The North American Veterinary Community Commits $1 Million to Fund New Global Award Program to Benefit Veterinary Profession and Animals Worldwide

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is thrilled to announce today the establishment of NAVC Gives, a transformative award program created to support and advance the veterinary profession and wellbeing of people and animals worldwide. The NAVC launched the award program today with a $1 million commitment to fund awards that will be made on a year-round basis. Nominations open November 1, 2023. The first NAVC Gives award winners will be announced in January at VMX 2024.

This new program from the NAVC will support individuals, groups, and organizations around the world that have made a profound difference in the lives of veterinary professionals and animals. Unlike most award programs that have a set timetable for accepting nominations, NAVC Gives will recognize accomplishments and notable achievements throughout the year based on the merit and impact of the application. Multiple awards may be given out each year. 

"NAVC Gives is a unique grassroots award program that seeks to shine the light on those who are making a difference in the veterinary field – whether it's transforming veterinary medicine or saving one animal or person in distress in a local veterinary clinic. In addition to recognizing these accomplishments, we hope to make an impact on a personal level with a cash award," said NAVC CEO Gene O'Neill. "Philanthropy and giving back to the veterinary community has been at the heart of the NAVC since our inception 40 years ago and we continue to find new and innovative ways to support and advance the veterinary profession and animal healthcare worldwide. By establishing the NAVC Gives awards program, we are able to expand our reach even further and ensure that the NAVC will be making a positive impact on the field of veterinary medicine for years to come."

NAVC Gives is a board-directed award program that will be initially funded by a $1 million donation from the NAVC. Through this $1 million commitment, the NAVC will recognize and support outstanding achievements, remarkable contributions, or excellent performance of individuals or organizations in the animal health field that have helped further the NAVC's mission and vision of helping the veterinary healthcare team to thrive. Awards will be granted throughout the year, recognizing notable achievements and accomplishments within the industry. 

"The NAVC has designated 2023 as the year of giving back. In honor of that commitment, the NAVC is proud to commit $1 million toward building a better veterinary community and further supporting the profession we love," said NAVC Board President Dr. Bob Lester, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of WellHaven Pet Health.

The NAVC established this award program to recognize those who support its organizational mission: to "create unparalleled opportunities for the veterinary community that foster lifelong learning, encourage growth and promote well-being to advance animal care worldwide." Nominations will be evaluated on a merit-based scale and recipients will be selected based on their excellence, impact, and alignment with the NAVC's mission.

Apply throughout the year! The NAVC will recognize accomplishments that have positively contributed to the global veterinary community and animal wellbeing and may have gone unnoticed or overlooked. In order to do so, the NAVC will actively solicit nominations so the veterinary community can help identify important achievements. Learn more about NAVC Gives and submit nominations at https://navc.com/gives/.

NAVC Gives builds upon the NAVC's long-standing commitment to philanthropic pursuits, which amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to members of the international veterinary community through scholarship programs such as the Dr. Earl H. Rippie Veterinary Nurse Leadership Scholarships, the Michael J. Day AFSCAN Scholarship, Colin F. Burrows International Scholar Program, free education subscriptions and conference registration, and other charitable donations.

A fund committee, established by the NAVC Board of Directors, will review all NAVC Gives nominations. The first recipients will be announced at a special ceremony at VMX 2024 in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

About the NAVC
The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing veterinary professionals worldwide. The world's leading provider of veterinary continuing education, the NAVC delivers essential training, tools and resources for veterinary professionals to stay abreast of advances in animal medicine and provide the best medical care for animals everywhere. Through its commitment to innovation and excellence, the NAVC has developed a diverse portfolio of products and services, including: educational events, headlined by VMX, the world's largest, most comprehensive continuing education conference and launchpad for new products and innovations within the veterinary industry; a robust digital platform for virtual learning and engagement; the veterinary industry's largest and award-winning portfolio of trade publications; and an advocacy arm which unites the veterinary community and pet lovers. The NAVC was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Orlando, FL. Since 2017, the NAVC has been recognized annually as one of the Top Workplaces by the Orlando Sentinel. To learn more about the NAVC's products and brands, visit https://navc.com/. To see our schedule of upcoming events, visit https://navc.com/calendar/.

SOURCE North American Veterinary Community