A comprehensive transition plan is a hallmark of a well-led, well-managed organization that is focused on its mission and the best interests of its staff, volunteers and community. 

Learn how to create and maintain an effective succession plan from Gary LaBranche, the author of The Association CEO Succession Toolkit, the first published book focused solely on planning for, managing through and completing an association CEO transition and succession -- and the book The Association's CEO, Jim Tedford, used when he wrote his own succession plan. 

Learning Objectives

Following this webinar, participants will be able to:

• List some of the historical and trend data about leader tenure, transition, and search
• Outline three types of transitions and six common transition scenarios
• Discuss key elements of a Transition and Continuity Plan
• Summarize the roles of an organization’s staff, board, general counsel, auditors, insurance agents, and others play in the transition process
• Describe the relationship of succession to strategy

This webinar is especially intended for CEOs, board members, and HR leadership who need to understand how to develop and maintain a transition and continuity plan.

This webinar has been pre-approved for:

• 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit
• 1 NACA CE
• 1 CE towards ACO CE requirements per Ch. 829 of the Texas Health and Safety Code by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

What keeps employees around?  

In this roundtable, panelists will discuss the realities of sustaining a workforce with employees from various backgrounds, needs, and experiences.  Hear how they keep their staff engaged and committed to their teams and organizations. We'll talk about providing professional development opportunities for employees, whether they are in their dream job or aspire to grown into another role.

This discussion is especially for hiring managers, leaders, and committees who are interested in learning about resources that can help empower, support, and maintain a diverse workforce.

The Roundtable Panel:

• Rachel Levine, Director of People Development, Dumb Friends League
• Jessica Lopez, Executive Director, The PAW Mission
• Jessica Umunnabuike, Senior Talent & Diversity Specialist, San Diego Humane Society

Moderated by:

• Jasmin Robinson, Director of DEI Initiatives, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

This roundtable has been approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit.

View our DEI Resource Library found on our main site.

Discover all of our DEI learning opportunities.

The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement is committed to action on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in animal welfare and we want you with us on this journey. As part of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Commitment to Action, The Association will continue offering resources and learning opportunities designed to further the eradication of systemic discrimination and racism in animal welfare.

We thank The Life of Riley at Spring Point for their support of The Association's DEI initiatives.

Gain skills for navigating challenging conversations around DEI and get practice presenting to colleagues. This program includes a 3-day in-person training and online coaching. 

All participants will enjoy full scholarships, including travel and accommodations.

2024 training cohorts:

• April 9-11 (Atlanta, GA)        FULL
• June 5-7 (Denver, CO)           FULL
• September 4-6 (Phoenix, AZ) FULL

Check back in early 2025 for 2025 Ambassador cohort opportunities.

Participants in this four-hour online workshop, designed for individuals in leadership roles, will explore why and how to advance DEI at their organization. 

Low-cost registration fees have been made possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors.

• March 25, 1-5pm ET - register by Tuesday, March 19
• September 23 1-5pm, ET - register by  Friday, September 13

Check out The Association’s DEI Pride Store, where your purchase of tees and hoodies helps to support our Conference Scholarship Fund.

For Animal Welfare Professional Members only

Are you considering a rebrand (large or small)? This interactive virtual workshop, presented by Karen Handelman, President of 501creative, and Rachel Klousnitzer, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Anti-Cruelty, will include an organizational rebrand case study and follow with an opportunity for you to have your marketing materials critiqued. That’s right, attendees are invited to submit materials (logo, social media posts/profile, website  pages, donor communication, etc.) ahead of time, and the group, including the presenters, will provide feedback live during the session. Please submit by by Monday afternoon, October 1.

The Anti-Cruelty Society, a 125-year-old organization, recently rebranded themselves and became Anti-Cruelty. Karen and Rachel worked together on this major design initiative. Their case study will exemplify key components to a successful rebrand, whether that’s at the programmatic level or for the entire organization.  Topics covered will include:

• Identifying costs and establishing a budget
• Developing a project timeline
• Gaining buy-in from stakeholders including staff, board members, volunteers, and donors
• Conducting research and executing the rebranding 
• Assessing the response to the new brand

This interactive virtual workshop is especially for marketing and communications professionals, executive directors, board members, and liaisons. Plan to keep your microphone unmuted and your webcam on so that you can fully engage with everyone.

Open only to Animal Welfare Professional members of The Association.

This clinic has been pre-approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit and 1 NACA CE.

Limited to 40 People - there will be a waitlist

Introducing a new program or a major change can transform an organization, but its implementation often generates resistance from staff, volunteers, or the board. With the power of data, enthusiasm, and careful planning, you can successfully implement a new initiative or a significant change within your organization. 

Join our interactive clinic to discover the key steps for effectively developing a vision, getting buy-in from your key stakeholders, planning an effective implementation, and launching a successful rollout.

This virtual workshop will be led by Brittany Fleming, Founder of the Unicorn Foster Program, which has made a remarkable impact by reducing the length of stay of large-breed behavior dogs by over 70%. Brittany will present her development of the Unicorn program as a case study of transformative change. Learn from her experience and discuss your transformative goals and ideas with your peers.

