Welcome to our "How to Prom page" where you can learn more about our annual fundraising event called, "Prom." But, before we get into the nitty gritty of Prom & why it's the heckin' coolest event ever, let's recap who we are!
WHAT THE FLUFF IS SHIBA PROM NFP?
The Shiba Prom Logo
Odin & Freya,
Presidents of the Board
(2023-Present)
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Founded in 2012, Shiba Prom NFP ("Shiba Prom") is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit fundraising & grants organization. Our mission is to help Shiba Inu dogs (& Shiba Inu mixes) that have been rescued from unfavorable situations such as abandonment & neglect.
How do we help these Shibas if we are not a Shiba rescue? By raising money that can be distributed in the form of need-based grants to eligible Shiba Inu rescues in the USA. The money we raise comes from our volunteers, donors & our very generous supporters. Since our inception, we have raised over $100,000! While we do not assist with the rescuing, rehabilitating or rehoming of Shibas, our grants help improve the quality of life of Shibas in rescue so that they can find their furever home. The Shibas we help need medical attention & supplies & are at risk of being denied adequate care due to lack of funding. |
INSPIRATION & MOTTO
Our founders created Shiba Prom in the spirit of Shibas working together to raise money for their fellow Shibas in rescue who need care before they can be adopted. Shiba Prom is metaphorically "operated" by the Shibas of our volunteers. This concept created our motto that we still use to this day, "Shibas Helping Shibas: Having Fun Raising Funds!"
Our founders created Shiba Prom in the spirit of Shibas working together to raise money for their fellow Shibas in rescue who need care before they can be adopted. Shiba Prom is metaphorically "operated" by the Shibas of our volunteers. This concept created our motto that we still use to this day, "Shibas Helping Shibas: Having Fun Raising Funds!"
SHIBA PROM MAIN EVENT
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The Shibas of Shiba Prom decided their fundraising main event would also be called Shiba Prom, which was based on the concept of having an actual "prom for Shibas." Prom goers (Shibas) would attend the event stag or with dates, sometimes in costumes, but always ready to shake that Shiba booty to music (& chaperoned by their hoomans of course) while having fun raising funds for Shibas in rescue.
"Honorary Shibas" have always been encouraged to attend Shiba Prom. These are pets such as other dog breeds & cats (affectionately called "meowies") that wish to be a "Shiba for the Day" so they, too, can have fun raising funds for Shibas in rescue. One year, a bearded dragon attended! Shiba Prom has a different theme each year. Funds were initially raised through means such as ticket sales & raffle baskets. Shiba Prom fundraising activities grew to include things like merchandise, souvenir photos & a pet photo contest. The photo contest includes the "crowning" of the Shiba Prom King & Queen for that particular year - which is a highly coveted honor to this day! Over the years, Shiba Prom experienced some changes in its structure & shifted from in-person to virtual (online) but the idea remains the same. As of 2025, Shiba Prom is still our main event but is now affectionately referred to as just "Prom." |
HOW TO ATTEND & PARTICIPATE IN PROM
Prom is a virtual fundraising event held LIVE in the spirit of Shiba Inus & honorary Shibas attending Prom by using their hooman's computer. Prom is "held" in a virtual meeting space. We will use Google Meet for our 2025 event held on Saturday, May 17th.
The Prom "dance floor" is created by screen-sharing & using the chat room to engage with one another while listening to live music & participating in event activities (more on activities later). Imagine your pets are the ones pawtying & having fun raising funds & you are attending as their chaperone! Prom relies on our ability to be creative. Keep that in mind as you scroll...
Prom has a theme every year. The theme for our 2025 event is, "Shiba Prom Goes Back to the 80s!" Past themes include Shibas of the Carrib-Inu, the Roaring 20s, & Shiba Las Vegas! Prom attendees & their chaperones are highly encouraged to dress accordingly - especially those who have their paws set on being crowned Prom King & Queen (more on this later).
