Toward a Culture of Belonging and Inclusion in Animal Welfare

How can we ensure inclusion, safety, and belonging for transgender* people in our organizations? 

Webinar attendees will unpack the importance of DEI work concerning transgender, non-binary, and gender-fluid people in the animal sheltering and well-being movement, and how this work is inherently anti-racist and anti-oppressive. This webinar will cover a brief history of gender, the intersectional, Black Feminist roots of queer theory, and unpack some of the most asked questions about transgender and non-binary identities. 

Attendees will walk away with tangible ideas that your organization can implement to create more trans-inclusivity, equity, and belonging, and will understand how these actions can contribute to your overall DEI efforts. 

Presenter: Rory Adams, Senior Manager of Adoption Initiatives. PetSmart Charities

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)

Animal sheltering organizations face growing challenges with acquiring affordable liability insurance coverage.  As the number of claims (including some in the seven-figure range) continues to rise, even those shelters with solid track records are paying the price.  Serious dog bites seem to be at the epicenter of this insurance crisis.  Animal welfare organizations are struggling to find coverage -- and when they do find it, the cost can be prohibitive.  

In this discussion co-hosted by CalAnimals and The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, we will have a candid conversation with two representatives from the insurance industry who will share the big picture of what - from their inside perspective - is causing insurance challenges and what organizations can do to mitigate their risks and improve their chances of securing coverage. 

The Roundtable Panel:

• David Denniston, Director of Risk Management, McNeil and Company
• Damien Zillas, Compliance Coverage Counsel, Nonprofits Insurance Alliance

Moderated by:

• Jim Tedford, CAWA, President & CEO, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement
• Jill Tucker, CAWA, CEO, California Animal Welfare Association

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

Leaders who create work environments that fully support diverse identities have to be not only safe but brave. Inclusive organizations build cultures of psychological safety, in which all members feel safe and encouraged to share their honest ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of being ridiculed or punished. When we have that kind of safety we can build brave spaces, in which individuals can engage in courageous conversations about uncomfortable topics, can dissent respectfully, and can challenge systems that impede progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion for all. 

In this session, we will explore some of the nuances between safe spaces and brave spaces, and identify skills and actions for leaders to create thriving environments that are both safe and brave. Leaders who wish to establish an inclusive work environment will especially benefit from this webinar.

Presenter: Jasmin M. Robinson, Director of DEI Initiatives, The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement

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)

Part of The DEI Dozen package.

This series offers yearlong learning that will support you in your journey as a leader and changemaker. All of these webinars are for anyone in animal welfare who is invested in changing their organization, regardless of their title.

Webinars will:

• Focus on everyday inclusive leadership skills and actions.
• Explore techniques to address specific DEI challenges and to practice allyship.

All of the webinars have 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)

Webinars planned for 2023:

• 1-18 Breaking Down "Us vs. Them" Thinking to Build Stronger Connections
• 2-01 Responding to Subtle Acts of Exclusion and Microaggressions  
• 2-15 Building Psychological Safety for High Performing Teams
• 3-08 Allyship in Action: Daily Practices to Support the Needs of Minoritized Groups
• 4-19 Recognizing and Navigating Bias
• 4-26 Virtual Equity: Using Tech to Increase Access for Communities
• 5-3 Listening Skills for Leaders
• 6-7 Be an Upstander, not a Bystander: Techniques to Interrupt Harmful Behaviors 
• 6-21 The Power of Inquiry
• 7/12 Giving Effective Feedback
• 9/13 Microaggression 
• 10/11 How to Receive Feedback as a Leader 
• 12/6 Creating Brave Spaces to Foster Inclusion

View our new DEI Resource Library found on our main site.

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.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training Package includes free recordings of webinars, roundtables, and conference presentations. Click on the Training tab above to see what's included in the training package.  

Participate in our 2023 webinar series:

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

How do you know what your employees really think about you and your ability to manage? 

One of the most important skills for leaders to develop is the ability to receive feedback from others, but leaders often miss important insights when they do not listen to their staff's concerns, or fail to take them seriously. The more power or status a leader has, the more critical this feedback is. 

Leaders and future leaders, this webinar will help you identify typical barriers to receiving honest feedback. You’ll walk away with tips for eliciting and more effectively responding to your employees’ feedback. 

