Jennifer Walker’s passion for animal welfare has shaped her incredible journey, from working as a veterinarian to founding Kinder Ground, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of farmed animals. With years of experience in corporate animal welfare programs, Jennifer realized true change requires more than just checking boxes—it demands compassion and a ground-up approach. Her unwavering belief in making a meaningful impact for animals led to the creation of Kinder Ground, where she’s inspiring others to join her mission of creating a kinder, more compassionate world for farmed animals.
- What inspired you to start Kinder Ground and focus on improving the lives of farmed animals?
Kinder Ground is a Fund for Good – dedicated solely to elevating the welfare of animals in food production, with no hidden agenda. As a veterinarian, my mission has always been to improve the lives of farmed animals. What that looks like has changed along with my career path, from private practice to academia then corporate and now Kinder Ground. After 15 years managing animal welfare programs for 2 large dairy processors, it became clear that we had created a culture of box checking. We were addressing the low-hanging fruit. We were not advancing welfare in a meaningful way. When it comes to animal welfare the bar is set pretty low. To put it bluntly, our written, occasionally enforced standard is “don’t be a jerk”, certainly a reasonable expectation. The inspiration from Kinder Ground grew from our belief that advancing the welfare conversation beyond the basics required a new strategy. If better ways were going to be found to manage animals in production, and if progress is to be maintained, it was going to have to come from the ground up, not top down. Could we make compassion contagious? That was the question that sprouted Kinder Ground, an experiment in compassion.
- Can you share a personal story or experience that deeply influenced your commitment to animal welfare?
I consider myself one of the lucky few that has always known what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a veterinarian and help animals. What that has looked like has certainly changed over time. My focus on animal welfare rather than a traditional practice grew from the undercover videos, corporate policies and legislation that was being created in response. I recognized we needed to do better for farmed animals, but much of what I saw being advanced was not going to help the animals in a meaningful way and would sometimes make this worse. Everyone had an agenda. Either they wanted to burn the house down or keep the status quo. Decisions were being made by folks who knew nothing about animal welfare or veterinary medicine. It was then I saw the need and believed I could make a difference in a unique way.
- What have been some of the most significant challenges you’ve faced in growing Kinder Ground and securing funding?
OMG, who is dumb enough to start a Fund For Good in the year of a national election, at a time when charitable donations have dramatically decreased, and many folks feel like the economy is not great? I think we are all suffering from donor text/email overload! Beyond timing, I think trust is a big barrier. I get it. I want to know my money is being put to good use and is actually helping animals. That’s why we promise that 100% of our on-line donations go to projects as well as sharing our finances for folks who want to see where the money goes.
When it comes to larger donations, we hope that retailers, consumer packaged goods, quick service restaurants and food service companies will support our work. They depend on farm animals for their business after all. An unexpected challenge was the “quiet quitting” phenomenon we have seen manifest across businesses when it comes to their commitments to safeguarding or improving animal welfare. Undercover videos that used to drive corporate investment and effort in animal welfare have been met with little more than a shrug lately. Companies have developed carbon tunnel vision. Corporate budgets and sustainability efforts have shifted from animal welfare to carbon. Of course, we know that good welfare is the foundation of sustainable animal production, but it is hard to capture in a best guess carbon calculation.
Like every non-profit we hope and strategize for the philanthropic windfall of a major donor. We certainly think we have a chance to find the right donor who shares our vision and passion, but recognize it takes time. A unique challenge in this area is that many donate through groups like Open Philanthropy or other groups that have a bias specific to funding work on species based on the number of animals impacted (think shrimp and fish!) rather than how effective and lasting the work is. Our approach, although tried and tested over years on farm, is new to many, so we need to work on building our case for funding in these competitive environments.
- How have you managed to balance your personal life with the demands of running a nonprofit organization?
The first year, getting it off the ground and organized was rough, working full time in a job that was already too much, spending any free time on Kinder Ground. That was not sustainable. The best thing I did was to quit the day job! Today, I dedicate myself to Kinder ground full-time.
