Share Your SPAA Experience

Our team had the privilege of attending Krista Hiddema’s strategic planning course,and it was an incredibly valuable experience for our organisation.

The course was well-structured, insightful, and deeply relevant to the challenges and opportunities
we face as a mission-driven movement.

Krista’s expertise, facilitation skills, and ability to distill complex strategic concepts into actionable steps made the sessions both engaging and practical. She was incredibly supportive, guiding us through refining our vision, developing our programs for the next two years, and embedding resilience and best practices into our operational procedures. Her guidance has been instrumental in professionalizing our organisation and strengthening our foundation for long-term impact.

A standout aspect of the course was Krista’s invaluable support in preparing us for funding pitches. She helped us articulate our mission and strategy in a compelling way, ensuring that we are well-equipped to communicate our work effectively to potential funders. Her insights and coaching have given us the confidence and clarity to secure the resources we need to drive our mission forward.

We left the course feeling inspired, focused, and ready to take our organisation to the next level. We highly recommend this course to any team looking to sharpen its strategic direction, build resilience, and enhance its approach to funding and sustainability.

When I launched UnchainedTV as a nonprofit news network for the plant-based lifestyle, I knew a lot about television, but nothing about nonprofits.

Dr. Krista Hiddema’s course taught me what a nonprofit really is, how it should be structured and run and how to explain it to the world through a compelling Strategic Plan. Her course, which includes the latest in AI, is fun, cutting edge and – quite simply – brilliant. It’s been a godsend.”

Participating in SPAA 2025 was one of the most important opportunities our organization has had, and I don’t think I fully realized just how necessary this reset was until we were in it.

“During the AVA conference 2025, we heard again and again how strategic planning sometimes requires stepping on the brakes, slowing down, looking inward, and reassessing where you’re going. For an animal sanctuary, that’s incredibly hard. The animals still need daily care, no matter what, and slowing down can feel impossible.

Being part of the amazing SPAA cohort of 2025, and doing this work alongside Jill, our new Executive Director, has been transformative. We’ve grown incredibly close through this process, and we’ve taken a deep, honest look at who we are as an organization and where we know we can go. That wouldn’t have been possible without being forced (in the best way..) to slow down and really do the work.

Krista and Kyle are so much more than teachers. They are mentors, role models, and genuinely wonderful humans. They created a space where we felt safe, seen, and capable. They believed in us when we needed it most, encouraged us when things felt uncertain, and pushed us to take the necessary steps forward.

I have nothing but gratitude for them. I rave about them constantly, because this course is something every organization should do when they’re ready to roll up their sleeves and truly commit to their future.

If you’re considering strategic planning and you know it’s time to pause, reflect, and realign; SPAA is not just helpful, it’s essential.

I am deeply grateful, and I will always be grateful, to Krista and Kyle.

Krista is an incredible teacher and community builder for the animal rights movement. Who or what Krista doesn’t know may not be worth knowing.

Despite being involved in strategic planning for many years in for-profit organizations, I learnt a significant amount during the 6-month strategic planning cohort. Krista ensured the course was specific to non-profit organizations and even tailored it to our specific group which were mostly animal sanctuaries. She balanced the core learning material with personal examples, invited guest speakers when relevant topics arose as well as a bi-weekly informal ‘office hours’ session where we could drop in to ask questions and chat. 

The journey we have gone on throughout this course as a team has been invaluable. We are never short of ideas, however deciding what to prioritize and what not to do is always a challenge. This process has forced us to examine our programmatic areas and make realistic plans on how to make our mission a reality. After all, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” To make a meaningful and lasting impact for our fellow animals takes planning, passion and action. 

My advocacy career has had some defining moments, and joining SPAA was a major one.

You can truly sense the years of careful planning that Krista and Kyle poured into this program. The AI features, designed and passionately taught by Kyle, are invaluable tools specifically crafted for animal advocacy. Combined with the comprehensive resources, guest speakers who are leaders in the field, and the focus on building both skills and community, SPAA offers a truly transformative experience. Krista has a gift for nurturing growth; she planted a seed in each of us and patiently cultivated it throughout the year. The result? We emerged as stronger vegan activists, more effective organizations, and better people. Sharing this journey with passionate advocates from around the world was incredibly inspiring. SPAA has equipped me with the tools and knowledge to make a stronger impact for animals.

Krista has a unique gift for presenting complex topics in a clear, structured, and inspiring way.

Her lessons create a warm, engaging atmosphere where everyone feels encouraged to share ideas and ask questions. I’m deeply grateful for the practical knowledge I gained, which I now use daily to drive meaningful change. Krista’s passion and ability to spark creativity and collaboration are truly empowering. She doesn’t just teach—she inspires action, making every session a transformative experience. Thank you, Krista, for your incredible energy and impact!

The Strategic Planning for Animal Activism (SPAA) course was a wonderful opportunity for our organization to get grounded for long-term sustainability so we can focus on our mission.