Prom is hosted by a Shiba of Ceremonies (kinda like an MC but with more fur!) who will screen-share & keep things rolling smoothly throughout the event. Prom also features our resident DJ spinning a booty-shakin' playlist! Past Proms had a "Bark-tender" who was responsible for "serving" libations such as tuna shots & liver-tinis to Prom goers in the chat room & attendees could "tip" their Bark-tender (which was a donation). The Bark-tender concept has been reinvented for our 2025 event! CLICK HERE!
The Prom "dance floor" is created by screen-sharing & using the chat room to engage with one another while listening to live music & participating in event activities (more on activities later). Imagine your pets are the ones pawtying & having fun raising funds & you are attending as their chaperone! Prom relies on our ability to be creative. Keep that in mind as you scroll...
Prom has a theme every year. The theme for our 2025 event is, "Shiba Prom Goes Back to the 80s!" Past themes include Shibas of the Carrib-Inu, the Roaring 20s, & Shiba Las Vegas! Prom attendees & their chaperones are highly encouraged to dress accordingly - especially those who have their paws set on being crowned Prom King & Queen (more on this later).
Prom is hosted by a Shiba of Ceremonies (kinda like an MC but with more fur!) who will screen-share & keep things rolling smoothly throughout the event. Prom also features our resident DJ spinning a booty-shakin' playlist! Past Proms had a "Bark-tender" who was responsible for "serving" libations such as tuna shots & liver-tinis to Prom goers in the chat room & attendees could "tip" their Bark-tender (which was a donation). The Bark-tender concept has been reinvented for our 2025 event! CLICK HERE!
PROM ACTIVITIES
Prom includes a variety of fundraising activities - some start before the event & some occur during the event. Some are free & others require a monetary donation. The Shibas of Shiba Prom have devised many ways to have fun raising funds.
2025 PROM LOGO - SHIBA PROM GOES BACK TO THE 80S
2025 PROM MAIN EVENT SCHEDULE
2024 Prom King, Ollie
2024 Prom Queen, Karma
2024 Best Pawtier, Darla
Ravioli, Photo Contest Winner.
Category: "Drunk Uncle"
Theme: "A Very Shiba Wedding - Prom 2024"
2024 "Wild About Shibas" raffle
2024 Prize/Merch: customized, ceramic mug
2024 "Treasures of Japan" raffle
2024 Shiba Prom calendar - Big Heart photo front cover
Shelby, 2024 Reserve-a-Day (Rainbow Bridge Rememberance)
Izzy & Keiko, 2024 Reserve-a-Day (Birthday)
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Schedule: *NEW FOR 2025* Prom will consist of a prePAWTY, a main event held for 7 HOURS with a 1 HOUR afterPAWTY!
