Compassionate Action for Animals

Vision:
We envision a world in which all animals--human and non-human--can thrive.

Mission:
We encourage people to embrace their empathy for animals and move towards a plant-based diet.

Public strategic framework/theory of change
The experience we want people who engage with our work to have:
Raise Awareness
Build Community
Empower Advocates
Create Change

Notes on aspects to build upon from the previous Plan:
Our welcoming approach
Our excellent email communication
Grow Twin Cities Veg Fest (deepen engagement but not necessarily growth)
Build on online skills we’ve developed

Overarching goals for this plan:

Link the well-being of animals to plant-based eating in most of our work, bringing in health and environmental reasons for veganism as appropriate.

Support the growth of veganism and animal advocacy in Twin Cities and in Greater Minnesota as opportunities arise; prioritize work with communities of color who have been underrepresented in our work

Maximize resources for a greater impact and enhance reach and impact of efforts through building partnerships with allied businesses and organizations

Design programs and events to build on each other and integrate, moving participants through the spiral of raising awareness, building community, being empowered as an advocate, and taking further steps to create change

Maximize participation and impact by offering both virtual and in person programming

To do this we will:

Take the steps outlined the in Strategic Plan with SMART goals shared above.

Since our founding in 1998, CAA has spared the lives of over 1,000,000 animals. Over the past five years Compassionate Action for Animals has expanded its board of directors from three to seven, increased community representation on the board, and increased its annual income from $145,000 to over $250,000.

Recent successes:

We have grown Twin Cities Veg Fest to be the largest vegan festival in the Midwest, expanding interest and participation in a vegan lifestyle. Attendance grew from 4,500 in 2016 to 10,000 in 2019. Over 90% of attendees said they planned to seek out exhibitors and presenters they connected with at the event.

We established a new institutional outreach program, Wholesome MN, which has expanded plant-based dining options in five institutions serving food to an estimated 12,000 people over the past two years.

We have expanded our impact throughout the Twin Cities through partnerships, including: a plant-based market for black-owned businesses with Appetite for Change, a monthly vegan recipe club with the The Hennepin County Library and a Vegan Chef Challenge with Vegan Outreach.