.

• Mid-tier: May present more of a challenge in getting their commitment.

• Stretch goals: A long shot, but still worth trying.

Plan to Begin Major Endorsements Outreach

1. • Even if we go for animal-motivated groups initially, we could reflect variety in their names and who they are. For example, we could get endorsed by vets, journalists, faith communities, and local businesses if we reached out to Our Honor Vets, Sentient Media, Jewish Veg, and Watercourse Foods.

2. Begin outreach. Once we’ve identified 5-20 good “low-hanging fruit”, make an initial contact. Ideally this is a text and/or phone call, unless your contact on the Endorsements list is someone you regularly see in person.

   • After your conversation, you can follow up by sending an email confirming the endorsement using the template in Outreach Messaging.

3. Sharpen your strategy and continue outreach. Once we have a handful of endorsements, we can send emails to several dozen more orgs on the list—other ”low-hanging fruit.” Later on, we can progress to “mid-tier” contacts whom we don’t necessarily have a warm personal “in” with.

   • While face-to-face is best, emails give us an efficient way of getting on lots of organizations’ radar and seeing who is interested in establishing deeper contact. The emails, as templated here, will be easy to customize and send.

4. Reach out to everyone else on the list. Eventually, as the endorsements grow, we can email all of the “mid-tier” entities and even many of the “stretch goals” ones, inviting a continued flow of calls and conversations that can lead to endorsements.

Canva is a graphic design tool that we use to create campaign graphics, including images for social media. We have a variety of templates that can be used in the creation of PAF posts!

Getting Started with Canva

1. If you will be helping out with PAF social media posts and need access to our Canva account, please reach out to a PAF partner to grant you access.

2. Once you’ve been added to our team account, you’ll receive an email with login instructions.

3. After following the prompts, you’ll reach the Canva home page. From here, you can:

   • Review existing projects

   • Create a design

   • Search for content and templates

   • Upload your own content

Creating Social Media Graphics

This section provides guidance on how to create a social media graphic using Canva.

1. Get started creating your own graphic in Canva by selecting ‘Create a Design’ from the home page. *Note: You can also select the ‘Social Media’ template from the home screen to get started, then select the type of social media template.
2. Select the type of graphic you are looking to create from the dropdown list.

   • *Note: If you are creating a graphic for both Facebook and Instagram, choose ‘Instagram Post (Square)’ as Instagram has stricter sizing requirements.

1. After selecting your design type, a new page will open with your design. All of the design tools you’ll need can be found in the left-hand menu bar.

2. Select ‘Brand’ to find all of PAF’s brand-specific design elements. (*Note: If it says ‘Pax Fauna brand kit’ below Brand Templates, make sure to toggle to ‘Pro-Animal Future’.)

   • Under ‘Brand Templates’, you can select an existing PAF template to edit.

   • You can also find PAF’s logos, color palette, as well as images, graphics and icons you can use in your design.

1. Drag and drop the desired design elements from the menu bar over to your design on the right.

   • Resize and move your design around as needed.

2. Click on elements in your graphic to format them further. Use the menu that appears at the top of the screen for formatting.

   • For text and graphics, select the color formatting tool to find PAF’s color palette. This will allow you to easily find and use PAF’s brand colors.

• Click “Position” to arrange layered text and images. Drag the layers in the order you want them in, with the first layer being the one in front.

1. Once finished, click the “Share” button in the top right, select the file type and size when prompted on the next screen, then click “Download”.

   • *Note: PNG is the recommended file format.
2. Your graphic is now saved in your downloads. You can upload it to social media from there!

Table of Contents

In-Person & Phone Pitch Talking Points

Use these talking points to guide conversations with potential endorsers in person or over the phone.

• Thank you for meeting with me. My goal is to have us explore each other’s long-term visions for our organizations. And we can explore ways to join forces. How does that sound? Do you have a goal for this call?

• What I and my colleagues at PAF love about your org is… [summarize the good they accomplish and the values they reflect].

• Can you tell me about your organization’s current priorities? [Briefly summarize their answer.]

• [Give elevator pitch of Pro-Animal Future, describing its vision.]

• One of the things we will need to achieve that mission is strong teamwork with other groups. Right now, we are looking to start collecting endorsements to feature in our campaign materials. We also want to build lasting strong ties with these endorsers and support them just as much as they support us.

