NIFAA

Rights and Rescue Groups, Students, Professors, Attorneys
—and Advocates Like You—
Praise Our Workshops, Talks and Lectures

Host a NIFAA Event

NIFAA president and trainer Julie Lewin gives training workshops, talks, lectures and other appearances around the US. Hosts may be rescue or rights groups or individuals. There is no minimum or maximum number of attendees, only people who want to learn.

Events can be ½ hour to 2 days in length. Contact Julie at info@nifaa.org, jlewin@nifaa.org or 203-453-6590 to discuss. She will adapt her presentation to meet your needs. For a full workshop, ½ day to 1 day is standard.

In most cases, the host/s must pay travel expenses and an honorarium, because
NIFAA has no funding for these events.

Or Come to NIFAA

Julie gives workshops in NIFAA’s office for 1 – 30 advocates. We’re in Guilford, Connecticut, a beautiful, historic shoreline town. A choice of accommodations
is nearby.

NIFAA Workshops and Presentations

Sample curriculum for a half or full-day course
Shorter presentations include the highpoints

~ You CAN become power players for animals in your town, city, county or state—
IF you understand that power comes from being political.

~ Lawmakers’ top priority is to be re-elected. To win strong laws for animals, you must
base your lobbying strategy on this fact—on Election Day math. It’s why you must have a political group that endorses candidates. The merits and need of your legislation are low on the lists of factors that will determine its fate. Election Day math is the top factor.

~ A political group is designed to hold the lawmaker accountable to his or her own
informed, concerned constituents who vote. This is why the political group wins
strong laws while animal charities and concerned individuals fail. It’s why all other
issue groups lobby through political organizations that endorse candidates. Lobbying
for a charity is not being political.

~ About local and state political groups. They are easy and quick to establish.

~ Why media coverage, protests and petitions rarely if ever determine the fate of strong
animal legislation. Often they are a waste of time and sometimes are harmful.

~ How the lawmaking process in your town, city, county or state really works—
and the role of your political group for animals.

~ Lobbying techniques, do’s and don’ts. The pro-active lobbyist for a political group is
a power player! In towns, cities or counties, you can do this while holding a job.

~ How to form, launch and run your political group for animals. It takes only 2
animal activists to run and lobby for a local political group—and you can still
hold full-time jobs!

~ Your top activity must be recruitment, because your power in the lawmaking
arena comes from the “ground up.” Winning recruitment strategies.

~ Enforcement of state laws, local ordinances and policies about animals will be
achieved by your political group, because you can make enforcement a political
issue. How a political group achieves aggressive enforcement.

~ Animal rights and rescue charities can form affiliated political groups. Here’s how.

~ Understanding media: When and how to use it to impact animal legislation—and
when to avoid it.

Longer events have more detail. They may also cover:

~ The dynamics of social change.

~ The structure of government and the structure of politics—and why animal advocates
need to know it.

~ The dynamics and mechanics of political campaigns. When you understand political
campaigns, you understand just how the lawmaking process works.

Praise for NIFAA Workshops and Presentations

“Today’s seminar was—without a doubt—the most valuable I have attended…You are an exciting speaker
and I left feeling empowered and motivated. The material and your ability to keep the session moving
were impressive. You presented clear, effective and attainable methods to bring about change
through the political process. You are obviously a savvy, shrewd and effective operator.”
Berryman Hill, Wake County, NC

“We asked the county commissioners for a spay-neuter ordinance. They pretended to be supportive,
but nothing happened. So we brought Julie Lewin to give us a NIFAA training. By incorporating her instruction, the commissioners voted for our ordinance unanimously!”
Susan Krisko, assistant district attorney; board member, Las Vegas Valley
Humane Society, NV

“…energizing, eye-opening, even entertaining and her speaking style dynamic. If every rights and rescue advocate attended a NIFAA event, it would be revolutionary for animals.”
Zia Terhune, Gainesville, FL

“Enthralling, mesmerizing, a great success, with some people traveling a significant distance…It’s reassuring
to hear it from someone who has come up "through the ranks”
—who has done all the things we've done (rescuing, protesting, leafleting), but has expertise in the
political arena. We’re now forming a political group!”
Linda Leas, President, People/Animals Network, Dayton, OH

“Excellent presentation! You know your stuff!”
Janye E. Hendricks, Esq., Alachua, FL

“Having Julie in person was invaluable. We had reached an important crossroads for the future of animals
in our area. The stakes were high. We were ready to act but were clueless to what our next step needed to be. The really smart thing we did was to bring Julie to give a seminar for us. Before Julie we were a group
of well-intentioned advocates…With Julie’s help we were able to see that our good intentions weren't enough…We are now on the road to effecting real change through political action….”
Mondy Lamb, Marketing Director, ASPCA of Wake County, Raleigh, NC

“I loved your program at New York University Law School so much, and I have been devouring your book
and sharing your advice with animal advocates I volunteer with. I really can't tell you how great
your talk was—the best I've ever been to.”
Lori Barrett, Nassau County Attorney’s Office, Brooklyn, NY

“I encourage other schools to invite you to speak so that a new generation of animal rights activists can emerge that will make use of our potential political power and stop relying on charity and good will.”
Jennifer Palmer, President, PAWS, Princeton University, NJ

“Hearing Julie has forever changed the way we pursue animal activism. I hope her message resounds throughout the animal rights world.”
Shane Michael Guy, Director, League of Humane Voters, NE Ohio
at the presentation at Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down

“A life-altering experience, utterly revises what I consider effective animal advocacy.”
Mark Gross, WA

“NIFAA’s approach is exactly right. Power in the lawmaking arena comes from the leverage of
political endorsements. Make sure you tell them that a political group can be powerfull with very few people.”
City Commissioner Eric Sten, Portland, OR
to Julie Lewin during interview

TOP

NIFAA: National Institute for Animal Advocacy
is a project of the Connecticut Council for Humane Education, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) charitable organization
6 Long Hill Farm Guilford, CT 06437 203-453-6590

Your donations are tax-deductible

Photo Credits

Rescued fighting dog- courtesy of www.unchainyourdog.org
Dog chaining billboard - www.unchainyourdog.org