The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement Learning Center
Call for Proposals
The Association Conference Committee strives to deliver high quality, impactful education that meets animal welfare professionals' needs. Our conference audience is made up of leaders at animal shelters and government animal services agencies, including CEOs, directors and supervisors within many departments, and rising stars who plan to be in leadership roles someday.
Tracks for our 2026 conference are listed below and are subject to change.
NEW: 5 Tracks!
- Visionary Leadership (topics for seasoned and growing leaders - ex. long-term planning, strategic thinking, fostering creativity and innovation, building emotional intelligence, driving inclusive cultural change, empowering teams and building trust)
- Management & Supervision (topics for new and aspiring managers - ex. short-term planning, organizing people and projects, delegating, problem-solving, overseeing operations, increasing efficiencies, building high-performing teams, risk management, time management)
- Communications & Marketing (ex. crisis communications, internal & external interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, reputation management, accessible digital campaigns, inclusive marketing, innovative promotions on multimedia)
- Fundraising (topics for intermediate and advanced fundraisers - ex. event planning, major donor cultivation and stewardship, capital campaigns, prospect research and analytics, fundraising during uncertainty, inclusive and ethical philanthropy)
- Strategic Workforces (ex. recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers, employee engagement, talent development, workforce planning, recognition and rewards, supporting mental health, compensation & benefits)
Who Should Submit a Proposal:
- Experts on a current 201+ level leadership or management topic fitting into one of the above track topics
- Animal welfare professionals with experience implementing leadership and management initiatives whose expertise fits into one of the above track topics; experience presenting in-person training is preferred.
Speaker Expertise: We welcome speakers who have consulted with or work directly with animal shelters/animal care & control agencies who could jointly co-present a case study of their collaborations/projects.
Please do NOT submit proposals for:
- Keynote or inspirational speeches
- 101-level topics for a general audience
- Animal welfare operations topics
In the interest of offering sessions which adhere to adult learning principles, The Association will provide selected speakers with a guide to developing impactful, interactive, and engaging workshops.
Submit Workshop Proposal
Submission Deadlines for Workshop Proposals for The Annual Conference 2026
2026: Chattanooga, TN, October 26-29:
Submit your proposal by January 12, 2026