• We’d love to have you as one of our initiatives’ first endorsers to help pave the way for other endorsers to follow.

Email & Text Templates

Round 1 of Endorsement Seeking (“Low-Hanging Fruit”)

Outreach Channel: Text

Hi [Name]! [Add a personal sentence.]

There’s a big favor I want to ask. Would you and [organization] be willing to endorse Pro-Animal Future’s two pending ballot initiatives in Denver? If you haven’t heard, we’ve gotten a fur ban and a slaughterhouse ban on the ballot here for next November. As we go about convincing voters to vote yes, showing them that we have the support of [type of organization/people who belong to organization] could be a huge help.

We’d also be happy to promote [organization]’s latest project in our own community (e.g. newsletter, social media, or wherever would be most useful). If you’re interested, I would love to have a call soon to discuss and make sure we can do this in a way that supports [your organization’s] goals just as much as it helps our pro-animal initiatives.

Example:

Hi Crystal! I loved the latest [X] from Our Honor.

There’s a big favor I want to ask you. Would you and Our Honor Vets be willing to endorse Pro-Animal Future? As we go about convincing Denver voters to ban fur sales and slaughterhouses, showing them that we have the support of veterinarians could be a huge help. In exchange, we would love to promote Our Honor’s projects in our newsletter, social media, or wherever would be most useful. If you’re interested, I would love to have a call soon to discuss and make sure we can do this in a way that supports your goals just as much as it helps PAF.

Follow-up email, after they agreed to endorse

Hi [Name],

Just wanted to follow up on our conversation earlier about the campaigns to end fur sales and slaughterhouses in Denver. Thank you so much for your support! Your endorsement of Pro-Animal Future would mean granting us permission to display [organization]’s name and logo on our website and in any other campaign materials that list our endorsers. Attached is the logo image of yours that I would imagine we’d use.

If this all sounds good to you, can you please reply to this email confirming [org] endorses both measures?

With our shared commitment to creating a better world for [animals/the environment/etc.], we look forward to staying in touch with you and seeing how we can collaborate and support each other in the years ahead!

Template for Later Rounds of Endorsement Seeking

Outreach Channel: Email

The Structure of an Intro Email

1. Thank-you: Thank the org for their important work. [Write a unique paragraph to thank the org, showing that we truly understand and appreciate what they are doing.]

2. Intro: Explain PAF’s campaigns, highlighting any aspects that may be of particular interest to the org. Say that we are interested in endorsements and collaborations. [This part would be copy-and-paste, but we’ll have several scripts that you can plug in depending on whether they are an animal org, eco org, worker org, etc.]

3. Invite: List a few things they might consider doing to collaborate with us, including encouraging them to schedule a call. [Bullet points can likely be the same for every email, as they provide multiple basic options, but we could also swap bullet points in or out if desired.]

Email Example

To: Both an info@ address, and a couple of decision makers’ email addresses to get their attention and make them talk amongst themselves

Hi Ralph, Sally, and Environmental Integrity Project team,

Thank you for your work protecting our environment. Your slaughterhouse facts page has been tremendously helpful for us and we have cited you on our website!

We are a campaign that has placed two measures on Denver’s 2024 ballot, one to ban the sale of new fur and the other to close slaughterhouses. Our goal is to build a movement to evolve away from the mass farming of animals, identified by the UN as a key component in solving the climate emergency. Studies show that a plant-based system will reduce pollution and habitat destruction, ending major cruelty to animals and slaughterhouse workers while using dramatically less land, water, and energy. We’re in the process of seeking endorsers and other collaborative relationships leading up to the election. We’re reaching out to see if you might be interested in working together.

If you might be interested, here are a few things you can consider doing with us:

• Schedule a call with our mission lead Aidan to connect and talk about whether this campaign aligns with [organization’s] priorities. We hope to be campaigning for many years ahead to build policies that protect animals and the earth at the same time, and we would love to discover where we share values and goals and could support each others’ work..

• Officially endorse us, allowing us to use your name and logo in the “endorsements” section on our website and other materials to encourage others to support these campaigns too.

Thank you for your time!

Aidan, Lauren, and Olivia at Pro-Animal Future

[happy picture of three PAF team members]

Intro script variations

For animal orgs

We are a campaign that has placed two measures on Denver’s 2024 ballot, one to ban the sale of new fur and the other to close slaughterhouses. Our goal is to build a movement to evolve away from the use of animals for food and clothing, for the sake of both animals, workers, the environment, and future generations. We’re currently in the process of seeking endorsers and other collaborative relationships leading up to the election, and are reaching out to see if [org] would be willing to talk with us about supporting. We’re reaching out to see if you might be interested in working together.

