Support Advocacy with a VPEC Contribution

Why are VPEC Contributions separate from Membership Dues?

The Veterinary Political Education Committee (VPEC) is how we make campaign contributions to legislators.  These contributions are subject to very strict election finance laws, and we can't just make contributions out of our general fund. We must register the VPEC with the NYS Board of Elections and make detailed reports of all funds collected and which candidates we make contributions to.

This is why we need to raise campaign contributions separately from membership dues.

Why are VPEC Contributions important?

We make contributions from the VPEC to attend fundraising events and build relationships with legislators who are engaged in animal-related legislation. There are very strict ethics around these contributions, so they are never linked to specific legislation that we would like to see a legislator support or oppose. However they help us make sure that the legislators are aware that our members are a valuable and expert resource to turn to when considering animal-related legislation. When meet with the legislators for discussions on specific bills it is helpful to have already met with them socially at the events that VPEC funds pay for. 

We support legislators with VPEC funds who have shown an interest in animal-related legislation. It is in our interest that they are re-elected since these are the legislators who are most likely to take the time to find out what insights NYSVMS can provide on the issues that legislation is addressing.