woman holding 'how can i help?' sign
Volunteer at the Best Friends National Conference
Volunteers were crucial to the success of the conference because they helped things run smoothly and ensured that every attendee had a great time. Thank you to all of our volunteers!

Interested in lending a hand at the 2023 Best Friends National Conference in Houston, Texas? We'd love your help!

Volunteering is a great way to help the animals, have fun and meet like-minded people. At the 2022 National Conference, 101 dedicated Best Friends volunteers traveled from near and far to help at the conference and contributed over 1,900 hours to make the conference a huge success. In 2023, we're hoping you will join that number!

If you would like to volunteer or you have questions about volunteering, please email  bfvolcoord@bestfriends.org  today.

Volunteer helping a conference attendee
Volunteer opportunities
Looking for a peak at some of the volunteer opportunities at the Best Friends National Conference?
Download the list

Things to consider before volunteering

From setup to tear-down to greeting, assisting and registering attendees, there are tons of volunteer opportunities to match your interests.

You must be at least 18 years old and able to volunteer at least one full shift lasting about four hours. We ask non-local volunteers to commit to a full day (two shifts).

A vegan lunch is provided for those who volunteer full-day shifts. All other meals, transportation and lodging expenses are up to you.

If you want to attend sessions on days when you're not volunteering, we suggest that you register to attend the conference rather than volunteering. We want you to be able to take full advantage of all the educational and networking opportunities that will be afforded you as a conference attendee, which you will not have access to as a volunteer.

Online volunteer orientation and training sessions will be offered before the conference. If you can't attend a live session, you can watch a recorded session instead. Training for some volunteer positions (e.g., team leads and lead session room hosts) will be in the form of live webinars. These orientations require attendance.