For environmental orgs

We are a campaign that has placed two measures on Denver’s 2024 ballot, one to ban the sale of new animal fur products and the other to close slaughterhouses in the city. Our goal is to build a movement to evolve away from the mass farming of animals, identified by the UN as a key component in solving the climate emergency. Studies show that a plant-based system will reduce pollution and habitat destruction, ending major cruelty to animals and slaughterhouse workers while using dramatically less land, water, and energy. We’re in the process of seeking endorsers and other collaborative relationships leading up to the election. We’re reaching out to see if you might be interested in working together.

For worker or human rights orgs

We are a campaign that has placed two measures on Denver’s 2024 ballot, one of which would ban the sale of new fur and the other to ban slaughterhouses, including closing the last industrial slaughterhouse in Denver, a major polluter located in the 92% Hispanic neighborhood of Globeville. (The other measure bans the sale of animal fur products.) close slaughterhouses in the city, . Our goal is to build a movement to evolve away from the slaughter industry, where workers face alarmingly high rates of amputation, repetitive strain, and depression. A shift to a plant-based system is urgent for solving the climate crisis, and this presents an opportunity to end the oppressive labor of killing hundreds of animals a day, a job which is disproportionately assigned to immigrants and other marginalized populations who often feel they have no other choice. We’re in the process of seeking endorsers and other collaborative relationships leading up to the election. We’re reaching out to see if you might be interested in working together.

The ideas below contain good examples of each type of post from our account, as well as language that you can feel free to modify and reuse.

Table of Contents:

Petitioning in Action

Grab some photos shared to the #canvass-shifts Slack channel and highlight canvassers hitting the streets and interacting with the public.

Example Posts:

Language Ideas:

• Our crew is out gathering signatures together to build a pro-animal future.

• Animals can’t vote, but we can!

• Let’s evolve towards a cruelty-free food system.

• We love meeting so many of our neighbors who care about animals.

• Come join us if you want to help make history for animals here in Denver.

Community Socials

Posts about upcoming or recent community events, along with an invitation to join our next social.

Example Posts:

Language Ideas:

• Looking to be part of a community of activists standing up for animals? Look no further.

• 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 resharing 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, the 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.

• Together as citizens we can move away from abusing animals.

Community Support & Local Causes

Posts about PAF’s attendance or involvement in public or community-based events, as well as our alignment with other causes, organizations, or businesses.

Language Ideas:

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

• We can be on animals' side while protecting our climate and ending the trauma of slaughterhouse work. Our measures are pro-animal, pro-climate, and pro-human.

• Globeville in Denver is the most polluted residential zip code in the US (ATTOM Data Solutions), and this lower-income community is the only part of Denver with a slaughterhouse.

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

• Slaughterhouse workers face high rates of injury and depression. (2023 Literature Review, Sage Journals)

Positive Animal Photos

Avoiding any graphic content, using photos of animals who are impacted by the fur trade or slaughter industry is a good reminder of why we’re pushing for change. Uplifting photos of animals at sanctuaries while describing the typical fate of their species are also a good way to accomplish this.

Language Ideas:

• Discuss the animal’s individual traits and personality, their story, 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.

Progress Towards Goals

Showing progress towards our goals such as signatures for ballot qualification may be motivating to current and potential volunteers, and highlights public support for our cause.

Language Ideas:

• Look how far we’ve come! Thanks to the hard work of our team of canvassers, we have officially passed the [X] mark for our [fur/slaughterhouse] ban.

• Come help us cross the finish line to get these pro-animal measures on the ballot.

• Thank you to everyone who has been out there gathering signatures! When we pass this historic legislation for animals, you all will be able to look back and say “I did that. We did that.”

Related Activism & Coalition Support

Reposting or posting about related causes shows the bigger picture of our campaign and how we fit into the broader spectrum of change.

Language Ideas:

• Include a description and photo of the related cause or measure.

• We love to see other groups from around the country fighting for pro-animal legislation.

• It’s amazing to see the strides being made in the fight for a better future for animals.

• We will be cheering on [group/cause name] from afar!

Memes

Activist Spotlight

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! Feel free to experiment with different ways of building support and awareness for our mission.

