Get Involved

Tools and Resources

Armchair Activism 2.0

It’s easier than you might think for a busy person or someone living in a remote area to be a great activist. Thanks to the Internet and the tools of Web 2.0, you can get connected and be an effective voice for farm animals while sitting in front of your computer.

There are varying styles of “armchair activism” – you can make your voice heard in the halls of government and in chat rooms read ‘round the world, build a cadre of fellow ACTivists, or raise needed funds for an important farm animal rescue without rising from your seat. Take the few extra minutes during your lunch break or while winding down in front of your computers at the end of a long day to flex your Armchair ACTivist muscle. Or snuggle into your chair on a rainy day for a marathon session.

Get started on being the best “armchair activist” you can be:

Join ACT. First things first – if you’re not already an ACTivist, then make sure to join our Advocacy Campaign Team. ACT Members receive a monthly electronic ACT Update, featuring actions you can take for farm animals, breaking campaign news, new or improved advocacy tools, everyday activism tips, and feedback from team members. Being a member of ACT is the best way to stay informed and the best way for your friends to stay informed – so ask them to sign up too!

Sign up for ACT.

Tap into the Power of Social Networking. Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter can be used to let friends know that farm animals matter to you. Note what leafleting events you’re attending on the weekend or what vegan restaurant you just ate at. By sharing stories, news and updates, and forwarding messages and invitations to join Farm Sanctuary’s groups, you’ll be raising awareness and personally recruiting new supporters before you know it!

Facebook. Facebook enables you to upload videos, write notes and post links on your Facebook page about issues that matter to you. You can also become a “fan”, or supporter, of Farm Sanctuary and suggest to your friends that they do the same. Browse the daily postings, click “Share” to spread the word, and if you’ve got a few more minutes, comment or write a post to get a dialogue going. Also be sure to join Farm Sanctuary’s ACT Facebook group. By joining the ACT Facebook group, you can stay in the loop about upcoming local and national volunteer opportunities and connect with like-hearted individuals in your area. Even when you can’t make it to a tabling event or activist meeting, a friend might be looking for something to do, so hit “Share” to keep the movement growing!

MySpace. Farm Sanctuary has a MySpace page where you can read the latest newsletter and stay on top of happenings at the farm and beyond. Letting your friends see Farm Sanctuary through your page is almost certain to create new allies.

Twitter. Do you Tweet? If not, now is the perfect time to start! Join Twitter and follow Farm Sanctuary so that you can always see what is new and exciting in the world of farm animals. Our Twitter feed is connected to our RSS feed, so anytime we post new action alerts, events, In the News items, press releases and blogs, they show up in Twitter. You can retweet our posts and connect with others via direct messages.

Blab about Farm Sanctuary Blogs. We now have three active blogs for you to share with friends and family: Sanctuary Tails, Gene Baur’s Bloggings, and our newest addition to the Farm Sanctuary blog family, Making Hay. You can (and should!) subscribe to all of these blogs, and be sure to click the “share” widget at the bottom of each entry so that you can share our latest and greatest with your social networking family. In addition, Making Hay is specifically geared toward how to up the ante of your own ACTivism, so read regularly for more quick and easy ways to make a difference!

Fill up with our RSS Feed. To keep up to the minute on Farm Sanctuary news, click on the RSS icon in the top right corner of Farm Sanctuary’s Web site or go right to the source. By adding Farm Sanctuary’s RSS Feed, you’ll automatically be notified of any new news, blogs or action alerts. This is a quick way you can just scan your titles and click on what is of particular interest to you.

Harness the Power of the Keyboard.  With more and more news being available – and read – online, wielding the electronic pen can go a long way to changing hearts and minds about farm animals. Whether it’s an editorial in the paper supporting farm animal protection or a commercial or television program where farm animals are being mistreated, providing feedback to media organizations can help shape these companies’ future policies and promotions. Aside from writing a traditional letter to the editor, you can also submit comments online. Often times there are forums for readers’ comments below online news articles. Expressing your support in a comments section might only take you a matter of minutes, but it can provide another reader with a piece of information or opinion that they had not considered before. You can also use “feedback” and “contact us” features on the Web sites of television stations or businesses to express your support or disappointment regarding a storyline or ad campaign, or to proactively request they do something positive for farm animals. Some of these sites may also have discussion forums where you can speak up for farm animals.

Learn more: Farm Animals in the Media: How to Respond Effectively.

Participate in Democracy. Start by viewing our latest Action Alerts and in just a few minutes, you can identify bills pending in your state, read about the issues involved, send an e-mail to your legislators and forward that alert to family and friends. For many of our action alerts, we even provide a auto-generated letter that enables you to weigh in with your legislators in one click. However, we do suggest that you personalize your e-mail to your legislators. Using your own words and your own experiences with an issue will do more to influence how your legislator votes. In just ten minutes you’ve made our founding fathers proud.

Learn more: How to Lobby for Farm Animals in your State Legislature and in Congress.

Sponsor a Farm Animal. Feeding a thousand farm animals takes quite a bit of green, and Farm Sanctuary needs donations year round. Encourage friends and family to donate and help provide lifelong care to rescued farm animals by posting their pictures and stories on social networking sites or in e-mails to friends and family. You can even suggest that rather than buying a present for your birthday, your friends and family consider sponsoring a farm animal instead. Learn more about our Adopt-A-Farm Animal Projectand other special projects.

Have more ideas for effective “armchair activism?” Email activist@farmsanctuary.org.