Toronto, Canada
May 21—24, 2026
May 21, 2026
Pitch your work to interested funders on the first day of the Summit. By application only.
Register for AVA Summit Canada by March 10, 2026 to be elegible.
Join us in Toronto!
AVA Summit Canada brings together advocates, campaigners, researchers, funders, students, nonprofit teams, creatives, policy actors, community organizers, and movement supporters from across Canada and beyond to strengthen strategy and collaboration for farmed animals. Be part of a three-day gathering designed for anyone working to advance meaningful change.
What is AVA Summit?
An international conference series for advocates working towards systemic change and advancing various strategies toward one shared vision: removing animals from our food system and other human uses.
Who is AVA Summit for?
AVA Summit is for advocates at any stage working toward systemic change for farmed animals — including NGO staff, campaigners, researchers, funders, students, communications professionals, policy practitioners, grassroots organizers, and emerging leaders seeking to deepen impact and collaborate across the region.
AVA Grantee Day 2026
Where funding, strategy, and visibility come together
Taking place on the first day of AVA Summit Canada, AVA Grantee Day creates intentional space for fundraising skill-building, curated funder conversations, and live visibility opportunities — all designed to strengthen how our movement resources its work.
The dates and deadlines that matter most
We want everyone interested to have a fair opportunity to participate — which means these deadlines are important to honor.
March 10, 2026 · 11:59pm EST
Register for AVA Summit Canada. You must be registered by this date to apply for Morning Meetings. No exceptions. Any ticket tier qualifies.
March 11, 2026
Applications open. The application link will be emailed directly to all registered participants and will not be posted on our website. Please check your spam folder.
April 6, 2026 · 11:59pm EST
Applications close. Late submissions will not be accepted.
May 5, 2026
Morning Meetings notifications sent to selected organizations.
May 11, 2026
Final two-page overview due for all selected Morning Meetings participants.
What is AVA Grantee Day?
AVA Grantee Day offers two distinct opportunities: All Day Fundraising Lab and Morning Meetings.
All Day Fundraising Lab Throughout the day, participants can join hands-on workshops, peer meet-ups, and a long-form negotiation intensive designed to strengthen fundraising strategy and confidence. Open to all registered attendees.
Morning Meetings Focused, one-to-one conversations between funders and selected organizations. These meetings are designed to create intentional space for deeper discussion, relationship-building, and exploration of aligned funding opportunities. By application only.
More details on our Grantee Day FAQ
What to expect from this AVA Summit:
Thoughtfully curated sessions focused on strategy, movement-building, policy, innovation, and cultural perspectives
Immersive community-building experiences that foster collaboration and lasting connections
A vibrant, welcoming space for both seasoned campaigners and emerging leaders
Breakfast and lunch served daily, shared in community to encourage connection and conversation
Networking and dedicated meetups
A high-energy, impact-driven environment where ideas are transformed into action
And so much more!
Exhibit with us during the event!
Connect with advocates, funders, researchers, and partner organizations from across Canada and beyond.
Exhibiting at AVA Summit Canada places your organization at the center of a high-impact convening for strategy and collaboration in animal advocacy. Exhibitors gain direct engagement with attendees, build new partnerships, increase visibility, and participate in the Passport Contest — a proven driver of booth traffic and meaningful conversations.
For questions about exhibiting, email Amie@AVAInternational.org
Book your room in our hotel block at the Sheraton Centre Toronto
Discounted rates for AVA attendees are available now.
A room block is offered at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, the host hotel for AVA Summit Canada. Rooms are available at a discounted rate on a first-come, first-served basis until the block expires.
Do you need financial assistance to attend?
Cost should never be a barrier to creating change for farmed animals.
Through the support of our donors, AVA Summit offers Travel Award Scholarships to reduce financial barriers for participation. AVA strives to ensure that advocates in need can access at least one Summit per year by providing funding at different levels. If support would make it possible for you to attend, you are encouraged to apply.
Interested in speaking at the event?
We welcome voices shaping animal advocacy across Canada and beyond.
AVA Summit Canada invites proposals from advocates, researchers, funders, policy actors, nonprofit staff, students, grassroots organizers, media makers, legal experts, technologists, and partner movements whose work advances systemic change for farmed animals. Whether you bring formal expertise or lived experience, established insights or emerging ideas — if your contribution can strengthen the movement, we encourage you to apply to speak.
Applications closed February 22, 2026. You can expect to hear about the status of your application in early March.
AVA Summit Canada FAQ
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A three-day in-person conference in Toronto bringing together advocates, researchers, funders, policy actors, students, nonprofit teams, and partner movements to advance strategy and collaboration for farmed animal advocacy.
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If you are an international traveler who requires a visa to enter Canada, you must be registered for AVA Summit Canada in order to receive visa application details and an official invitation letter from AVA International.
