Our Impact
APEX exists to activate BIPOC animal rights advocates.
We take a radical yet inviting approach to activism which examines the fundamental and interconnected causes of oppression against both animals and BIPOC communities.
Our outreach efforts and materials have been created with this goal in mind, and we are thrilled at the positive reaction we have received from followers and supporters both within and outside animal rights spaces.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1
We developed and executed Pre-Animal Activist Week, the first direct training on anti-speciesism and animal liberation for BIPOC social justice advocates.
2
We collaborated with local community leaders and the municipal government in DeKalb County, Georgia to shut down a slaughterhouse that was operating illegally. The shuttering of this slaughterhouse saves the lives of more than 100 animals per month and spares the community the environmental and psychological consequences related to being in proximity to slaughterhouses. Having achieved this victory, we retired our No Backyard Slaughter campaign.
3
We created new outreach tools, such as the BIPOC Animal Activism Starter Guide, specifically tailored to BIPOC activist experiences and concerns which will be released in early 2024.
4
APEX received numerous grants since the beginning of the year, making 2023 a successful year of fundraising with nearly $75,000 in grants from donors such as LUSH Cosmetics, Stray Dog Institute, The People’s Fund, Animal Charity Evaluators, and the William and Charlotte Parks Foundation.
5
We participated in or hosted more than 30 events including protests, lectures, public appearances, online community events, etc.
OUR PROGRAMS
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P.A.A.W. is a week-long training event for six BIPOC activists hosted in Atlanta and offered at no cost to attendees. All expenses (lodging, flights, plant-based meals, etc.) are covered entirely by APEX to ensure accessibility to all participants regardless of ability to pay. Attendees must apply to be invited to the event, demonstrating a history of social justice advocacy and an interest in veganism and anti-speciesist ethics. Activities include daily training sessions with established BIPOC animal liberation activists who understand the unique challenges faced by minoritized individuals and groups in white-dominated spaces. Throughout the week, attendees received informed instruction on meaningful approaches to animal activism, including grassroots activism, street activism, workshops, and curating veganism at the personal level in a way that is sustainable and joyful.
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APEX runs a series of monthly activism training workshops designed to make pre-activists into full blown advocates and current activists into even better advocates. Led by our Director of Activism, Yvette Baker, the Monthly Activism Trainings provide meaningful, individualized support to BIPOC animal rights advocates in the form of professional development, grassroots outreach training, and check-ins to further the vision of an inclusive animal rights movement.
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Written from the perspective of collective liberation and rooted in the knowledge that animal exploitation in the modern world is the direct and intended result of the co-mingling forces of capitalism and white supremacy, APEX has developed a concise activism starter guide for BIPOC activists detailing strategies and resources readers can use when engaged in animal advocacy. It is our hope that this guide will provide a meaningful counter to the history of the U.S. animal rights movement’s centering of white bodies and identities while failing to develop organizing strategies that address heightened police scrutiny and violence directed at Black and Brown bodies.
OUR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
In 2023, APEX took the intentional and bold step to create social media content that did more than follow the conversation of social justice: we wholeheartedly embraced a more radical, activist voice in our social media content which led the conversation around intersectional advocacy to newer, deeper insights that resonated deeply with our community. These highlights from APEX’s 2023 social media posts reflect this change in voice and direction.
OUR FINANCES
In 2023, we started with approximately $100,000 and throughout the year we raised approximately $80,000. In 2024, our aim is to grow our annual budget to $400,000. We hope to achieve two goals with our new fiscal goal:
Provide fair and equitable salaries to our team members while allowing us to be more financially sustainable.
Provide proper resources to our campaigns to increase our impact in developing more BIPOC animal rights advocates.
This is a brief overview of our finances from 2023 and we invite you to view our 990 via the IRS this year for more details on our finances.
2023 Income: $187,901.50
A 2023 Reserves: $104,289.57
B 2023 fundraising from, grants, patreon, individual donors: $83,611.93
2023 Total Expenses: $187,901.50
A Our staff of 6: $105,789.12
B Travel for team events, founders speaking engagements, in-person events, etc: $19,628.30
C Pre-Animal Activist Week (includes lodging, travel, food, support staff, etc): $29,801.52
D 8 film screenings of The Smell of Money: $3,692.71
E 6 community events (4 local, 2 external): $3,031.40
F Miscellaneous expenses (advertising, awards & donations to other advocates, contractors, etc): $5,028.34
G 2024 reserves: $20,930.11
Thank you to our Partners & Patreon Supporters!
We could not do the work we do without you!
Patreon Supporters
Amanda Campeau, Tim Carroll, Hemi Kim, Ayse Deniz, Marissa Garst, Cory Albrechtson, Elizabeth Green, Mary Britton Clouse, Christopher Krull, Jean Louise Engstrand, Tania Luna, Megan Kellums, C Que, Erin Ireland, Almira Tanner, Rachel Mathews, Ashley Frohnert, Jörgen Karlsson, Brandon Bacchus, Lea Goodett, Jessica Dadds, Amy Powers, Heatheyjoy Klein, Erika Gesue, Burtie, Carmen Pope, Ayla Anita, Kenna Schoeler, Liz Specht, Anna Hronis, Kristin Martin, Ryan Bulzan, Nino Vo, Carrie Freeman
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ANNUAL REPORTS
2023 was a historic year for APEX. Our accomplishments of the past year highlight not only the amazing work that our team members have done, but also the desire amongst activists and supporters to evolve our traditional forms of activism into something more grassroots and community-oriented, concerned with care for the individual that leads to broad social progress, and a reminder why we answer the call of activism in the first place.
Past Reports
