I sometimes hear from animal advocates who are concerned that spending time and money on research would be a waste of resources, or that it wouldn't tell them anything new. In some cases, they're right, but most of the time I find that advocates just don't understand what research can do for them. Of course, we (HRC) are a provider of research services, so we may be considered biased. But as a nonprofit group formed by animal advocates, our goal is to use these tools to help other advocates improve and evaluate their efforts.
Whether you hire an outside consultant or conduct your own research in-house, chances are that your project will benefit from the information. In a nutshell, here are four good reasons to conduct research for your next animal advocacy campaign or program:
- You are not your own target audience. Animal advocates are different than "normal" people, and this is crucial when communicating with non-advocates (i.e., your target audience). Don't assume you know what they're thinking or how they'll react; all campaigns could benefit from a little research. As Fenton Communications says: "Go with what is most effective in reaching your key audience, not what most appeals to those within your organization" (Fenton is a leading nonprofit consultancy).
- Your supporters will appreciate it. Before giving you a grant, many foundations want to know that you are applying solid methods to plan and evaluate your programs. Well-planned research will help your proposal stand out relative to the competition. For individual supporters, you can show them how you're maximizing every donation by using research to assess your programs at key stages and improve your approaches.
- To know if you're having an impact. Have you ever had a nagging question about the real impact of one of your programs or campaigns relative to the time and money you've put into it? Or have you ever wondered about society's progress toward an ideal situation for animals, whatever that may be for your issue? The animal protection movement can address these concerns by using a variety of available research methods.
- It doesn't have to cost a paw and a leg. Even a small amount of research can provide a lot of insight, especially when you know very little about your target audience. There are many kinds of do-it-yourself research, and organizations like HRC offer discounted services to nonprofit animal advocacy groups. HRC also makes available a wide range of free resources, exclusively for animal advocates, through this website.