November 15, 2011

Is Your Group Eligible for World Spay Day Photo Contest Funds?

Read the eligibility requirements and find out

In conjunction with World Spay Day 2012, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International are once again running an online pet photo contest to provide an opportunity for people to celebrate their animals, win great prizes, and raise critical funds for spay/neuter.

In 2011, generous contestants and their friends and family donated more than $300,000 for spay/neuter programs of The HSUS, HSI, and 261 eligible Spay Day event organizers in the United States and abroad. This funding allows thousands more spays and neuters to be performed, powerfully increasing Spay Day's impact beyond the month of February.

The World Spay Day 2012 Pet Photo Contest runs from Feb. 1 to Feb. 29, 2012. Eligibility requirements for World Spay Day event organizers wishing to benefit from the photo contest are listed below.

World Spay Day 2012 Pet Photo Contest Beneficiary Eligibility Requirements*

The following are the eligibility requirements each U.S. organization must fulfill to receive spay/neuter funding from the World Spay Day 2012 Pet Photo Contest:

• Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit humane organization or municipal agency able to receive funding from nonprofit organizations.

   

• No later than Jan. 13, 2012, register a World Spay Day 2012 event or activity online through the World Spay Day Portal. (Registration opened Nov. 17, 2011.)

   

• No later than Jan. 13, 2012, inform The HSUS of your organization's desire to be listed as a potential beneficiary of the Photo Contest, and confirm you have read and understand the rules and eligibility requirements, by completing the "Photo Contest Sign-up" section of your World Spay Day event organizer profile. This involves logging in to your event organizer profile (or creating a new one if applicable), checking the box next to "Agree To This Statement" and ensuring the requested documents are uploaded, including: a completed W9 (not 990) form for your organization or agency and a) for nonprofit organizations, a copy of its tax determination letter, or b) for municipal agencies, a statement on agency letterhead confirming its eligibility to receive funds restricted for the purpose of spay/neuter.

   

• Hold your registered World Spay Day 2012 event or activity during the month of February (Spay/Neuter Awareness Month).

   

• Earn at least $1 in votes through the World Spay Day 2012 Pet Photo Contest.

   

• Report the results of your World Spay Day 2012 event online through the World Spay Day Portal by midnight Eastern time on March 14, 2012. (You will be able to submit your event results after the date of your event has passed.)

   

• Within 2 weeks of The HSUS informing you of how much money your organization or agency has earned from the photo contest, return to The HSUS a signed grant agreement restating these terms and provide an estimate of how many animals you'll be able to help with the funds. (The HSUS will send the grant agreement to you.) 

   

• Use the funds raised on your organization's behalf solely for spay/neuter surgeries, services, subsidies, vouchers, clinic construction, promotion, training or supplies.

   

• Submit a brief grant report to The HSUS when prompted in the fall of 2012. 

Further, to help ensure photo contest funds are spent in accordance with donors' wishes, to promote or provide spay/neuter:

• Any portion of the funds not used for the stated grant purposes (spay/neuter programs), unless prior written approval has been obtained for any significant variance, shall be repaid.

 

• Any funds not spent in accordance with the grant terms, unless prior written approval has been obtained for any significant variance, shall be repaid.

 

• Books and records of grant expenditures shall be maintained and made available for inspection by The HSUS.

 

• No funds shall be used, as defined by the IRS, to a) lobby or otherwise attempt to influence legislation; b) influence the outcome of any specific public election or participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or conduct, directly or indirectly, any voter registration drive; or c) for any non-charitable purpose.

 

• The HSUS shall be immediately notified and the grant shall be terminated and any unexpended funds shall be repaid in the event the grantee's eligibility (including charitable tax-exempt status) is changed or revoked.

 

• The HSUS shall be notified of significant changes in the management of the grantee organization.

Please note: Because we at The Humane Society of the United States take donor privacy seriously, we are not able to share our donors' contact information with the organizations they chose to benefit from the World Spay Day Pet Photo Contest. However, all benefiting organizations offer a huge thank you to everyone who votes and raises funds for them. Like us, they are grateful for your support!

If you're an international organization, please visit our HSI site »

*Funding from the World Spay Day Pet Photo Contest is available to any organization meeting the eligibility requirements described above. The organizations listed here are independent entities, each with its own programs, policies and procedures. The HSUS is not directly affiliated with, nor is it an oversight agency or umbrella organization of, any of the organizations listed here, and makes no warranties or representations regarding these organizations or any services provided by them. Funds designated for organizations that fail to meet these requirements will be added to the general fund and divided among spay/neuter programs of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International and all eligible organizations.