Summary

New Roots Institute empowers the next generation with knowledge and training to end factory farming. We recognize that the movement to end factory farming urgently needs more well-trained and motivated talent to achieve its ambitious goals. We are building people capacity through a four-part strategy of educating the general population of high school and college students in our hubs, recruiting the most motivated into our Leadership Program, training them to promote behavioral and structural changes in their communities, and positioning them to advocate in mission-aligned and -adjacent organizations, governmental bodies, and corporate spaces.

Our efforts ensure that, over the coming years, advocacy organizations can easily source from a strong, young applicant pool. Leadership Program graduates who are not employed within the movement will be prepared to influence practice and policy through anti-factory farming campaigns in corporate and governmental bodies. This project ensures that we have the funding for the in-person component of our Leadership Program.

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

A key element of our approach to shifting cultural norms includes education and community organizing in key cities across the country. We currently work in the following metro areas: San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland, New York City, and Portland (ME). Within each of these hubs, we have a skilled educator who provides in-person lessons on factory farming in high school and college classrooms throughout their region. In addition to this outreach within school systems, each educator also serves as a field organizer, hosting regular events to engage the broader community. The primary purpose of these events — often produced in partnership with students and local organizations — is to establish and strengthen connections between participants, with the ultimate aim of recruiting, training, and retaining animal advocates and growing thriving advocacy ecosystems.

Past events have included everything from animal sanctuary visits to documentary screenings, career fairs, and campus vegfests. In the coming year, we plan for each of our hubs to collaborate with at least 6 different organizations to host at least one event per month (42 total partners across 84 total events). The cost of running these events varies from month to month, depending on the agenda and number of attendees. As part of our commitment to holistic sustainability (ie, economic, social, and environmental responsibility), each event is intentionally planned with an eye toward cost-effectiveness, inclusivity, and ecological footprint.

How will this funding be used?

The funds from Manifund will support program supplies (ex. plant-based food, EAG trips, printing) and transportation. Each hub will have a budget of approximately $200 per month to execute events.

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

Our full staff is available on our website: https://www.newrootsinstitute.org/

New Roots fellows have achieved campaign successes that will begin shifting culture on their campuses. Wins such as UCLA’s commitment to 50% plant-based dining by 2027, Cornell University’s dropping of upcharges on plant-based milk, and Wagner College’s removal of surcharges on oat milk and plant-based sausages will impact a population of over 84,000 people on just these three campuses.

We are an Animal Charity Evaluators recommended charity and our full evaluation can be viewed here: https://animalcharityevaluators.org/charity-review/new-roots-institute/

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

There are trade-offs for virtual and in-person programming. We hold virtual learning sessions as part of our leadership development program. This increases access to our programming, but limits our ability to grow strong connections in person. For this reason, we envision a stronger in-person component of our programming and are now focusing more on ecosystem-building events in our hubs. By prioritizing face-to-face involvement within community spaces, we've grown our presence in these areas, expanded our network of collaborators and supporters, and boosted recruitment for our programming. Events further from campus may be less likely to achieve high attendance numbers than events on campus due to transportation concerns. And generally, students find virtual events more accessible.

What other funding are you or your project getting?

We are primarily supported by foundations and individuals. We have listed some of our funding partners here: https://www.newrootsinstitute.org/support/partners