Open only to Animal Welfare Professional members of The Association.

Please only register if you can attend LIVE on September 17. The recording will be available afterwards.

This clinic has been pre-approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit

Learn about the crucial steps involved in monitoring and reporting your annual budget, and the benefits of leveraging automation and technological tools to expedite the process. This webinar will equip you with data visualization techniques that will enable you to communicate key performance indicators (KPIs) tailored to animal welfare effortlessly. Additionally, we will unveil short-term budget strategies that nonprofits can use to help build long-term financial stability. By attending this session, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the budgeting process and the tools and strategies that can help you optimize it for animal welfare stakeholders.

Learning objectives: 

• Explore the benefits and differences of various types of budgets.
• Demonstrate and analyze the steps in the budgeting process
• Illustrate how data visualization and automation tools can be used to review and present key performance indicators (KPIs) necessary for animal welfare organizations to build financial stability. 
• Explain the importance of using the budget as a management tool.

This webinar has been pre-approved for:

• 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit
• 1 NACA CE
• 1 CE towards ACO CE requirements per Ch. 829 of the Texas Health and Safety Code by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

For Animal Welfare Professional members of The Association only. 

Is your organization ready for your departure? Very few organizations seem to have thorough plans for leadership succession.  A transition in any senior leadership position, planned or unplanned, brings challenges that can throw an unprepared organization into chaos. Thinking through key decisions ahead of time and committing those decisions to writing can head off serious problems.

Join The Association’s CEO, Jim Tedford, who will walk you through the process he used to develop a robust Transition & Continuity Plan designed to help our Board and staff navigate a CEO departure.  Should he leave through termination, voluntary or involuntary, disability, retirement or —heaven forbid— death, the planning document will minimize stress and maximize the likelihood of a seamless transition. 

Jim will guide you through the planning process including how to approach the topic with your board, what might surprise you in the process, and how to develop your own Transition and Continuity Plan document. In addition to guided mentorship from our CEO, you can commiserate and brainstorm along with your colleagues during this impactful hour.

This session is sponsored by Petszel (click their logo to learn more about them & how they can help your shelter)

This clinic has been pre-approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit.

Caring for animals and helping the people who support them can feel daunting. Add in a staffing shortage and you’re officially overwhelmed. How do you prioritize when you don't have enough help or time? When should you take a break or push forward? How do you say 'no' to the next task so you can say 'yes' to your well-being?

Learn how panelists across different animal welfare sectors manage wellness and boundaries when staff and morale are constantly shifting. This roundtable is ideal for staff interested in adding coping strategies to their wellness toolkit. 

The Roundtable Panel:

• Allison Cardona, California State Director, Koret Shelter Medicine Program
• Jessica Umunnabuike, Senior Talent & Diversity Specialist, San Diego Humane Society
• Kristen Williams, Community Events & Outreach Manager, Forsyth Humane Society

Moderated by:

• Jasmin Robinson, Director of DEI Initiatives, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

This roundtable has been approved for 1 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credit.

This online event will inspire you to continue thinking outside the proverbial “box” — and, indeed, to think outside your shelter walls — to address our most pressing challenges. In four power-packed sessions, your colleagues will be digging into telehealth, inclusivity, employee retention, and the new generation of leaders.   Click the Agenda tab to review the 4 recorded sessions.

As a member of The Association as of 6/13/24, your spot is guaranteed. You will be automatically registered and will receive a confirmation email and reminder emails. 

Registration includes the full live event plus access to the 4 webinar recordings through 12/31/24.

Registration for the four recordings for Learning Members is only $9.99.

You must use your Association login credentials to register for the summit. You may need to login on our main site first, then return to the conference site. 
If you don't have a membership, you must join - learn about your options, including a free Learning Membership.

In today's interconnected world, partnerships can help your nonprofit open new avenues to amplify your impact and extend your reach. However, forging these alliances is not without its challenges. Many nonprofits struggle with identifying the right partners, navigating the complexities of diverse collaboration models, and managing these relationships effectively to ensure mutual benefit and success.

Over six interactive sessions, GrantStation President Alice Ruhnke will cover how to create productive partnerships across various sectors so you can increase your organization’s impact. They are designed in an easy-to-digest format with beginners in mind. Each 45-minute session includes 30+ minutes of practical content.   

Recordings available through 2025 (descriptions below):

• Identify and Cultivate Meaningful Partnerships
• Maximize Growth by Partnering With Businesses
• Increase Your Impact Through Nonprofit Partnerships
• How to Cultivate Local Government Support
• Unlock Partnerships With Financial Institutions
• Partner with Communities of Faith for Social Impact

Tuition for the six-part package:

• $0 Animal Welfare Professional Members
• $20 Learning Members
• $50 Industry Partners
• $75 Industry Partner Non-Members

Our partner GrantStation provides tools and training to find new grant sources, build a strong grantseeking program, and write winning successful proposals to fund your organization’s mission.