Ideas for Potential Major Endorsers

Building an Outreach List

1. Start with the easy ones. Begin building a list of the groups and individuals that we have a solid relationship with or know to be aligned with our cause.

   • Leverage active personal relationships to begin building a list.

   • See if these people have any recommendations of who else to reach out to.

2. Find existing support. Look into the individuals and organizations who endorsed related animal rights measures in the past, or supported animal rights causes.

   • Identify other animal rights groups at the local, regional, and national levels.

   • Look into who has made pro-animal statements in the past, ideally in support of your specific cause.
3. Target effective messengers. Think about any local leaders or influential messengers who care about this issue and are willing to help with outreach to their community.

   • Research local politicians, community leaders, and other messengers. Talk to locals to get a feel for who has the trust of their communities and can best influence public opinion.

   • Identify people with a significant following, such as influencers, authors, celebrities, or public figures.

4. Consider optics. Think about who will look best to persuadable voters as a third-party validator, and who will bring a valued voice to elevate your message.

   • Start with individuals or groups that you understand to be pretty universally liked.

   • Prioritize endorsements from experts who can provide credible support for the campaign (e.g. vets, farmers, animal behaviorists, etc).

   • Avoid leaning too heavily on explicitly vegan businesses and organizations so as not to indicate that this is strictly a “vegan” agenda.

5. Don’t neglect unlikely allies. Reaching out to potential partners who don’t fit our typical mold presents the opportunity to broaden the tent and tap into communities that we may struggle to otherwise relate to.

   • Leverage these people to convey our message to their communities. People prefer to hear from someone they trust in order to know how they will be impacted.

   • Find Republican voices that oppose factory farming, find out why, and see if they are willing to support. Make sure their messaging won’t jeopardize ours.

   • Building partnerships with right-leaning groups (hunters, farmers, etc) could be useful in ensuring this is considered a bipartisan issue.

6. Build a diverse list. Make sure your outreach list includes varied messengers from all different arenas that can bring in a wide range of people.

   • Balance outreach to low-hanging fruit with securing diversity in early endorsements. Reach out to the “most likely” endorsers from each sector.

   • Ensure outreach attempts are inclusive of all different groups to broaden our appeal and increase our credibility.

Here are the articles in this section:

1. Recruiting, Onboarding & Supporting New Activists

1. Organizing & Leading Shifts

1. Keeping Activists Engaged

1. Tracking Organizing Activity in Stampede

1. Creating a Sense of Community

Table of Contents

Strategies for Building Momentum

1. Build relationships & trust: It’s more challenging to get an endorsement from someone who doesn’t have an established relationship with us or an understanding of our organization’s goals. For these people, in-person meetings give us an opportunity to connect more deeply and help them understand our objectives. Depending on the level of value they can provide, it may be worth it to spend time building a relationship on a purely social level before making any asks.

2. Start with smaller asks: For organizations or individuals that are a tougher sell, it may not be the best strategy to come right out with an endorsement ask. Starting small by asking for their support in a small promotional effort or something similar helps us to test the waters and, depending on the reception, could potentially open the door for larger asks down the line.

4. Leverage existing endorsers: Secure easier endorsements up front, and use those to your advantage in showing all the support we’ve already received when making your pitch. Sharing endorsements that have come from similar types of groups can be particularly persuasive.

5. Empower endorsers to secure other endorsements: Create a waterfall effect by empowering endorsers to ask other groups that they have a relationship with for their endorsement. Having this ask come from them instead of our org can be more persuasive in securing their support.

Other Asks of Support

For endorsers who eagerly support us, there are many other ways that they can help.

Campaign Marketing

• Mentioning us in their newsletter

• Sending an email to their subscribers on our behalf

• Putting up signs in their business

• Backlinking us on their website

Event Partnership

• Co-hosting an event with us

• Giving out PAF marketing materials at their events

• Offering coupons, discounts, free food or goods, raffle prizes, etc.

• Allowing us to speak at one of their events

• Speaking to our community at a PAF event

Shared Media

• Partnering with us on a social media post

• Co-writing an op-ed with us

• Sharing our messaging with their base

• Inviting us to participate in their hosted media (podcast, blog, etc.)

• Making an introduction to other individuals or groups who might support us

Potential Offers of Reciprocity

What can we offer to further the likelihood for endorsement or campaign support?

