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Photo by Cheryl Gerber/AP Images for the HSUS

The scholarship and grant applications for 2024 are now closed.

Thank you for your interest in attending Animal Care Expo 2024. Scholarships are made possible by Petco Love and the DEI Trailblazer Grants are made possible by the Humane Society of the United States. Scholarships will be awarded to individuals working or volunteering in animal welfare and animal welfare organizations wishing to send staff or volunteers to the conference. Recipients will use the scholarship for the purpose of offsetting costs associated with registration, travel, lodging, and other expenses related to attending Animal Care Expo 2024. All applications close at 11:59PM ET on January 5, 2024. Please direct questions to the Events team at expo@humanesociety.org.

petco lovethe humane society of the united states

Requirements and eligibility for DEI Trailblazer Grants

Meet the 2023 DEI Trailblazer Honorees

  • Applicants must be able to attend Animal Care Expo May 15-18, 2024 in San Antonio, TX.
  • At the Humane Society of the United States, we have a commitment to cultivating diverse emerging leaders and the DEI Trailblazer Grants are open to those working and volunteering in animal welfare. The purpose of the grant is to support education research and increase diversity within the animal welfare movement by increasing the presentation and presence of racial and ethnic minorities, women, men, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people of marginalized socioeconomic status and other underrepresented groups at all levels of the animal welfare movement.
  • Applicants must be employed by or volunteer for a 501c3 animal shelter, rescue organization, or a nonprofit veterinary clinic. Preference will be given to first-time attendees.
  • Awardees will have the option to join a cohort of animal protection professionals and advocates from across the U.S. for onsite educational programming and networking opportunities. Awardees will also have access to post-conference community where educational resources, peer-to-peer learning platforms, and additional networking and engagement opportunities will be shared.
  • Scholarships are provided in amounts up to $1,800 per attendee; note that if you are a confirmed speaker for Animal Care Expo 2024 and receiving any grant/stipend support, scholarship funding will be reduced by that grant/stipend amount if scholarship is approved.
  • DEI Trailblazer Grants must be used to offset travel expenses including transportation, meals and other related expenses for attending Animal Care Expo 2024. DEI Trailblazer grant recipients will stay at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter or San Antonio Marriot Riverwalk, as assigned and arranged by HSUS staff.
  • Registration fees of $300 (for full conference registration including a Learning Lab) and hotel accommodation costs will be deducted from the grant amount awarded. You should not register for the conference until you are notified if you received a scholarship; notifications will be sent prior to the advance registration deadline of February 22, 2024.
  • Grants are non-transferable without written permission from the Humane Society of the United States. The approved grant dollar amount will be transferred electronically to the grant recipient’s organization.

Requirements and eligibility for Petco Love scholarships

  • Applicants must be able to attend Animal Care Expo, May 15-18, 2024, in San Antonio, TX.
  • Applicants must be employed by a municipal shelter and must reside and work within Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas or Louisiana.
  • Scholarships are provided in amounts up to $1,800 per attendee; note that if you are a confirmed speaker for Animal Care Expo 2024 and receiving any grant/stipend support, scholarship funding will be reduced by that grant/stipend amount if scholarship is approved.
  • Scholarships must be used to offset travel expenses including hotel accommodations at the headquarter hotel, transportation, meals, and other related expenses for attending Animal Care Expo 2024. Scholarship recipients will stay at San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter or San Antonio Marriot Riverwalk, as assigned and arranged by HSUS staff.
  • Registration fees of $300 (for full conference registration including a Learning Lab) and hotel accommodation costs will be deducted from the scholarship amount awarded. You should not register for the conference until you are notified if you received a scholarship; notifications will be sent prior to the advance registration deadline of February 22, 2024.
  • Scholarships are non-transferable without written permission from the Humane Society of the United States. The approved scholarship dollar amount will be transferred electronically to the scholarship recipient’s organization.

Required documents

If selected to receive a scholarship or grant, you will need to provide the following for your organization no later than January 26, 2024:

  1. A completed EFT authorization (bank information) form, document provided in the application
  2. Your organization’s W-9 form (you must use this 2018 version - version year is in the top left corner) form
  3. An IRS determination letter (for exempt organizations) or a federal tax identification number (for government entities)

These documents can be submitted in the scholarship application form or emailed to the events team at expo@humanesociety.org when you are notified that you received a scholarship. Scholarships can only be granted to a 501c3 nonprofit organizations, they cannot be distributed to individuals.

Important dates

January 5, 2024Application deadline.
January 19, 2024Scholarship recipients will be notified via email if they are receiving a scholarship. A scholarship agreement will be included that must be signed and returned by January 26 with other required documents.
January 26, 2024All recipients must accept the scholarship and return the signed scholarship agreement, IRS determination letter, completed W-9 and Electronics Fund Transfer Form no later than this date.
February 22, 2024The discounted advance registration rate of $250 ends (for those not selected to receive a scholarship but wish to register for the conference on their own). Learning Labs are an additional $50.

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