AVA Summit Canada is an officially registered event with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Once you are registered, all visa-related information is automatically sent to registered attendees on a weekly basis, every Monday. There is no need to email the AVA team to confirm that you have registered or to request an invitation letter. If you register, you will receive the full visa information email on the next Monday following your registration.
After receiving the email, you will be asked to complete a series of required steps to support your visa application. All steps must be completed carefully and in full, and it is the attendee’s responsibility to complete each step on time. The AVA team does not provide individual visa guidance beyond the information shared and does not send reminders.
Please note that AVA International does not influence visa approval decisions. All visa applications are reviewed and decided solely by the Government of Canada.
If your visa application is not approved, you may request a refund of your event registration, which we are always happy to provide in these cases. However, you must be registered in order to receive visa-related materials from AVA.
If you do not require a visa to enter Canada, you can simply proceed with your registration and travel planning.
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We understand why some attendees may hesitate to register before receiving a visa decision, travel scholarship outcome, or speaker confirmation, especially when visa fees are high and approvals are not guaranteed.
That said, we strongly recommend registering as early as possible to secure the lowest available ticket price and ensure timely access to visa-related information.
In all cases, refunds are available if you need to cancel your trip. This includes situations where:
Your visa application is not approved
You are not selected as a speaker
You do not receive a travel scholarship
You later determine you are unable to attend for any reason
If you are selected as a speaker or awarded a travel scholarship, AVA International will simply refund your original ticket payment. There is no need to wait to register or to repurchase a different ticket later.
If you apply to speak/for a scholarship and are accepted, you will receive a speaker /scholarship discount code. These codes are shared directly with applicants and are not posted publicly. In both cases, your original payment will be fully refunded to your original payment method.
For applicants who are not selected and need a refund, please email us to process that. No problem! Info@AVAInternational.org
For visa purposes, you must be registered in order to receive official visa application information and an invitation letter from AVA. Visa guidance emails are automatically sent to registered attendees on a weekly basis.
If you prefer to wait until your visa is approved before finalizing travel, you may still register now to lock in the lowest rate, knowing that a refund is always available if plans change.
Our goal is to make AVA events accessible and low-risk for advocates worldwide, regardless of region, income, or visa uncertainty.
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You can expect daily programming to run approximately from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with breakfast, lunch, and light snacks/refreshments included each day.
The Opening Ceremony is currently scheduled for 4 p.m. on May 21. Earlier that day, Grantee Day will take place throughout the full day. In parallel, there will be additional networking events, meetups, and sessions available for those not actively participating in Grantee Day.
The Closing Ceremony is currently scheduled for 2pm on May 24. There is a protest happening shortly after (not organized by AVA), as well as a soccer game at a nearby park with the wonderful John Oberg, should you wish to stick around and participate in these activities.
As always, timing is subject to minor adjustments, but this outline should help you plan travel accordingly.
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Our detailed program, including confirmed sessions and speakers, is expected to be published during the first two weeks of March, approximately 2.5 months before the event.
We appreciate your patience as we finalize the schedule to ensure a strong and strategic lineup.
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Yes — absolutely.
May 21 includes Grantee Day programming throughout the day, which is a focused space for selected participants. At the same time, there will also be additional networking opportunities, meetups, and sessions available for attendees who are not participating in Grantee Day.
The full Summit officially opens with the Opening Ceremony at 4:00 p.m. on May 21, which all attendees are welcome to join.
So while Grantee Day is one of the central features of the daytime schedule, the Summit experience begins on the 21st, and all attendees will have ways to engage that day!
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Please register for the AVA Summit Canada by March 10, 2026.
Applications links will be sent to registered participants on March 11, 2026.To be receive them, you must be already registered by March 10.
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May 21–24, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. The host hotel and venue is the Sheraton Centre Toronto.
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Anyone working — or aspiring to work — toward systemic change for farmed animals. This includes NGO staff, campaigners, researchers, communicators, funders, legal and policy professionals, academics, students, grassroots activists, and allied movements.
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Applications closed as of February 22, 2026 at 11:59 EST.
For those who submistted by the deadline, you can expect to hear back about the status of your application in early March.
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Travel Award Scholarships are available to reduce financial barriers for eligible advocates. Applications have closed as of Febraury 7th.
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Yes. Exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities are open to mission-aligned organizations. Email Amie@AVASummit.com for any questions!
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Book your room in our hotel block at the Sheraton Centre Toronto
Discounted rates for AVA attendees are available now.
A room block is offered at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, the host hotel for AVA Summit Canada. Rooms are available at a discounted rate on a first-come, first-served basis until the block expires.
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Language support details will be announced closer to the event based on attendee composition and demand.
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Subscribe to AVA’s newsletter or follow AVA International on Social Media for announcements on registration, speakers, scholarships, and logistics.
