Spare Animal Lives in 2026

“We are living at a pivotal moment. The reality of today, for human and non-human animals, demands our attention and action. 

Please join me in supporting CAA – for the health of ourselves and our planet, and on behalf of the billions of farmed animals who are exploited every second of every day and who have no voice but our own.”-Dominic Decker, CAA donor and volunteer

Thanks to generous gifts from people like you and Dominic, CAA has helped over 600,000 Minnesotans embrace their empathy for animals and move towards a plant-based diet this year!

We’ve done this through outreach in-person, on social media, via email, and through our annual magazine, Minnesota Veg Living, which is distributed across the state. 

Our outreach is strategic, designed to make the greatest impact with your donation. 

For example, we purposely invite people who currently eat animal products to Twin Cities Veg Fest. And we design the festival to encourage people to reduce their consumption. Based on our survey, almost half of the 5000+ attendees ate animal products as part of their regular diet at the time of the festival. And over 60% of them left the festival thinking about reducing their consumption!

Your matched gift today provides critical funding for strategic outreach. To make these connections, we need to raise $30,000 by December 31, and every gift is matched by a generous donor!  And between now and November 20, your gift could also win us a prize grant of between $500 and $10,000 as part of Minnesota’s Give to the Max event!

Here’s a taste of what our staff and volunteers will accomplish in 2026 with your support:

• Provide food for hungry people in our community through partnerships with organizations like Simpson Housing, The Simpson program started two years ago with one meal per month and has become so popular with both shelter guests and volunteers that we're planning to expand to 3 meals per month next year.
• Create of a public art piece that inspires compassion for animals in the Twin Cities Metro
• Help over 2,500 students connect with their empathy for animals and/or learn about the varied benefits of plant-based eating 
• Support student leaders in helping peers embrace their empathy for animals, and in getting plant-based meals introduced or expanded at campus, school district, and state levels.
• Create change in cafeterias and policies that provide food for thousands of Minnesotans by:

• pushing forward legislation for plant-based food on request in schools that we helped to get introduced.

• launching a new partnership with Planted that will engage local government bodies and restaurants in endorsing plant-based food to help the environment through an Eat for Impact program in the beginning of 2026

• Reach over 10,000 people in-person with education and opportunities to take action for animals through petition signing or plant-based eating
• Fulfill our goal of reaching one million Minnesotans between 2024 and 2026 through a combination of in-person contacts, social media posts, via email, and through annual magazine outreach.

Your matched gift today will make these goals a reality!

As a donor at any level, you’ll get special updates on what you help us accomplish, a copy of our annual magazine sent to your home, and an invitation to our donor appreciation party (or, if you live outside Minnesota, a chance for a personal, virtual conversation). 

Here’s some short quotes from others who choose to support our work. We’ll be posting more from them in the updates section on our Give MN page above between now and year-end.

• "For me, joining CAA was a turning point. CAA doesn’t just advocate for animals. It creates spaces where advocates grow." -Itzel Herrera, donor and volunteer, pictured above with Norman Tucker and Walter of Spring Farm and Longleaf Sanctuaries
• Together, we can help others see that compassion for animals can be a natural and fulfilling part of our daily lives. CAA’s programs make this happen.- Laura Hofer, donor and volunteer
• CAA has turned me into an advocate, helped me reach my full potential, and given me hope for animals.-Ryan Sauers, student group leader

Thank you for helping our impact and compassionate community grow!