Empowering the Grassroots with Your Support

The Humane Research Council is very happy to announce that we have met the initial fundraising goal of $10,000 for our new Grassroots Research Fund! Thank you to the generous individuals and organizations that donated to this new fund, which will bring the power of research to small animal organizations. A very special thanks to the generous donor who matched all donations that came in before the New Year. Hopefully, the help that HRC provides through the Grassroots Research Fund will allow some animal advocacy groups to double their impact as well.

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Though it is often overlooked, research is an important aspect to creating both a successful campaign and a successful social movement. Combining top-notch social, marketing, and behavioral research with the heart and hard work of advocates at the grassroots level is a recipe for making a real difference for animals.

Research can be the element that helps advocates make a splash and avoid belly-flopping. For example, when a political party holds phone banks to encourage votes, they test each word of the script to get win over as many people as possible. Animal advocates need to know what they should say to passersby or on literature that is most likely to get someone to pause, listen, and think.

Likewise, when big companies develop advertisements, they examine what images and words are likely to make a lasting and desirable impression on consumers. Animal advocates should also be sure they have chosen the best images and words for campaign materials. If a town implements a new program to help community members, most will thoroughly examine how successful it was at the end of the first year to determine if the program accomplished its goals and what changes need to be made to improve—animal advocacy organizations should do the same.

Some of the largest animal advocacy groups in the country, including the ASPCA, Farm Sanctuary, and HSUS, have used our research expertise to propel campaigns forward and evaluate programs. As we begin our second decade of service to the animal advocacy community, HRC wants to bring our skills to those who many believe are the life force of this movement—the grassroots.

At the grassroots level, advocates are intimately aware of the needs in their communities and are constantly engaged in meaningful and important campaigns. Grassroots campaigns are often fueled by a seemingly endless amount of compassion and energy from dedicated volunteers. It is important that the time and energy spent on these campaigns is directed in the most useful possible direction. Backing advocacy with as much knowledge as possible will achieve this.

Thanks again to all of our wonderful supporters! If you are part of a grassroots animal advocacy group please take advantage of this great program and consider applying for free research. Applications will be available in early March.

Thanks,

The HRC Team

PS: Even though we’ve reached our initial goal, we will continue to accept donations for the Grassroots Research Fund. As we share the results of our work with small animal groups, we hope you’ll consider donating to the fund so that HRC can continue this important work in the future.