As the co-founder if Kinder ground, I admit it is hard to not want to work every hour of every day on it. The fact that I am a content, introvert, cat-mom that living in a rural area makes working non-stop on Kinder ground even more tempting. I try and find a balance by carving out 1 day a week to do “whatever”. It may be lawn mowing, gardening, or just binge-watching Ted Lasso but I make sure to take the day. The key was understanding it didn’t have to be a weekend day. Adding that flexibility lets me take advantage of those “whatever” days when I am not feeling 100%…or 75% 😉.
- What strategies have you found effective in building and sustaining a supportive community around your cause?
How effective we are at building and sustaining a supportive community around your cause is still to be determined. Our foundational strategy is transparency in our work and process. Transparency is essential to build trust with donors and the farming community. We will see if it works!! 😊
- Can you describe a particular moment or achievement in your work that has been especially meaningful to you?
So far, my favorite moment that absolutely made my heart gush was when one of the farm caregivers was proudly wearing the Kinder Ground sweatshirt. The box checking, compliance culture many of the programs have created can result in caregivers seeing folks like us as police rather than partners. This farm is led by a great, forward-thinking farmer and was part of our original pilot projects. I had popped in to follow-up on a project. Czar didn’t know I was stopping in. Longer story for sure, but the moment Cezar walked out of the barn wearing his KG hoodie, with a smile waving hello, and asked if I needed help, I knew he was not only proud of the work we were doing together, but he also saw us as a true partner. Our first hard evidence that we were changing hearts and minds!
- How do you handle setbacks or obstacles that arise in your efforts to promote animal welfare?
This line of work is not for everyone. The number one requirement in handling setbacks or obstacles is patience and perseverance. These are big changes, and they take time and there is resistance on both sides. The key is to imagine Sisyphus happy, to find joy in the struggle. If you are not buoyed by the fight, able to believe in the change that few can imagine, look for reasons to persevere while many look for reasons to quit, this is a row most can’t hoe. (Reference : “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Albert Camus)
For any specific obstacle, my training in epidemiology and quality informs my approach to setbacks and obstacles. I take an evidence-based approach to just about everything! Take a step back and: 1. Make sure we define the problem 2. Figure out the root cause 3. Adjust the plan as needed. The trick is not to get married to the original plan. Often the best solutions are an evolution of the original. I think folks tend to wait too long to adapt and get so far down the path it makes it harder to course correct.
- What role does mental health play in your journey as a founder, and how do you take care of yourself?
Taking care along this journey does require mindful attention and honesty in how I am feeling. Frustrated, anxious, afraid, excited, and happy are all the feels all the time. Add in exhausted and I go back to “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” 😊
Practically, I am very protective of time to take care of me and don’t feel guilty for getting 7-8 hours of sleep and setting time aside to exercise. I exercise 1-2 hours 5-6 days a week, no excuses, and no apologies for it. This time is essential for my well-being and for our work. My best thinking happens on my runs and my frustrations get pounded out with my favorite cross-training playlists.
- What advice would you give to other women who are starting their own nonprofit or community-based projects?
Be honest with yourself. Do the work to make sure it makes sense. Is it needed? Is there a group already doing that you can leverage or give your time to and achieve the same thing? How much time can you seriously commit? What can you afford to give? What can you afford to lose? How much do you need or expect to make, if anything? How much change is enough? Will you be happy in the end if you only accomplish one half of what you set out to do? What if it fails?! Consider all these questions, because you will certainly have them soon enough and folks will keep asking you!
If you are still determined to be the change, take time to plan, organize and strategize. Find your partners make sure they are clear on the expectations and their roles and commitment, understanding each may be different for each role. Your founders don’t need to be your best friends, they need to be people you trust 100%, that will be honest, and that believe in the idea as much as you. Be clear on the mission, vision, and goals before you invite too many to the table. If you have never done a strategic planning session, find someone to help you do it. Doing the work to define the mission and vision and goals clearly is essential to help stay on course and will make it easier prioritize and say YES, and more importantly, NO to opportunities that present themselves.
