When we founded Sentience Institute in June 2017, we had many discussions with stakeholders about how to best found a productive, impactful think tank. We chose a product-first approach, prioritizing core research and outreach projects that directly inform and support advocates for social change. This meant that we would eventually need to go back and focus on building organizational infrastructure such as internal documentation of our research and operations processes, which has been more of a priority for us in 2019.
We produced several research reports that we’re excited to share with our supporters, and we have continued to share our findings — new and old — with businesses, nonprofits, governments, and other stakeholders.
Accomplishments in 2019 (To Date)
Research
- We updated our US estimates of the percentage of farmed animals who are factory farmed based on the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture (released this year). The US figure is still around 99%, with the global figure at around 90%.
- We published our third technology adoption case study, on biofuels, and a summary of our technology adoption case studies. We have shared these results in numerous discussions with animal-free food technology companies and other stakeholders (both plant-based and cellular agriculture) to enthusiastic reception.
- We published a social movement case study on the anti-abortion movement.
- We published an evaluation of the historical relationship between SCOTUS decisions and public opinion.
- We explored the tractability of changing the course of history and how the farmed animal movement can learn from history, and followed those explorations with an explanation of how our research is different from existing social and historical research.
- A revised version of our technology adoption case study on genetically modified foods was accepted to the journal Appetite.
- We have two other papers currently under review at academic journals, one on moral circle expansion and another on institutional change.
In-Progress Research to be Published in Coming Months
- A replication of our 2017 survey of animal farming and animal-free food attitudes, with some updates. (Data collection finished. Expected publication early 2020.)
- Updates to our Foundational Questions Summaries. (Expected publication early 2020.)
- A large literature review of health behavior interventions. (Expected publication early to mid-2020.)
- A behavioral experiment testing the effects of animal-free food technology awareness on attitudes towards animal farming and animal-free food. (Expected publication early to mid-2020.)
- A social movement case study of the US anti-death penalty movement. (Expected publication early to mid-2020.)
Outreach
- We published two articles in The Guardian.
- We advised four new nonprofits, and a cultivated meat startup.
- We continued advising several major nonprofits.
- We attended a strategic meeting hosted by the Good Food Institute for leaders of the cultivated meat industry.
- We gave talks to both advocacy audiences and the general public in Budapest, Montreal, Berlin, and Tel Aviv.
- As in 2018, we continued to regularly engage in strategic conversations with farmed animal movement and animal-free food leaders and influencers (including an increasing number of corporate leaders), several of whom are avid readers of our publications and enthusiastic to incorporate our findings into their strategies. We were also solicited for career and research advice on several occasions, including by major organizations on specific strategic decisions.
- We’re launching a podcast on which our researcher Jamie Harris discusses advocacy strategy with activists, entrepreneurs, researchers, and other stakeholders.
2019 Spending
So far this year we’ve spent $182,261, broken down approximately as follows:
Room for More Funding
The marginal funding that enables us to make a new hire is generally around $55,000. In each of our previous hiring rounds, we had multiple excellent research candidates, so we are confident we can continue to make outstanding research hires. Take a look at our agenda for an idea of the of research we could conduct with new staff.
We currently have a solid runway for our existing staff, and are aiming to raise another $120,000 by the end of this year to enable us to make new research hires. We already have commitments for $87,500 of this amount thanks to our generous supporters! If we raise above that amount, we expect that we can continue spending it in similarly cost-effective ways up to at least $180,000. Please consider contributing, to help us continue advising advocates on the most impactful strategies to expand humanity’s moral circle.