**  Members of The Association, subscribe to GrantStation at a 90% discount, then enjoy access to MORE webinars about grant topics.   **

DESCRIPTIONS:

Identify and Cultivate Meaningful Partnerships

Connectedness has never been so important in the nonprofit sector. Effective partnerships have a lot of advantages, including making your applications more appealing to funders. But successful partnerships rarely "just happen." They usually require strategic steps and resources to reach their highest potential. Therefore, you need to think about both developing and managing collaborations. Alice Ruhnke, President of GrantStation, will give you details about the different collaborative models your nonprofit can engage in to increase your odds of getting funded. The webinar will cover these specific topics:

• Types of partnership models;
• Considerations as you work within each model;
• Examples of successful collaborative efforts; and,
• How you can proactively manage partnerships.

Maximize Growth by Partnering With Businesses

Business and corporate support for philanthropic activities can be an integral part of your overall funding strategy. However, businesses give in different ways. Some have corporate foundations while others provide sponsorships, matching funds, product donations, or volunteer time. This diversity makes it difficult to determine the best way to strategically position yourself to be competitive for corporate support. GrantStation President Alice Ruhnke will share strategies you can use to add corporate donations to your organization’s funding portfolio. You’ll walk away with an understanding of the driving forces behind corporate giving strategies so you can develop approaches to attract support from diverse businesses. You’ll learn:

• The different models of corporate giving;
• How each model could benefit your organization; and,
• The best ways to pre-position your organization to be successful when asking for and obtaining support.

Increase Your Impact Through Nonprofit Partnerships

Nonprofit organizations frequently forge partnerships to enhance their impact, pool resources, and more effectively meet their objectives. Collaborating with other nonprofits—from social service agencies and educational institutions to healthcare organizations and the media—can unlock powerful synergies, broadening the scope and reach of your efforts. Alice Ruhnke will help you optimize nonprofit collaborations. This session will explore seven critical factors essential for forging effective partnerships:

1. Mission Alignment: Ensuring a shared vision and values is the cornerstone of any successful partnership.
2. Complementary Strengths: Leveraging the unique strengths and resources of each organization can lead to greater collective impact.
3. Clear Goals and Metrics: Establishing specific objectives and ways to measure success keeps the partnership focused and accountable.
4. Open Communication: Maintaining transparency and ongoing dialogue ensures alignment and builds trust.
5. Defined Roles: Clarifying each party's responsibilities prevents overlap and ensures efficiency.
6. Cultural Fit: Harmonizing organizational cultures or finding ways to bridge differences is crucial for smooth collaboration.
7. Legal and Financial Due Diligence: Addressing legal and financial implications upfront avoids complications and ensures a stable partnership foundation.

How to Cultivate Local Government Support

Working collaboratively with local and state governments could be a win-win situation for your organization. These entities tend to have larger sums of money to distribute, so their support can be an avenue to sustaining your organization. However, partnering with any level of government can feel intimidating to nonprofit organizations, especially those without much experience. The systems for partnering with government are different in their timing, bureaucracy, and processes than those for applying to foundations. These partnerships are seldom a “quick fix” but instead a longer-term strategy. Alice Ruhnke will show you the steps and resources you need to create these impactful relationships and grow your organization.  You’ll walk away with an understanding of how to position your organization to maximize public benefits. You’ll learn:

• The benefits of partnering with local and state governments;
• The steps you need to take to partner with local and state governments;
• How to use your organization’s deep knowledge of community needs, reach, and existing relationships; and,
• Common obstacles and possible solutions.

Unlock Partnerships With Financial Institutions

Financial institutions play a pivotal role in local economic development and are often keen on supporting initiatives that align with their mission to foster community growth. Working alongside community banks can open up new avenues for funding, volunteer engagement, and community outreach. Alice Ruhnke will help you build relationships with your community banks. You’ll be introduced to the various ways in which partnering with different financial institutions can help your nonprofit access financial resources, gain financial literacy, and leverage local networks to amplify your impact. Even if you already have banking relationships, this session can help ensure you’re maximizing those relationships. You’ll learn:

• The different types of financial institutions and the pros and cons of working with them;
• How the Community Reinvestment Act can benefit you;
• The actions you need to take when researching banks in your community; and,
• Recommended steps to develop, maintain, and grow relationships with your community banks.

Partner with Communities of Faith for Social Impact

In the pursuit of expanding their impact, nonprofit organizations are continuously seeking new and innovative partnerships. One avenue of collaboration that holds significant promise is with communities of faith. Alice Ruhnke, President of GrantStation, and Aretha Simons, President of Multiplying Talents, will delve into the dynamic potential of partnerships between nonprofits and faith-based organizations. You’ll see the transformative power that arises when these entities unite for the betterment of society. During the session, we will explore:

• Strategies for identifying potential faith-based partners that align with your organization's mission;
• Navigating the complexities of faith-based collaboration with respect, sensitivity, and inclusivity;
• How partnering with faith-based organizations can reach a broader audience; and,
• How partnering together can enhance programs and initiatives.