Folks may be quick to volunteer. It is great to ask for and have help. Avoid getting overloaded with committees and expanding the board. Some may want to leverage your work to advance their own ideas they wish they had acted on.
- How do you stay motivated and inspired despite the challenges and emotional toll of working in the animal welfare field?
Connecting with the people, farms and animals we are impacting does the most to re-fuel my tank keeping me inspired and motivated. Sometimes that means just looking back at pictures and video of the work we are doing. It is very easy to get discouraged if you focus on the enormity of the challenge ahead or on the things that didn’t go as planned. The key to progress, and our foundational belief, is “Better is Better”. We don’t expect to fix it all today, or tomorrow. To understand it is a very long game, accepting that perfection cannot be the enemy of good is essential. It is easy to get caught up in the noise when folks challenge that we “are not helping them all”, or “what about those”. I see that as noise and an excuse others use to do nothing. The reality is, the work we do is making a difference to some. And it’s the SOME that matters, not the SUM. The emotional toll working in this, or any area with animals or people in need of support can be suffocating. There is a reason veterinarians have an alarmingly high rate of suicide. It is essential to, and I feel fortunate that my natural disposition is to find joy in the struggle.
- What are some common misconceptions about the work you do, and how do you address them?
Our audience is unique in its varied background from farmers and the agriculture community to suburban, city folk and CEOs and your everywhere animal lover. Some common misconceptions are that we are running an animal sanctuary, that we only work with “small” farms, that we only work with large, “factory” farms or that we think animal agriculture is “all bad”, or “all good”.
Our first step in addressing this was in the development of our website, deciding to invest in it by hiring an amazing company to help design it (Thank You Loop!). The website was a critical first step. The product was amazing, but the process really helped us refine our message and get an idea what the uninitiated would think when viewing our grand idea.
The website and our social media presence is our bridge to share the work we are doing. Here we can address the misconceptions. More importantly this is where we have an opportunity to spread compassion, changing hearts and minds. Whether you are a farmer that didn’t understand how we could improve welfare or a city-kid, like I was, who didn’t understand animal agriculture at all, we want to connect to the broader community to support the mission.
- How do you maintain your passion and drive for the mission of Kinder Ground during tough times?
I hate to keep beating the same drum, but I swear it is just my natural disposition, to find joy in the struggle. The hardest part is keeping the fear of failure and managing being anxious about keeping it going. The rest is easy when we see the changes made and the difference they make in the lives of animals today and in the future.
- What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work with Kinder Ground so far?
What I have found most rewarding about the work of Kinder Ground is how quickly we have seen that our theory of change holds. Compassion is a muscle and habit that needs to be practiced. Once we tap into that, it has been so fun to see the hearts and minds of farmers and the farm caregivers expand and grow. We have already shown that compassion can be contagious!
- How do you involve others in your mission and inspire them to contribute to the cause?
Finding ways to involve folks and inspire them to contribute is a challenge. It is easy to get “likes”, “hearts” and “smiley faces”. Who doesn’t love a cute cow picture? Turning likes into donations has been the code we have yet to crack. We have so many folks that say “we love what you are doing” but the love does not manifest in donations. When folks ask how they can help, my answer is pretty straight forward, DONATE! As we have more projects to share, we hope to connect with folks at a deeper level that will be more compelling.
- What future goals do you have for Kinder Ground, and how do you plan to achieve them?
Our most pressing goals are 1) To secure project funds to continue project grants beyond spring of 2025 through 2026; 2) secure endowment funds to support the operating budget of Kinder Ground so I can continue to dedicate myself to the work full time as well as higher additional team members to support more projects.
Plans include webinars, social media outreach, community service and outreach, public speaking and leverage any and all opportunities to share our story with anyone who will listen.
The end-game goal for Kinder Ground, our vision, is a world that shares responsibility for cultivating kindness, compassion, and respect for the animals and people that sustain us. We truly believe by sharing our work and connecting people with farmers we can create a habit of compassion that will extend beyond the farm gate.
IG: @kind_er_ground
FB: https://www.facebook.com/kindergroundFB
W: https://kinderground.org/
