Come together for animals in the Lone Star State!
The 26th Annual Animal Grantmakers Conference, Bigger and Better, Together, will be held October 15 - 17, 2025 (opening day is a Wednesday this year) at the historic Hilton Fort Worth in Fort Worth, Texas.
This year's conference will feature speakers with expertise across a wide range of animal- and grantmaking-related topics, including: "unwantedness" and the moral weight of different types of animals; funding to achieve systemic change (drawing on examples of such change for dogs and cats from across the globe); using peer-to-peer grantmaking as the scaling mechanism for lifesaving in companion animal shelters (highlighting organizations in Texas); protecting farmed animals in large meat-producing states like Texas; and, more.
A nod to Animal Grantmakers' early years, the second day of sessions will be dedicated to member-led presentations, interactive discussions, and workshops (e.g., how to design smart grants and strategies for identifying high-impact opportunities within one's chosen animal cause area). Offering an unrivaled opportunity to learn from each other and more about each other's work, these funders-only assemblies will strive to increase our individual and collective impact on behalf of animals.
Conference Highlights (subject to change):
- A choice of field trips on the Wednesday before the official start of the conference ($0 - $75)
- A fun-filled opening night reception
- Panel presentations featuring experts on the ground locally, as well as from across Texas, the United States, and the globe
- An eclectic series of TED-inspired "Lightning Talks" on topics ranging from AI for animals and animals in tourism to sanctuaries like Born Free USA, a primate sanctuary in San Antonio, that provide high-quality, lifelong care with minimal human interference, improving farmed fish welfare, and the links between animal and human violence
- The 4th Annual Melanie Anderson Lifetime Excellence in Animal Protection (LEAP) Award
- An evening of dine-arounds to some of Fort Worth’s top vegan and vegan-friendly dining establishments – after Yappy Hour, of course!
- Facilitated discussions about the future of animal philanthropy in the United States and around the world, harnessing our collective power for a brighter future for animals, and more
- Workshops to make us more strategic and effective grantmakers
- A closing night gala reception and dinner with a keynote presentation from American philosopher and New York University professor, Jeff Sebo