President’s Column: Making a positive impact
Your gifts to AVMF make a positive difference—and you can also benefit
Gifts to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation provide vital resources that help advance the science and practice of veterinary medicine to better animal and human health. But did you know that charitable giving can also positively influence your mental and physical wellbeing?
Research shows that charitable giving activates the brain’s reward centers, releasing feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine and endorphins that boost happiness, reduce stress, and improve mood.
Research shows that charitable giving activates the brain’s reward centers, releasing feel-good neurochemicals.
Brain imaging studies confirm this response is even stronger when we give than when we receive, leaving us with a deeper sense of fulfillment. Giving also has been linked to increased happiness, lower stress, higher self-esteem, and even better physical health.
So, during this season of giving, I invite you to support the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), the charitable arm of your professional Association. Your donation not only helps advance veterinary care for animals, people, and communities, but also enriches your life with the deep rewards that come from giving.
How your gifts are used
Through the AVMF, your generous donations support medical care for injured and abandoned animals, disaster relief, education, scholarships for veterinary technicians and veterinary students, and vital research to help prevent, diagnose, and treat animal diseases.
Scholarships
Each year, the AVMF awards over 350 scholarships, providing essential support to veterinary and veterinary technician students as they work toward their degrees.
Scholarships act as an investment in our future, helping to ensure that the next generation of veterinary professionals develops the skills and training needed to care for our nation’s animals, protect our food supply, and safeguard public health. Each scholarship is more than just financial assistance. It represents a commitment to compassion, knowledge, and the future health of animals and communities across the country.
Research support
The Foundation also provides essential support for research projects through grants that enable new discoveries related to diseases affecting both animals and humans.
Charitable veterinary care
The REACH™ Animal Care Program offers grants to AVMA members who provide charitable veterinary services in their communities, helping people who are facing financial hardship obtain essential medical care for their pets.
Making a difference together
Giving also has been linked to increased happiness, lower stress, higher self-esteem, and even better physical health.
Support for AVMF initiatives depends on your generosity, and I thank you for considering the Foundation as part of your charitable donations. As the year ends, please consider supporting your Foundation to help it continue providing vital services to communities in need. Together, we can strengthen veterinary medicine and expand the reach and impact of its programs and those they serve.
The AVMF community of donors and supporters has provided tremendous support to animals, clients, and communities in 2025. Your donations will help us continue to make progress toward a better future for veterinary medicine in the coming years.
And, as science has shown, you’ll receive the bonus of feeling good about making your charitable gift!
When you give to the AVMF, you’re not just making a donation; you’re helping shape a brighter future. This season, your support will improve lives, strengthen veterinary medicine, and inspire a legacy of compassion.
Comments
Cost of care.
The best contribution would be for the AVMA to put an end to the needless euthanasia of beloved pets in large emergency facilities due to the inability of owners to provide astronomically large deposits. My heart aches as time and time again I hear of clients being pressured into “Gold Standard” care and being made to feel guilty if they don’t comply. Advances in Veterinary Medicine have been exciting but sadly only wealthier clients can take advantage of them. Those less able to afford care for their pets are being asked to “foot the bill”. Surely many patients will do well with less aggressive approaches and owners need to be made aware of it. I urge the AVMA to make it mandatory that options be given to pet owners for the care of their pets. Care credit and pet insurance is not always available to them. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely Dr. Jan Rottenberg
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