How Knights for Animal Rights Thrives as a University Club
Set yourself up for long-term success
This is a Special Project Grants grant story
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Overview
At the University of Central Florida, they say that “Knights do things differently” (alluding to the school’s mascot). And it must be true! Knights for Animal Rights (KAR) is thriving among the college groups at this research university in Orlando since 2014, thanks to their unique approach to running a dynamic organization.
Alexis Collum, the current president and an “artivist” (artist + activist), walked us through the strategies that set the club up for long-term success. For one, they host a variety of events that create a positive and regular presence on campus and off. For another, they offer an inclusive system for members to step up in leadership roles as other members step down or graduate. They manage their transitions every year through a thoughtful election and training process. We think that as vegan activists, you’ll learn a lot from their methods for sustaining their club, especially if you’re looking to create a university group — or if your organization experiences volunteer turnover.
Goals
- Raise awareness about all forms of animal cruelty
- Promote animal rights through advocacy, public policy reform, and education
- Provide a network of friendship and educational resources that encourage healthy, sustainable alternatives to avoid supporting unnecessary suffering of non-human beings
Stats
The following statistics reflect results from the first quarter of this year only.
800+
people reached
380
took a flyer
200
new Instagram followers
Approach
As a university club, KAR primarily reaches a student audience. They have 400 members and 30–50 active members, as well as 1,800 Instagram followers. Weekly events such as virtual presentations and in-person protests have established a regular interactive presence in the campus community. Events include:
- Protests
- Volunteer events
- Donation drives
- Tablings at vegan events in the community
- Socials at vegan restaurants
- Potlucks
- Sanctuary visits
KAR hands out flyers with information about the club’s goals and a list of the kinds of activities they host. The back of the flyer includes information about their partner organizations, Students Against Speciesism (SOS) and DefaultVeg, a movement for making plant-based meals the default while animal products are opt-ins, and not the other way around.
SOS partnered actions this year included the SeaWorld protest, which was a collaborative effort of three hubs in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio Texas; and San Diego, California (the cities of all three SeaWorld locations). KAR also joined the SOS sit-in campaigns at Urban Outfitters and Starbucks. Alexis recommends that young activists interested in speaking up for animals join SOS, which is open to anyone ages 13–24. The organization has hubs in nearly every major city around the country, and if there isn’t one in your city, you can start your own!
This year, KAR focused on a different animal rights topic each month. They created a schedule of small events that build up to larger in-person activism events. For example, the club hosted a presentation about animal cruelty in the fashion industry to prepare members for their Urban Outfitters protest. They hosted a SeaWorld presentation in preparation for their SeaWorld protest. This summer they spent a month focusing on the dairy industry in preparation for their Starbucks sit-in, where they handed out free plant-based milk samples and urged Starbucks to drop their vegan surcharge. They also upload informational Instagram posts to generate interest and awareness as well as promote the events connected to the month’s theme.
Before COVID, the club typically rented a room on campus and shared an educational presentation using PowerPoint. Free vegan pizza and donuts enticed people to attend and showed them how delicious vegan food is, all while they learned more about animal rights. During the pandemic, they couldn’t offer free food, but virtual events removed barriers to attendance. The club was pleasantly surprised to have out-of-state guests! They plan to continue to stream their events to include those who can’t physically attend.
While COVID was a challenge, I believe we also learned incredible lessons that showed us different effective advocacy and outreach techniques that we never would have ventured into without this push. Our virtual meetings connected us with an activist in Chicago; ever since his first meeting he has attended all of our virtual meetings and was even inspired to start his own animal rights organization. Without COVID, we probably never would have realized students from other states would also be positively impacted by our actions!
Alexis Collum, president of Knights for Animal Rights
Their educational events include featured guests such as Ilana Braverman from DefaultVeg, Kelly Verduin from Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge and Education Center (BTN), and Sirrus Lawson from Students Opposing Speciesism (SOS).
Beyond providing education, events help sustain the club and the greater animal rights community. For example, at tabling events, raffles and games with prizes attract an audience while generating donations to the organization. Giveaways help promote local vegan restaurants. Knights for Animal Rights has also created eco-friendly tote bags branded with their logo and say “Be Kind to Every Kind,” which they sell to the public. The sales generate income, while the tote bags themselves serve to promote the club and animal rights.
Most important, their activities make other members and people in the community excited about animal rights and a vegan lifestyle.
Our activities are sustained because we truly try to build a network of friendship and support for our members and students.
Alexis Collum, president of Knights for Animal Rights
VegFund grantee Alexis Collum, President of the UCF Club Knights for Animal Rights discusses #activism strategies, managing volunteers, how to set an organization up for long-term success, and much more in this previously recorded live social event.
We think that as #vegan activists, you’ll learn a lot from Knights for Animal Rights’ methods for sustaining their club, especially if you’re looking to create a university group — or if your organization experiences volunteer turnover.
#VegFundLearn #LiveStream #FacebookLive #LinkedInLive #YouTubeLive
Posted by VegFund on Wednesday, July 21, 2021
A VegFund grant funded signage for tabling events and supplies for the raffles and giveaways, as well as material specific to certain events, such as brushes and paint for a protest poster design event and soil for a volunteer planting.
Managing turnover
KAR has a process in place that helps them recruit and train new officers throughout the year so that they have hands-on experience before stepping into their role. At the beginning of the year, officers check in regarding who is graduating or planning to step down. Then in the spring semester, the club posts descriptions of leadership roles soon to be available and hosts officer elections for any members who wish to apply.
As president, Alexis created a Google Form to gather basic information about the candidates, such as their backgrounds in animal rights activism, skills, interests, and availability to attend events, which helped match them with the role that would best suit them. No one is turned down. If there are more applicants than positions available, some candidates take on a training role, assisting and learning so that they have the potential to hold the position in the future.
Graduation turnover is always bittersweet. It’s amazing to see our activists go and do great things in their own lives, but it’s sad to see them go.
Alexis Collum, president of Knights for Animal Rights
Watch our interview with Alexis, in which she shares more effective strategies for vegan activists!
Results
KAR’s efforts are working! Community members are welcoming and have asked for additional events. The club is growing and so is their Instagram following, which allows the organization to educate a broader audience. Their partnership with DefaultVeg is initiating conversations about making vegan the default in five school departments next year!
Top Tip
If your organization experiences regular turnover of members, create systems and timelines for electing and training the next round of leaders before the current ones leave. Remember to share contact and login information for all partnerships and accounts to ensure a smooth transition.
Bonus Tip
If you don’t see a role available for yourself within an organization, create one! Alexis developed and led the Creative Committee within Knights for Animal Rights long before she became president. Her eco-friendly projects, such as animal portraits sealed in bottle caps, shared an animal rights message while repurposing waste on campus and generating income for the club through sales!
Recommended reading:
Veg-Curious Co-Workers? How One Advocate Designed a Lunch-and-Learn Series!
How Faunalytics Makes Animal Advocacy More Effective
The Rapid Growth of Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week
What’s next?
This is just the beginning. Knights for Animal Rights has completed the first quarter of a VegFund grant scheduled through August of 2021. With Alexis graduating, the leadership transition has already begun. Meanwhile, Alexis is launching a promising career as an artist and activist.