Helpful hints to get you started
We put the spotlight on award Category 6, ‘Community Education and/or Outreach Program’. This is for Rehoming organisations (not for profit Rescue Groups, Animal Shelters or Council Animal Shelters/Pounds) who have made a significant impact on animal welfare outcomes in the community as a result of education and/or outreach program. The judging criteria cover program aims, program methods, and program outcomes.
Entry is by Rehoming organisation self-nomination. The person submitting the nomination should be a manager or senior employee/volunteer from the Rehoming organisation who has sufficient knowledge of its operations.
Get inspired and check out the 2018 winner of the Community Education and Outreach Program Award, the Cat Protection Society NSW.
Helpful Hints
#1 Identify why your Rehoming organisation introduced a community education and/or outreach program. For example – your rehoming organisation may have experienced a high number of unclaimed animals or received large numbers of unwanted litters or vulnerable families in your community need support with keeping their pets safe and healthy.
#2 Include the specific goals and measures you put in place for your program. For example, to – reduce euthanasia of healthy and treatable animals, increase adoptions, reduce animal intake, improve support for families with pets, increase reduce dog bites, manage community cats, or improve pet wellbeing and safety in your community. Include the specific measures and time frames for your program.
#3 Simply explain the methods/policies and processes your organisation implemented to undertake the program. Briefly cover who, what, when and how you executed the initiative. For example, your organisation may have undertaken a series of talks on a particular topic or introduced a desexing program or held a free microchipping day or reduced the adoption cost for senior pets or provide discounted veterinary treatment or provided a post-adoption dog training course. Perhaps your organisation has collaborated with other stakeholders such as Councils, Rescue Groups, Animal Shelters, veterinary clinics, and schools to achieve your goals.
#4 Briefly cover the key outcomes/impact of your initiative including any challenges you had to overcome. Explain how your program impacted on animal welfare outcomes, for example – animal well-being, adoptions, reduction in euthanasia, increase in reclaims, support for families – in relation to your program’s specific goals.
#5 Overall operations – explain how this community education and/or outreach program fits within the overall operations and strategic direction of your Rehoming organisation.
So, get started and submit a self-nomination from your Rehoming organisation for Category 6.
Enter Now!
Photo: Jo Lyons Photography
