Announcing New Beginnings For Faunalytics’ Research Department
In the summer of 2017, Faunalytics’ founder and then Executive Director Che Green was contacted by one of our volunteers, a shy academic who wanted to get more involved and would soon grow to become a vital leader of the research branch in animal advocacy. Jo had always had a passion for animals and their well-being, but grassroots activism wasn’t really compatible with her personality. But research — research she could do.
Fast forward to the end of 2019. Che had been the organization’s visionary leader for almost two decades, and he was ready to move on to new ways to help animals. When I was offered the Executive Director role, I knew then and there that I’d say yes because Jo and our Content Director karol would be by my side. I had executive leadership experience, but I knew that with the three of us working together we could take Faunalytics to new heights. Since then, it’s been nothing but an honor to work beside them.
Soaring to New Heights
“Jo has been a leader of this organization during its most productive and impactful years and her influence on both Faunalytics and the movement really can’t be overstated.”
-Che Green, Faunalytics’ Founder and Board Treasurer
Under Jo’s leadership, Faunalytics’ Research Department has produced nearly 50 original studies and analyses for the animal protection movement. In addition to overseeing a team of Research Scientists, Jo also conducted numerous studies herself, including:
How Does Video Outreach Impact Pork Consumption? (2018)
Naturalness Concerns And Clean Meat Acceptance (2018)
Attitudes Toward Farmed Animals In The BRIC Countries (2018)
Pork Or Pig? Beef Or Cow? Implications For Advocacy And Research (2018)
What To Call Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: A Labeling Study (2019)
The People Who Support Animal Causes: Descriptive Results (2019)
Impact Of Corporate Commitments On Public Attitudes (2019)
The Rise Of Veg, The Fall Of Meat: A Restaurant Case Study (2020)
“Reduce” Or “Go Veg”? Effects On Meal Choice (2020)
COVID-19 & Animals: What The Public Does And Doesn’t Know (2020)
The State Of Animal Advocacy In The U.S. & Canada: Experiences & Turnover (2020)
Animal Product Impact Scales (2020, 2022)
Going Vegan Or Vegetarian: Many Paths To One Goal (2021)
Going Vegan Or Vegetarian: Motivations & Influences (2021)
Going Vegan Or Vegetarian: Barriers And Strategies On The Path To Success (2022)
In 2021 and 2022 Faunalytics hired three brilliant Research Scientists, Andrea, Coni, and Zach (Coni has since left us to pursue her PhD full-time as we knew she would, and we’re so proud of her!), and since then we intentionally limited the amount of research Jo would conduct herself, moving her more firmly into her director-level position.
She’s led our impact measurement efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of our work, including our annual Community Survey. Jo has written blogs on topics ranging from knowledge gaps in animal-focused research to learning from mistakes to her personal journey to veganism. She has also overseen the growth of our Research Advice hub, implemented our free Office Hours for advocates, and helped launch RECAP, a group for social science researchers who share the goal of ending animal product consumption. There’s no doubt about it: Jo has been a powerhouse.
The Toll Caring Takes
“The effort to stop the suffering of all farmed animals is a very long road – many decades – and involves many thousands of people. We are all on a team, and as in any long effort, sometimes we need to rest up as others step in.”
-David Meyer, Humane America Animal Foundation
I’m grateful and proud to say that Faunalytics has a strong team culture, where everyone (genuinely!) cares and supports their colleagues. Our turnover rate has been quite low, and both internal and external evaluations of our team have found extremely high rates of employee engagement and job satisfaction. Still, engagement and satisfaction are just one side of the coin. What we hadn’t been formally monitoring was risk of burnout or compassion fatigue. After all, we’re data nerds, not undercover investigators, right?
Over the last year, Jo and I have been in constant communication about her workload as our organization grew. We worked closely together to weigh opportunities against capacity restrictions, striving to balance what we wanted to take on with what we could take on. Once funding allowed, we brought on Carley MacKay, our incredible Projects Manager who took over many of the responsibilities that had previously been part of the Research Director’s purview.
Yet having a new Projects Manager in place gave Jo the opportunity to reflect on her needs more deeply: “After intense reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to step away to focus on my well-being. I love Faunalytics and my time as Research Director has been some of the most rewarding and meaningful I can imagine, but the responsibilities of a director role aren’t a natural fit for my preferences and needs, and I’ve learned first-hand that burnout can hit harder when you truly care about your work and your colleagues.”
We’re sharing this information because we believe transparency is vital, and Jo and I hope that other advocates and organizations will benefit from seeing this glimpse behind our curtain. The turnover rate in the nonprofit sector ranges from 20–30%, and while not all turnover is a bad thing, burnout plays a part, especially in a movement as emotionally demanding as animal advocacy.