• Trade endorsements with elected officials or other organizations

• Promote them to our email list

• Compensate them for a post if they have a large following

• Promote any volunteer needs they have to our volunteer network

• Host a fundraising event at their establishment to bring in business

• Offer advice or strategic insights on a specific topic we have more expertise in

Table of Contents

What roles can activists fill?

Prospects

Recruits

Members

A member is someone who regularly attends different kinds of events hosted by PAF without necessarily needing as many reminders. Members perform the main work of the campaign, like canvassing, phone banking, and door-knocking. All members will receive a PAF shirt and will be assigned to an organizer who will check in on them, invite them to events, and provide mentorship. Any member can lead a discrete project, such as hosting a social or phone banking party.

Organizers

In a two-week period, each organizer will:

• Attend a biweekly 1:1 with their assigned captain (30 minutes)

• Lead at least 1 shift biweekly (2.5 hours)

Captains

In a two-week period, each captain will:

• Attend a biweekly 1:1 with the Campaign Coordinator (30 minutes)

• Lead at least 1 shift biweekly (2.5 hours)

Other Leadership Roles

Besides the Organizer role defined above, other specific leadership roles are available such as coordinating social events, social media, recruitment efforts, or other activist-led projects. These roles will be created as needs arise and individual organizers step up to fill them.

Mentorship for Activists & Organizers

1:1s

1:1s are our way of baking mentorship into the PAF experience for all our activists. At all levels, these meetings will follow this basic format:

• Check-in: What’s going on in your life right now?

• Successes: What’s something you did well recently, and what did you learn from it?

• Support: How’s the campaign work going for you? What challenges are coming up? Is there anything else you’d like to do to help?

• Ideas: All of us are new at running a campaign like this. What ideas do you have for improving the campaign?

• Next Actions: Provide an update on numbers and offer to troubleshoot problems or connect you to resources that can help.

Organizer meetings

Organizer meetings will include both organizers and captains. The goal of the meeting is to foster a sense of community among organizers and a sense of ownership over this campaign. These meetings will be used to communicate campaign updates and any opportunities for organizers to take on additional responsibilities, like leading shifts focused on letter-writing, chalking, posting recruiting flyers, etc. These meetings will also be used to discuss any ideas harvested from 1:1s that require further discussion.

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

Relationships are the building block of the organization.

Take a genuine interest in people.

Relational organizers face a paradox. We’re trying to organize people to build a powerful social movement. But 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 organizer, 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 to see them grow as individuals by participating in the movement.

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.

Defining Micro- and Major Endorsements

Major endorsements include statewide and national organizations (and related chapters), as well as elected officials. Outreach for these endorsements should come from or in partnership with PAF staff members using the strategies outlined in this guide.

Table of Contents

Our goal as organizers is not only to get more people involved in the campaign, but to encourage greater engagement from those currently involved. This section provides guidance on how to accomplish this, as well as how to track engagement and send messages using Stampede.

Table of Contents

Scheduling Events

How to add an upcoming shift or event that you’ll be hosting to the Stampede portal.

1. Navigate to the ‘Events’ tab in the top menu, then select ‘Host Event’.

1. Enter the event details in the form that appears.

   • Name: What you would like the event title to be (e.g. “Postcard Writing Party”)

   • Type: Select the event type from the available options (voter outreach encompasses most shift types)

   • Location: Where the event will take place. Start typing in the address and accept the auto-complete suggestion to ensure it shows up accurately on the map. Leave this blank if your event is virtual

   • Meeting Link: If the event is virtual or hybrid, you’ll need to create and include a meeting link (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet) Leave this blank if your event is in person

   • What to bring: Any resources you’d like attendees to bring with them, including a charged phone, pen/paper, snacks, etc.

   • Start & end time: Enter the date & time your event will begin, and when you’d like to aim for it to end

   • Description: A brief description of what the event is, the location type and any access instructions that may be needed, and whether food will be served

   • Attendee Limit: Select whether or not you’d like to limit attendees, and if so add the number you’d like to cap attendance at (e.g. 10 people)

   • Visible to Public: Selecting “No” limits the event to only community members with Stampede logins, while selecting “Yes” makes the event viewable to anyone that visits the Stampede site. By default, you can select “No” for smaller social events and shifts since these are generally only open to community members.

     • *Note: Selecting “No” also ensures your personal address, if listed, is not visible to the public.