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No — AVA Summit Canada is an in-person event and there is no virtual attendance option. Select sessions may be recorded and later uploaded to YouTube, but livestream access is not offered. Recording plans are still being finalized and may change.
If you have questions, please reach out!
AVA Grantee Day FAQ
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AVA Grantee Day is AVA’s umbrella for a day of fundraising and funder-grantee connections, including:
All Day Fundraising Labs (open to all registered participants)
Morning Meetings (curated funder meetings) -
Because of your feedback! We are always striving to adapt and leave behind the things that do not work, and try out the things that may be great.
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Yes! On May 21, the All Day Fundraising Labs will run for most of the day (roughly 10:00am through the Opening Ceremony) and will be open to all attendees.
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AVA Grantee Day takes place during May 21, the first day of AVA Summit Canada at the Sheraton Centre Toronto.
All Day Fundraising Labs will take place throughout the whole day, while Morning Meetings run from 10:00 - 3:00.
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Morning Meetings. These are the “classic” funder meetings we’ve had during Grantee Day in previous years, where organizations that are fewer than 3 years old with an operating budget of less than $500,000 / year have the potential to pitch to a number of interested funders.
AVA is only the matchmaker, we don’t have any say in the funders decision making about which groups they are interested to meet.
Funders review all org submissions and indicate which groups they’d like to meet in person onsite. AVA then facilitates matchmaking.
Please note:If multiple funders express interest, AVA aims to schedule an in person on-site appointment (space permitting).
AVA will facilitate an email introduction between the groups and the interested funder(s), even if we cannot schedule an in person meeting.
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The link to the Grantee Day - Morning Meetings will be emailed directly to every registered participant on March 11, 2026.
Please be sure to check your spam folder.
If you have not received the email by March 12, 2026, please contact: taylor@avainternational.org
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Everyone who is registered by March 10, 2026 will receive a link via email. Only one submission should come from each organization.
This should be submitted by either the highest level leadership person, or a development/fundraising director.
We understand that many people wear many hats in this movement, so if you are a Founder at one organization and the Director of Development at another, please feel free to submit once for each organization, but make sure your email is associated with the corresponding organization.
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March 10, 2026 · 11:59pm PST
Register for AVA Summit Canada. You must be registered by this date to apply for Morning Meetings. No exceptions. Any ticket tier qualifies.March 11, 2026
Applications open. The application link will be emailed directly to all registered participants and will not be posted on our website. Please check your spam folder.April 6, 2026 · 11:59pm PST
Applications close. Late submissions will not be accepted.May 5, 2026
Morning Meetings notifications sent to selected organizations.May 11, 2026
Final two-page overview due for all selected Morning Grantee Meeting participants. -
All participating funders decide who they want to meet with for Morning Meetings. AVA simply facilitates the process and schedule but does not make any funding decisions.
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For Morning Meetings, organizations must be mission-aligned with farmed animal advocacy / movement-relevant animal advocacy work.
Organizations that are fewer than 3 years old with an operating budget of less than $500,000 / year have the potential to pitch to a number of interested funders.
AVA is only the matchmaker, we don’t have any say in the funders decision making about which groups they are interested to meet.
Funders review all org submissions and indicate which groups they’d like to meet in person onsite. AVA then facilitates matchmaking.
Please note:If multiple funders express interest, AVA aims to schedule an in person on-site appointment (space permitting).
AVA will facilitate an email introduction between the groups and the interested funder(s), even if we cannot schedule an in person meeting.
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Yes. AVA will connect you either in an in-person meeting or via email with the funder(s) who indicated interest in your submission.
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That means at least one funder wanted to meet with your organization, but unfortunately given the limited time and room capacities, the schedule cannot accommodate every request. In that case, AVA will still:
Facilitate an introduction via email for you to the interested funder(s), and/or
Request your 2-pager so funders can review it and follow up.
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A 2-pager is a short, clear two-page summary of your organization or initiative (mission, key wins, what you’re seeking, what additional funding means to your work).
If you are scheduled for Morning Meetings, you will be asked to submit one and bring printed copies. -
No. Please plan to speak clearly without using slides or additional technology. Please bring printed copies of your 2-pager.
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Morning Meetings are short and structured. The standard format is:
20 minutes total: ~10 minutes for the organization + ~10 minutes Q&A
scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on May 21, 2026
short breaks between meetings
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No. Balancing hundreds of organizations and dozens of funders makes scheduling complex and it depends on room capacity and funder availability. We ask organizations and funders to attend the times assigned.
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Yes. AVA may offer optional pitch training sessions and additional resources to help selected organizations prepare.
If available, we’ll share the registration link and details by email with the selected groups.
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No. AVA is a facilitator. Participation does not guarantee funding, and funders make their own independent decisions.
