Everyone hits their favorite stores for the best deals on Black Friday. You may even take to the internet for discounted items on Cyber Monday. But have you ever considered giving back to a nonprofit on Giving Tuesday?
The Animal Agriculture Alliance is celebrating 35 years of bridging the communication gap between the farm and food communities. As a 501c(3) nonprofit, we rely on generous supporters to keep our mission alive. This is the Alliance’s eighth year participating in this global day of giving, which will take place on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. This year, our goal is to reach $15,000 in donations from supporters and we are excited to have U.S. Poultry & Egg Association as our Giving Tuesday partner by pledging a 2x match for all new donors and a 1x match for all returning donors (up to $100,000)!
There are so many ways the Alliance team works to connect, engage, and protect the farming and ranching communities in the U.S. Here are five reasons to support animal agriculture this Giving Tuesday by donating to the Alliance…
1. We arm the farm and food communities with resources on farm security, animal rights activism, and legislative monitoring.
Protests, demonstrations and incidents of animal rights extremists breaking onto farms are on the rise. The Alliance quickly identifies emerging threats and provides crisis management tips and farm and facility security resources to our members. We get the inside scoop on upcoming animal rights activist group tactics and strategies by sending representatives to animal rights conferences, monitoring social and mainstream media sources, and engaging our national network of security professionals. Our resources help farms, ranches, processing facilities, restaurants, retailers, and others protect themselves from activist threats and damaging misinformation.
We also monitor legislation that may impact animal agriculture at the state and federal levels. State legislative measures dictating animal care are often lobbied for by activist organizations and have the potential to impact farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to provide safe, nutritious, and affordable animal products for all. You can visit our legislative map here, which includes legislation on current issues in animal agriculture such as farm protection, antibiotic use, production practices, and the right to farm.
2. We’re a champion for animal agriculture’s future spokespeople.
Our Animal Ag Allies program empowers farmers, ranchers, practicing veterinarians, and registered dietitians to be outspoken advocates for agriculture online and within their communities. Animal Ag Allies graduates are on the front lines of responding to emerging issues and sharing positive content about animal agriculture. The Alliance is continuously recruiting new voices to add in the dialogue around modern animal agriculture. Interested participants can sign up here.
College Aggies Online is a scholarship program that connects college students from across the country who are passionate about becoming better communicators for agriculture. Participants receive nine interactive and educational weeks of training with guidance from industry professionals and farmer mentors to enhance their communication skills both online and in person. At the end of the competition, the students who excel are awarded more than $20,000 in scholarship prizes. This year’s competition just wrapped up – you can search #CAO22 on social media to see students’ efforts.
3. We help people better understand the animal agriculture community.
We aim to be the go-to resource for issues affecting animal ag. We proactively engage food chain influencers like media outlets, bloggers, dietitians, government officials and restaurant, retail, and foodservice brands and associations.
We help people understand how the animal agriculture community shares the same values as today’s consumers with its never-ending commitment to animal care, sustainability, responsible antibiotic use, food safety, and nutrition while debunking myths portrayed by activist groups. Check out our Sustainability Impact Report and Meat Matters Guide to seem some of our work.
4. We bring everyone to the table for good.
Whatever the issue – animal welfare, antibiotic use, sustainable nutrition – we constantly monitor coverage, identify trends and develop strategies to address the issues with a united voice. We bring everyone to the table through our various committees and our annual Stakeholders Summit. The Summit is a one-of-a-kind conference attended by a diverse group of decision makers, including representatives from farms, ranches, allied industries, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, legislatures, universities, government agencies and media. We just announced the theme of our 2023 Summit, set for May 4-5 in Arlington, Virginia – “Partners in Progress: Building a Sustainable Future for Animal Ag.” Registration for Summit will open in early 2023, but in the meantime, stay tuned to the Alliance website for updates!
5. We give the farming and ranching communities a voice.
Partner with the Alliance in giving a voice to American farmers and ranchers this holiday season! By donating, you’ll help to continue providing all of the resources above and more to the animal agriculture community. Save the date and join the cause this Giving Tuesday (November 29).
All posts are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the Animal Ag Alliance.
