Mission Statement: Why We Formed ALDF United

For more than four decades, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has worked to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. As proud ALDF staff members, we are personally and professionally committed to this mission, and we pursue it with tenacity and unwavering resolve. We formed ALDF United to make lasting, structural change at ALDF. Together, we will build a stronger and more effective ALDF, which will in turn benefit those who are our shared first priority—the animals.

As ALDF staff members, we perform weighty work. Indeed, achieving our mission requires nothing short of social and legal transformation. Undeterred, we pour our hearts and labor into our work, and we will not rest until our society and legal system embrace animals as rightful members of our moral community. 

As we pursue our mission, we observe and manifest ALDF’s six core values.

• Balance: We are most effective when we create healthy work/life balance.

• Commitment: We are dedicated, hard-working, loyal, and tenacious.

• Compassion: We are motivated by kindness, empathy, justice, and respect for all others.

• Innovation: We forge creative new strategies.

• Integrity: We are honest and accountable.

• Justice: We do what is just, right, and fair for the animals, each other, and society.

Inspired by our mission and in accordance with our core values, ALDF United will empower all staff members to do their best work. We will have a collective voice and seat at the table. Together, we will create a workplace that is anti-racist and more cooperative, equitable, inclusive, just, respectful, and transparent. Among other things, ALDF United seeks to:

• Facilitate collaborative decision-making conversations between staff members and management regarding issues that impact the organization and the workplace. 

• Empower all staff members to contribute candidly to collaborative decision-making conversations without fear of retaliation.

• Ensure equity and fairness through an enforceable bargaining agreement that establishes workplace rules and maps out a process for grievance and redress, should it be needed.

• Increase transparency by setting concrete standards for information sharing.

• Create a respectful and safe workplace, free from bullying, discrimination, and harassment, where all staff members are valued for their essential contributions to our mission.

• Boost morale, productivity, retention, and recruitment by fostering a work-life balance and a sense of fairness, trust, voice, and respect in the workplace.

• Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect for all staff members, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, ancestry or genetic information, physical or mental ability, physical attributes, age, sex, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, parental, or familial status, marital status, veteran status or military obligations, political affiliation, socioeconomic status or employment status.

• Build necessary infrastructure to empower all staff members to participate directly and fully in ALDF’s transition to an anti-racist organization.

• Ensure every staff member, regardless of employment status, is empowered to choose their work space (including, but not limited to, working from home on a permanent basis), and that all work spaces are safe and well-equipped.

• Ensure every staff member makes a living wage, has a specific and accurate job description, and has opportunities for advancement and training.
  

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