Suggested Action Plan

Any event, from an information table to a large protest, will be more effective with good planning. Exhibit tables, leafletting and other outreach events will require less planning, but more attention will need to paid to location and timing. Some smaller but more complicated events, such as banner drops, will require less (if any) outreach but much more precise timing.

Protests and acts of public civil disobedience may require the most planning and outreach, because publicity, attendence and logistics are all equally important factors.

Below is a guideline to planning an event that will apply (at least to some degree) to almost every type of activity:

1. Register your plans to participate (even if you're not yet sure what you'll want do)
2. Recruit help and hold a planning meeting
3. Develop an action plan
4. Recruit volunteers
5. Obtain permits if necessary and/or desired
6. Register changes so we have your final event plan
7. Conduct promotional and media outreach
8. Obtain materials: equipment, displays, handout, food samples, etc.
9. Conduct your event
10. E-mail a report with photos and/or video to FARM
    

Details

1. First, register your event, even if your plans are not finalized. You can register online or call 888-FARM-USA (327-6872). Registering is very important, as it allows us to keep you up-to-date with WFAD happenings, provide you support and materials, post your events on our website, inform activists and media in your area of your event, and use our international events directory to promote WFAD to national media. Registering is also a great way for you to get support from local activists and media. You should update your registration when your plans are finalized or if they change.
   
   
2. Schedule a planning meeting and promote it within your own group, as well as other local vegetarian and animal rights groups. At the planning meeting, select one or more events and identify individuals to take on responsibilities. Discover the aims and goals of members of your working groups- do some members favor friendly outreach, while others desire to express anger over the abuse farmed animals endure?
   
   Picking an event that meets the aims of your members is crucial. Once the type of activity is decided, determining time and location are key. Depending on the type of event you are planning, your location should be easy to get to, attract a lot of foot traffic, and/or be a place that people in your area are familiar with.
   
   
3. Every event deserves an Action Plan — a list of specific tasks with a brief description, the name of the individual responsible for completing each task, and start and completion dates. For any event more complex than an information table or leafleting, an Action Plan is essential.
   
   When planning a more intensive activity, such as a die-in, protest, or civil disobedience, there ends up being a lot of crossover between volunteers and attendees. What can work best is set up smaller "working groups" for different tasks.
   
   
4. Volunteers can be recruited by reaching out to other groups, online listservs, and by talking to people you know. For some activities, it may be appropriate to work with a closer group of friends, and for some, it will be a great chance to network with new animal actvists in your area!
   
   
5. Permits for events on public property are required only if you are impeding traffic or otherwise interfering with free use of such property by others. Even if you don’t need a permit, a courtesy call notifying local authorities of your plan is generally a good idea. This is made trickier if your desire is to deliberately do an unpermitted action (for instance, a sit-in in front of a fast food restaurant). If you are considering doing an unpermitted activity, please click here.
   
   For the vast majority of participants, the aim will be not to draw police attention, but to draw public attention to the suffering of animals. To do this, you will want to consider obtaining any necessary permits. Shopping malls and their parking lots are supposedly open to public access, but for the purpose of conducting business. Solicitors are generally expected to get permission.
   
   
6. Register any changes with us so we can keep the Events page up-to-date, thus providing the most accurate information possible to activists and media in your area.
   
   
7. Effective promotion of your event generally involves flyering, online outreach, and taking advantage of local media. It may also include public service announcements, calls to talk shows, letters to editors, and advertising. Tips for getting the most out of your local media can be found in our Getting the Word Out section.
   
   
8. Most equipment and materials will be obtained locally. Display and handout materials are available from our Materials page, as are Action Kits. For banners, posters and other display materials, request an Event Pack when you register and we will send you the display materials before your event.
   
   
   

   Another great resource is VegFund.org. Veg Fund provides funding for vegan food, serving supplies and any table/booth fees. They also provide ideas on venues, recipes, and educational literature.

   
   You can also use handout materials of your own or from another organization. We recommend ordering the colorful booklets Why Vegan? from Vegan Outreach - fantastic brochures for only 25 cents each.
   
   
9. Conduct your event! Have fun and enjoy the celebration!
   
   
10. Send a brief report of your event(s) to Farm Animal Rights Movement. By email: info@wfad.org. By postal mail: 10101 Ashburton Lane | Bethesda MD 20817. Include sign-up sheets, photographs, videos and originals of any news clippings.