NIFAA

NIFAA’s Mission

TO CREATE a political culture among animal rights and rescue advocates, so we understand that political groups that endorse candidates are a mandatory component
of our advocacy

TO TRAIN you to form voting bloc political organizations that win strong laws for
animals in your town, city, county and state

TO DEVELOP local leadership among you to lead these voting bloc organizations
and win stunning victories for animals

TO INSPIRE rights and rescue charitable groups to form affiliated political groups,
and teach them how to do it

“Power in the lawmaking arena comes from endorsing candidates. The top factor
that determines how a lawmaker votes on legislation is whether his vote could win or lose him Election Day votes. The merits of legislation are low on the list of factors that determine its fate. Once we act on these essential facts, we’ll win strong state and local laws for animals that now are fantasies. The time is now!”
Julie Lewin, NIFAA president and author

In spite of public support for the humane treatment of animals, laws to protect them remain weak and unenforced. The solution? Voting bloc political groups that endorse
political candidates —at every level of government.

Only NIFAA provides advocates with the essential political understanding and training, so we CAN win the strong laws that animals desperately need.

NIFAA was launched in 2002 by Julie E. Lewin to fill critical voids in the animal rights
and rescue movements: the lack of a political culture and the absence of political training
for advocates and groups.

To win the strong state, county, city and town laws the animals so desperately await, we must become “political animals.” Being political means pursuing laws through a political group
that mobilizes sympathetic voters and endorses candidates. A lobbyist—whether volunteer
or paid—for a state or local political group is a power player, because to lawmakers he or she represents—and can deliver —Election Day votes.

NIFAA advances its vital mission through its acclaimed training workshops and our comprehensive “how-to” book, “GET POLITICAL FOR ANIMALS AND WIN THE LAWS THEY NEED: Why and How to Launch a Voting Bloc for Animals in Your Town, City, County and State —and the Simple Steps It Takes to Do It.”

Our workshops win strong praise for their quality and dynamism. Many NIFAA alumni call their participation “a life altering experience” that “utterly revises what I consider effective animal advocacy.” The workshops cover all aspects of establishing a political group, recruiting humane voters, how the lawmaking process really works, the political dynamics that drive it, how to lobby, when to use media as part of a political strategy and—just as important—when to avoid it—and more.

Responding to many requests, Julie wrote “GET POLITICAL FOR ANIMALS.” It is the only such book for animal advocates. First published in May 2007, it is widely acknowledged as “superb,”“a masterpiece,” a book that “will go down in history”—and “enthralling,” “engrossing” and “entertaining,” too. For information or to order, click here.

NIFAA, its workshops and book have been promoted in the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s
The Animals' Advocate, Animal People, Animal World USA, the ASPCA’s Animal Watch,
VegNews Magazine and other publications. They have been featured on the websites of
Best Friends Animal Society, Dogs Deserve Better, the Humane Society Legislative Fund,
and many other groups.

NIFAA is heralded by leading animal advocacy groups. It has received grants and donations from Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Welfare Trust, Animal World USA, ASPCA,
Best Friends Animal Society, Coalition For Animals, Compassion in Entertainment,
Connecticut Humane Society and its Fox Memorial Clinic, Dogs Deserve Better,
Farm Sanctuary, Fund for Animals, Humane Society of the US, Lapin Foundation,
League of Humane Voters of New York City and caring individuals.

To help NIFAA realize its vital vision, please become a monthly sponsor

Julie lobbying Representatives John Geragosian, Majority Caucus Chair (left), and Zeke Zalaski (right) outside the House Chamber in Connecticut’s statehouse. Representative Zalaski: “Before I was elected,
I lobbied for my union. Julie was the first person to help me, showing me many of the in’s and out’s.
Her lessons continue to help me even today. I have to say: Thank you, Julie.”

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simon
Simon and Julie

About
Julie Lewin

“As a lobbyist for more than a decade, I learned important lessons that we must heed.

First, lawmakers’ top priority is to be re-elected. To win strong laws for animals, we must base our strategy on this fact, not on the merits of our legislation. Every other issue group pursues laws through political groups that endorse candidates, because it’s the way that works.
For the animals’ sake, so must we.

Second, most lawmakers’ votes about animals are unknown by the vast majority of their constituents who care, leaving opponents of humane laws and ordinances in control.

Third, inhumane laws and policies do not reflect the views of the majority, but rather the interests of politically strong anti-animal minorities and commercial animal-exploiting interests
— or lawmakers who simply choose to ignore us.

Fourth, this will not change until lawmakers know that members of political organizations
for animals will hold them accountable at the polls on Election Day.”

Beginning her activism as a volunteer, Julie convinced the legendary Cleveland Amory,
president and founder of The Fund for Animals (who coined the phrase “animal rights”),
to make a full-time job for her in Connecticut, where she became the animal rights lobbyist
in the Connecticut statehouse. There she won a reputation as a shrewd and effective strategist.
Julie also was a contract lobbyist for the ASPCA, Animal Welfare Advocacy and the Connecticut Humane Society.

Julie was a daily feral cat rescuer* in Hartford’s inner-city, a newspaper reporter, a nationally published magazine feature and opinion piece writer, a publicist, and a community organizer. She has been involved in state and local politics, has been a political trainer, and has given media workshops. Julie was executive assistant to the commissioner of a state agency in Hartford, Connecticut, a legislative researcher in the state Capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and staff member of a national environmental organization. In addition to NIFAA, she now does political consulting through Strategic Political Services.

Julie is a sought-after speaker at animal advocacy events. Many advocacy groups
—large and small—have hosted her for short presentations and half and full-day training workshops. She has been a presenter at many law schools, colleges and universities.

Julie’s animal rights archive In 2006 the University of Massachusetts, Amherst acquired Julie’s collected papers to establish a Julie E. Lewin collection on animal rights.

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A Strong State Law or Local Ordinance for Animals

• Bans outright a specific use of or behavior toward animals, or

• Substantially raises the legal minimum standards of care for animals, or

• Creates and implements a government policy or program that helps many animals, or

• Makes it easier for humans to gain legal standing in court on behalf of animals.

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A Voting Bloc/Political Organization

A group that holds lawmakers accountable to concerned constituents
on Election Day through the leverage of political endorsements.
It does this in three ways:

• Before casting a vote on a piece of proposed legislation, the lawmaker knows the group will inform its members in his district how he votes.

• Before casting a vote on proposed legislation of concern to the group, the lawmaker knows that her voting record will determine whether the group endorses her for re-election or endorses her opponent.

• The lawmaker knows that the group will deliver votes to its endorsed candidate
for his or her district on Election Day.

*NIFAA is a project of the Connecticut Council for Humane Education, which also has a large feral cat rescue program in some of Connecticut's poorest cities.

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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