Project summary

Faunalytics is a nonprofit research organization that strengthens the animal protection movement by addressing an important but often overlooked gap in animal advocacy: capacity building. For over 20 years we have empowered animal advocates by providing research, analysis, strategies, and messages that maximize their effectiveness to reduce animal suffering. 

One of our main program areas is conducting original research studies that delve into important animal advocacy issues, with a focus on supporting farmed animal protection. We’ve conducted over three dozen studies and analyses on topics such as Support For Farmed Animal Welfare Legislation In Ten Key U.S. States, and Reforming Animal Agriculture Subsidies: A Guide for Advocates. In 2024 we have 16 upcoming studies planned. We are seeking support from supporters for our study: Effective Communication With Political Staffers.

Legislative advocacy in this context refers to methods with the goal of shaping laws and policies to help animals. This type of advocacy is commonly used by animal protection groups and can include approaches such as professional lobbying and grassroots outreach to policymakers. Animal advocates considering legislative campaigns would benefit from knowing what kinds of outreach have been or could be the most effective with political staffers. Unlike elected officials, political staffers are more accessible to advocates while also acting as influential advisors to lawmakers themselves. Our goal is to facilitate knowledge sharing among advocacy groups around the United States, providing them with recommendations and lessons from political staffers. Over time, this should improve success rates for these types of campaigns and produce more change for animals in the U.S.

What are this project's goals and how will you achieve them?

We will recruit up to 15 political staffers across the U.S for interviews. Using a combination of purposive sampling and snowball/referral methods, we will first create a list of potential interviewees comprising staffers for politicians who have introduced or supported pro-animal policies. We will then ask for potential referrals from stakeholder animal protection organizations that have engaged in lobbying efforts or political campaigning in the U.S. for any animal-related topic (e.g., farmed animals, wild animals). We will also ask interviewees for referrals. 

This is a qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews. Questions will be developed in consultation with the stakeholder organizations identified above. The interview questions will be designed to elicit information about which types of outreach were most influential so that we can provide recommendations about best practices. These questions will help advocates understand how best to approach politicians with aligned values.

How will this funding be used?

Funding will be used for study design, participant incentives, data collection and analysis, writing of the report, as well as dissemination and communication of results.

Who is on your team and what's your track record on similar projects?

Faunalytics ensures that our research is high-quality and high-impact in several ways. Our research team has 39 years of combined experience, and they use power analysis, data quality checks, pre-registration, and data-sharing to ensure that our results follow the highest standards of scientific rigor. More details are available on our Quality Research page (https://faunalytics.org/quality-research/) 

This study, specifically, will be overseen by Dr. Jo Anderson, Faunalytics’ Research Director. Dr. Anderson has two decades of experience with a wide range of social science research methods and topics, as well as advanced training in statistical analysis and expertise in research communication. She has a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Waterloo and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University. In addition to her role at Faunalytics, she co-leads the researcher collective RECAP (Research to End Consumption of Animal Products), is a member of the Brooks Institute's Animal Law & Science working group, is an ad hoc research advisor to ProVeg and Food System Innovations, and is an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada).

We are proud to have been named a “Recommended Charity” by Animal Charity Evaluators for six years in a row, and we are a Guidestar Platinum nonprofit. Each year more than 400,000 advocates access our research and educational resources through our website, social media, and direct outreach every year. Our 2023 Community Survey Overall (our annual survey of feedback from our advocate community), we learned 97% agreed that our work is high-quality, 82% thought our work is either extremely or very valuable to improving animal advocacy, and 94% would probably or definitely recommend Faunalytics to others. Testimonials from organizations and leaders in the sector who have valued Faunalytics’ work can be found on our website here: https://faunalytics.org/supporters/. 

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails? (premortem)

The study will be conducted regardless of funding; however, it may not be as successful. Widespread dissemination of results is key to getting the data needed in the hands of advocates who can use the results directly in their work, which is intertwined with funding support. 

What other funding are you or your project getting?

Faunalytics does not currently have any funding for this study.