Krista Hiddema’s course, with the able assistance of Kyle Behrend, is comprehensive, well-paced, and well-resourced. It’s like a garden of forking paths to work on every aspect of developing your nonprofit, and the benefits will last well beyond the completion of the course. Best of all, Krista and Kyle nurture the participants, and bathe them in caring support for the work they are doing. Their kindness sets the tone for every session. I cannot recommend this course highly enough!

Taking the Strategic Planning for Animal Activists course this year was an incredible experience.

Krista is not only an outstanding teacher—she’s also incredibly generous and supportive with her knowledge, as well as fun and kind. The constant support and the creativity behind the resources and the tools created by Kyle were key to achieving the course’s main goal: developing our own strategic plan (We did it! ). When someone teaches with so much love and passion, it truly shows, and it was a privilege to be part of this network.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned is that it doesn’t matter where your organization or movement is right now—whether you’re new or experienced, working with a large team or a small one—it’s always a good time to pause, get organized, prioritize, and move forward. Krista reminded us that “when everything is important, nothing is important” and inspired us to trust that if we all contribute our part, the world can -and will- truly change.

If you’re thinking about joining, don’t hesitate—trust the process. You’ll learn so much, grow your skills, and become part of an incredible community of activists, experts and beautiful people.
The future is vegan ! =)

Krista is an amazing teacher and advisor.

In her strategic planning class her explanations of extremely important bodies of knowledge for developing organizations were always exceptionally clear and engaging. The structure of the course and the assignments were very well laid out, with the material and assignments from the earlier classes laying a solid foundation for those of the later classes. Krista was absolutely dedicated to helping us through the process, making herself highly available for help outside of the class meetings, responding to all of our questions, and talking to us one-on-one. She drew upon her vast experience in and relationships with organizations in the animal movement to give us invaluable information and advice. Our group found going through the strategic planning process with Krista to be indispensable for our organizational development. I can’t imagine a more helpful strategic planning class for nonprofits in the animal movement.

Our organization was around for four years before we finally made the leap to become an official nonprofit. SPAA came into our lives at the perfect time to help us navigate these uncharted waters.

Krista and Kyle have so much knowledge and we are thankful to have had some of that imparted on us so that we can be even better at serving the animals and our community

Krista is beautiful in and out, her beauty isn’t just physical but it’s defined by her kindness and how much she loves to empower women in animal advocacy spaces.

I am honored to have been a beneficiary of her knowledge at least twice i.e. designated person training and strategic organisation master class training. My knowledge on safe space policy, fundraising, human resource management, and organisational development has improved a great deal. I highly recommend her to any organisation looking to grow in animal  rights advocacy.

Krista is one of the most inspiring instructors I have ever worked with.

She was always very attentive, she answered many questions which came up, and was able to adapt her classes so that it would meet everyone’s needs, despite that the group was large.


I am also very grateful for Krista’s support in trying to answer difficult questions I had about our organization despite the fact that they were not related to the topics of the class. Krista is simply a very experienced, kind, and inspiring person which I would highly recommend working with!

Krista is a powerhouse of inspiration and intellectual honesty.

Her forward-thinking approach to helping non-profits flourish is a true gift to the animal advocacy movement. In a world stained by systematic violence towards animals, Krista’s refreshing optimism and diverse skill set serve as catalysts to build a more compassionate world.

I had the privilege of attending Dr. Krista Hiddema’s Strategic Planning for Animal Advocacy course in 2024, and it was truly transformative.

She teaches concepts that are absolutely critical yet often overlooked in the nonprofit space when it comes to building effective, impactful organizations.

Dr. Hiddema has an exceptional ability to break down complex ideas into clear, engaging, and highly actionable insights. Her teaching style makes it easy not only to understand the material, but to confidently apply it in real-world contexts. Beyond her expertise, she is an incredibly kind and supportive educator who genuinely cares about her students’ success.

I feel fortunate to have learned from her and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to strengthen their strategic thinking and impact in the advocacy space.

This strategic planning class fundamentally changed how we operate as an organization. It moved us out of reactive decision-making and into clear, values-aligned strategy supported by systems we can actually sustain.

The process helped us articulate what we do, why it matters, and how our programs fit together, something we had struggled to fully name despite years of hands-on work.

As an emerging Executive Director in the sanctuary space, each class provided clarity and practical tools that immediately informed both our strategic plan and our day-to-day operations. Just as importantly, the course created a rare and deeply valuable space for organizations to speak honestly about the real challenges we face, without judgment, while holding compassion for the complexity and care each of us brings to this movement. That combination of rigor and humanity was both grounding and motivating.

Krista brings a unique blend of clarity, discipline, and compassion, with just the right amount of humor. She challenged our assumptions, pushed us to think at the right altitude, and offered tools we were able to put into practice immediately. As a result, we now have a strategic plan that feels accurate, grounded, and actionable—and a leadership team that is more confident, aligned, and equipped to lead with integrity. This work has had a lasting impact on how we plan, lead, and communicate our mission.