Leaders from the DEI Council of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement will share results from the 2024 animal welfare survey on diversity, equity, and inclusion in our profession. The survey data provides insights into where the animal welfare industry has made progress since the original 2021 DEI survey, and offers recommendations to further address systemic discrimination and racism in animal welfare. The panel will focus on what’s next in this important work and identify paths for animal welfare professionals to strengthen their DEI journey. 

Panelists:

• Maria Morukian, MSM Global Consulting
• Jasmin Robinson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement
• Zimife Umeh, MSM Global Consulting

This session, both live and the recording, has been 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)

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.

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.

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.