In the past decade, CAA has experienced remarkable growth in both financial sustainability and the breadth of our support. This growth has enabled us to expand our reach and the extent of our programming. New people have been influenced by our initiatives and new partnerships formed with diverse communities. These have enabled us to amplify our impact on behalf of nonhuman animals and enrich our community.
Over the course of these years we’ve gone from hosting 2 to 3 events a month to 5 to 6 events per month. We deliberately welcome people of all dietary backgrounds to our events. Surveys show that among people who eat animal products, the majority leave intending to reduce their animal product intake.
Our financial growth has been nothing short of extraordinary. As seen in the table below, our income has more than quadrupled during this period. We have seen growth in individual donations, and grant support has emerged as a substantial pillar of our funding. This surge in support underscores the growing recognition of the importance of our work and its tangible impact.
With our expanded financial capacity, we can deliver programming on a larger scale. While administrative costs have seen minimal increases, investments in programming have surged (see table below). This has allowed us to hire additional staff to support and expand our initiatives and has positively impacted our community.
Among the new initiatives are the Vegan Recipe Club, cooking classes with youth, the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge, Wholesome Minnesota, and the establishment of two new chapters in greater Minnesota (St. Cloud and Duluth). Additionally, existing programming such as the Twin Cities Veg Fest has expanded in terms of numbers served, diversity of programming, partnerships, attendees, and participants. We have also successfully attracted renowned speakers like Dr. Barnard and Dr. Gregor for large events, drawing a broader audience.
Our collaborative efforts have flourished. We have strengthened partnerships and increased outreach to Black Indigenous and People of the Global Majority (BIPGM) communities. Initiatives like our BIPGM summit have enriched our community and broadened our reach. This has helped us toward our goal of a more inclusive and diverse movement.
Furthermore, we have expanded our outreach to new populations through our petition drives. For two years we have focused on topics that appeal to those who may not have previously considered a plant-based lifestyle.
As shown in the final table, our commitment to staff welfare has paralleled our organizational growth. We have enhanced our benefit programs and strategically added key personnel. This has enabled us to expand and support initiatives.
In 2013, our staff consisted of an executive director and two part-time staff employed only during the school year. In 2015 we hired a full-time Communications and Events Coordinator. Since then, we have brought on a full-time Community Organizer in 2020, a full-time Program Manager in 2023, and a part-time Program Assistant in 2024. We also transitioned the Communications and Events position to be a full-time Graphic Design and Social Media role.
We additionally employ a part-time director for our Wholesome Minnesota program (position established 2020) and a part-time Publications Coordinator (established 2023).
This brings our current total staff to four full-time and three part-time staff members, plus a contracted bookkeeper. The growth of our team has directly contributed to the enhancement of our programming and growing positive impact.
