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, Humane Society International and The Humane Society of the United States will once again run 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 HSI, The HSUS, and 261 eligible Spay Day event organizers in the U.S. 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 Online 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*
Following are the eligibility requirements each international organization must fulfill to receive spay/neuter funding from the World Spay Day 2012 Online Pet Photo Contest. (Please note: applicants from Belarus, Burma, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe and any other U.S.-sanctioned country are not eligible):
- Be a registered charity or municipal agency in your country, able to receive funding from nonprofit organizations. Documentation of charitable status may be requested by Humane Society International to confirm eligibility.
- Register a World Spay Day 2012 event or activity online through the World Spay Day Portal (Registration opens Dec. 17, 2011).
- After registering your World Spay Day 2012 event and before Jan. 13, 2012, inform HSI 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 W-8BEN form for your organization or agency, and an international wire transfer form (both forms are available online when you check the “Photo Contest Beneficiary” box).
- Hold your registered World Spay Day 2012 event or activity during the month of February (Spay/Neuter Awareness Month).
- Report the results of your World Spay Day 2012 event online through World Spay Day Portal by midnight GMT-5 time March 14, 2012. (You will be able to submit your event results after the date of your event has passed.)
- Within 2 weeks of Humane Society International informing you of how much money your organization or agency has earned from the photo contest, return to Humane Society International a signed grant agreement governing the use of granted funds and provide an estimate of how many animals you will be able to help with the funds. (Humane Society International 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, in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement.
- Optional but appreciated: upload to your online event record any particularly compelling stories or photos of animals and people you were able to help with the World Spay Day photo contest funds.
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 Humane Society International.
- 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.
- Humane Society International 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.
- Humane Society International shall be notified of significant changes in the management of the grantee organization.
Please note: Because we at Humane Society International and 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!
U.S.-based organizations: Visit our U.S. 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 and Humane Society International are not directly affiliated with, nor are they oversight agencies or umbrella organizations of, any of the organizations listed here, and make 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.