Presenter: Maria Morukian, President, MSM Global Consulting

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)

Part of The DEI Dozen package.

Animal welfare has a messaging problem. Current messaging can stoke divisions amongst those who work in animal welfare and between us and members of the communities we serve. There is an increasing focus on access to care and programming to support the human-animal bond, but we use words and stories that hold us back. Everyday narratives undermine our efforts to help people and their pets together and contribute to an epidemic of burnout in animal welfare and sheltering.

When we change our messaging, we can tell a different story and shift from harmful narratives and beliefs to those that create connection, collaboration, and, ultimately, better programs. In this session, we explore why messaging challenges are happening, how they shape the realities we experience every day, and what we can do about it. You will hear about SPARC (Supporting People and Animal Relationships for Change) and the program’s messaging principles and practices that can help us do our most impactful work for people and animals. 

Presenters: 

• Alison Fotsch Kleibor, CAWA, President & CEO, Wisconsin Humane Society
• Brad Shear, CAWA, CEO, Potter League for Animals
• Hanna Lentz, Co-Founder, Impact by Design (IbD) 

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)

Animal welfare advocates are on the front lines and able to provide information, guidance, and resources to people with pets facing housing challenges. This session will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to provide compassionate and effective case management for any program working with vulnerable pets. You will also learn how to collaborate with the human services sector in your community to improve outcomes in keeping people and pets together.

Additionally, we will discuss laws that help tenants combat being denied housing due to their pets. Keeping pets housed requires keeping people housed. In 2022, the Humane Society of the United States launched its first pet-inclusive housing mentorship with the Cleveland Animal Protective League and Richmond SPCA. Attendees will see examples of geographic information system (GIS) mapping to identify areas of need in their communities and learn how to use a combination of data, policy change, and safety net programming to help families maintain or secure pet-inclusive housing.

Presenters: 

• Sharon Harvey, President & CEO, Cleveland Animal Protective League
• Garrett Parsons, Pet Support Supervisor, Found House Interfaith Housing Network
• Dianne Prado, Founder & Director, Housing Equity & Advocacy Resource Team (HEART LA)

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)

The budget section of your grant proposals can present some unique challenges. Project budgets must be accurate, complete, and transparent. This can be challenging when the proposed project involves different activities, personnel, or resources. Even small errors and omissions in your budget or budget narrative can undermine the credibility of the proposal and reduce the chances of funding. Beyond that, you must demonstrate you can truly achieve project goals while keeping costs reasonable.

During this webinar, Alice Ruhnke will show you how you can develop a project budget that makes sense: one that justifies all of your proposed costs and demonstrates you’ll be an effective steward of the grantmaker’s funds. You’ll learn:

• how to create a program budget that covers all relevant costs;
• how to write an approach and budget that mirror one another;
• ways to identify matching funds; and,
• ideas for sustainability.

You’ll walk away ready to present a clear and persuasive budget that aligns with the rest of your proposal.

Part of the GrantStation Webinar Recording Series: Grants and Partnerships which is designed with beginners in mind. It’s perfect for any member of a nonprofit organization seeking to strengthen their proposal writing skills. Save $! If you're a Learning Member, purchase the package for only $10 instead of paying $5 for individual sessions.

Presenter: Alice Ruhnke, President, GrantStation

This 57-minute webinar and recording have been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits.
The recording will be available through September 30, 2024.

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.   **

GrantStation's 10-part training series builds the capacity of nonprofits to achieve their missions by providing practical information about specialized topics around grantseeking and proposal writing strategies. The recorded sessions are led by GrantStation's President, Alice Ruhnke. They are designed in an easy-to-digest format with beginners in mind. Each session includes 30+ minutes of practical content.

Recordings available now:

• Funding Trends: How to Maximize Your Efforts
• How to Secure Matching Funds
• How to Partner with Local Governments
• Navigating Corporate Support
• Read Between the Lines: How to Read a Request for Proposals
• Build Credibility in Your Background Section
• Writing a Compelling Statement of Need
• Crafting Process and Outcome Evaluations
• Building an Approach that Gets Noticed
• Developing Project Budgets that Make Sense

Tuition for the entire package:

• $0 Animal Welfare Professional Members
• $10 Learning Members
• $50 Industry Professional 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.   **