Jo is not alone in this. She was part of a panel on burnout at the recent Animal and Vegan Advocacy summit, and several people came up to the panelists afterward to discuss this issue and how it’s affecting them. Furthermore, since she began notifying contacts at other organizations of her upcoming departure, several have expressed how they’re struggling with burnout as well. A 2024 study by The Center for Effective Philanthropy found that burnout for both staff and leadership remains a top concern for most nonprofit leaders, with half of nonprofit leaders feeling more concerned about their own burnout than this time last year.
Here’s what we’re hoping others can learn from our experience:
Advocates:
Take time to understand burnout and how it might manifest itself in you, your work, and your life. Check out our blog Identifying And Mitigating Burnout In Animal Advocacy, which includes the Maslach Burnout Inventory, a scientifically developed measure of burnout. While leaders absolutely play a role in mitigating burnout among their teams, we need you to be truthful with us (and yourself) about how you’re doing.
Explore the resources available to you, such as this Sustainable Activism hub, or this post on self-care in animal advocacy. And when you just need a few moments of peace to reconnect with your work, bookmark this Live Cam from Farm Sanctuary or this meditation video Faunalytics created in partnership with Sweet Sanctuary.
And importantly, reflect on how you can make a difference for animals in a way that is sustainable for you. Leadership is hard, it’s not for everyone, and that’s okay. If you’re unsure where you can be your best self while helping animals, check out this resource on assessing personal fit from our friends at Animal Advocacy Careers.
Leaders:
Monitor burnout among your teams. The National Academy of Medicine has a resource list of survey instruments to measure burnout and workplace well-being, most of which are suitable for any occupational group.
Improve your benefits packages. We’re currently assessing how to improve the mental health care available to our team, exploring resources such as Nivati (which was recommended to us by another animal advocacy organization).
Consider sabbatical programs if you can. Research from the Durfee Foundation’s sabbatical program found that over 80% of participants reported that energy for leadership activities improved after their sabbatical, and over 70% reported improvements in physical health and confidence in leadership as a result of the sabbatical. Furthermore, 46% rated their boards as more effective as a result of the sabbatical.
Bringing Fresh Perspectives & Energy to our Team
“My work at Faunalytics over the past seven years has been incredibly rewarding and meaningful, and the culture of our organization is unmatched. As proud as I am to have led the research team over our past few years of growth, I look forward to seeing what a fresh set of eyes will envision for the future.”
-Jo Anderson, Faunalytics’ outgoing Research Director
It’s bittersweet to bid farewell to a colleague, especially one as intelligent and compassionate as Jo. The entire team at Faunalytics is very proud of her for prioritizing her well being — but we’re certainly going to miss her! However, I have no doubt that this will not only be a good thing for Jo, but for Faunalytics as well.
In many of the animal protection leadership cohorts that I’m a part of, we’ve spoken at length about turnover, and more specifically, the benefits of turnover. Not only can turnover enable your existing team members to grow their skills and develop professionally, but it also brings fresh energy, new perspectives, innovative ideas, and diverse experiences to an organization.
According to an article in Forbes Business Magazine, low turnover can indeed hold an organization back. “If everyone is staying, a company can’t diversify its staff or offer opportunities for rising stars to gain promotions. It will also fall short on innovation and best practices, which can be learned from people who come from other strong organizations. This hampers real growth. The company risks cannibalizing itself by looking through a myopic lens. In order for organizations to thrive and compete, they need to increase diversity and hire individuals who will challenge prevailing processes.”
This is why I’m more excited than ever for Faunalytics’ future. Now that we’ve brought on a Projects Manager for our Research Department, I’m eager to transform the Research Director position into its full potential. In addition to setting our research agenda, this includes working more on high-level research strategy, exploring ways to increase our impact, and collaborating more with external organizations and researchers on initiatives that are emerging in our movement. We’re going to be holding long-term strategic planning sessions in the near future, and the new Research Director will have a voice in the future of Faunalytics.
We are now finalizing plans for an Interim Research Director, and will then turn our attention toward finding a permanent replacement. If you’d like to be part of Faunalytics’ future, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to stay updated on our work. We will be publishing a new job description and ad for the Research Director position soon, which will be announced in our newsletter and on the Careers page of our website. We can’t wait to meet the person who will help us take our Original Research program into the future.
Last but not least, please join me in thanking Jo for everything she’s done to advance animal advocacy research. She can be reached at [email protected] through August 29th, 2024. Although her next chapter has not yet been written, I know with certainty that she will always be an advocate for animals, and I look forward to cheering her on wherever her future takes her.
The post Announcing New Beginnings For Faunalytics’ Research Department appeared first on Faunalytics.
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