prePAWTY starts 4/17 Prom main event: 5/17, 4pm-11pm EST afterPAWTY: 5/17, 11pm-midnight EST CLICK HERE for all 2025 Prom activites. (some have deadlines!) Promposals: One way that you can help spread the word about Prom & generate excitement is by sending "Promposals." Ask your sweetie on social media to be your Prom date & tag Shiba Prom in your post! The most creative Promposals might even win a prize. Don't have a date? No problem. Go stag & show off that Shiba swagger! DJ Song Request, Haiku Contest, Yappy Hour Doggie Bar: *NEW FOR 2025* CLICK HERE to learn more & review the deadlines for participating! VIP Package: Starting with Prom 2023, we began offering a way for Prom attendees to arrive to Prom in style as a VIP guest. Our VIP package is a $25 donation & contains an assortment of goodies bundled together for the ultimate Prom goer such as exclusive access to merch or giveaways! Photo Contest: Shibas & honorary Shibas can participate in the online photo contest for an attempt at winning their category by receiving the most number of votes. Winners of each category receive bragging rights, a featured month in our annual Shiba Prom calendar & together form our "Prom Court" for that year. Categories are based on the theme of Prom & may change annually. The highly coveted Prom King & Prom Queen categories are featured every year regardless of theme. While not every category requires a costume, dressing up is encouraged! The photo contest starts 1 month before Prom so you have plenty of time to prepare entries & ask friends, family & followers for votes! Winners are annouced during the Winners' Segment near the end of the Prom event. CLICK HERE to access the pet photo contest for 2025 & review the deadlines for entering & voting! Prom Best Pawtier Award: During Prom, the Shiba of Ceremonies will be on the lookout for the Shiba or honorary Shiba who went above & beyond with regard to their attire & attitude (with a little help from their chaperone, of course). One lucky winner will be announced during the Winners' Segment near the end of the Prom event. Best Pawtier will receive a prize, bragging rights & be featured in their very own month in the annual Shiba Prom calendar. Who came dressed to impress? Who stayed the longest? Who helped us keep the energy high? Will it be you? Raffles: Also available 1 month before Prom, hoomans can try their luck at winning some p-r-e-t-t-y furmazing raffles. Our raffles contain donated items which have been thoughtfully grouped together by the Shibas of Shiba Prom. Some items are for hoomans while others are for pets. Raffles can be stand-alone items or themed. Donated items are received from our volunteers, local & retail businesses, Etsy shop owners, & our supporters. *NEW FOR 2025* 50/50 raffle option! CLICK HERE to access all 2025 raffles & review deadlines to enter! Door Prizes: By attending Prom, you increase your chances of WINNING a door prize! How is this paw-sible, you ask? By correctly answering trivia questions! During Prom (at various intervals), you can try your luck at answering our Prom-themed trivia questions. When you hear us make the special trivia annoucement, type your answer in the Google Meet chat as quickly as you can. The first person to answer correctly WINS! Jeopardy & Name that Tune: *NEW FOR 2025* Door prizes will also be awarded to winners who correctly answer questions in our play-2-win games: Jeopardy & Name that Tune. Trivia rules apply! Video Segments: During Prom, you will take breaks from listening (& dancing!) to our booty-shakin' beats to watch some video intermissions with hilarious, Shiba-themed reels. We also try to feature a heartfelt, slideshow segment as a tribute to our grant recipients or past Prom Kings, Queens & volunteers that are now at the Rainbow Bridge (bring tissues!). Merch: Offerings may vary year to year, but we typically offer an assortment of merch (such as shirts, mugs & stickers) with our Prom theme logo for each year. Reserve-a-Calendar Day: Starting 1 month before Prom until late October, Shibas & honorary Shibas can start to demand from their hoomans that they be featured in the annual Shiba Prom calendar. Hoomans should oblige by reserving a calendar day to feature a photo of their pet! Commonly reserved days are birthdays, got'cha days & holidays. Hoomans can also honor their beloved pet at the Rainbow Bridge. CLICK HERE to reserve your special day(s) in our 2026 calendar! Prom Souvenir Photo: We typically offer a personalized souvenir photo (for a small donation) to anyShibabody who would like remember the all the fun they had at Prom! We will add the name & picture of the Prom goer to a custom-made backdrop then email it as a digital photo. Shiba Shake Video: What better way to remember Prom's finest furballs dancing, jumping, twirling, zooming & strutting their stuff than with a video montage?! Shortly after Prom, we will ask for Prom attendees to send us a favorite video of themselves which will be compiled into a music video & posted online! |
The Shibas of Shiba Prom are always looking for new & exciting ways to have fun raising funds. If you have ideas you would like to share for a Prom theme, fundraising activity or to become a Shiba Prom volunteer, we'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at [email protected] or contact us HERE!
We hope you are excited to join us & we can't wait to pawty with YOU at this year's Prom event!
We hope you are excited to join us & we can't wait to pawty with YOU at this year's Prom event!
PROM FAQ
When activities go live, the Shibas of Shiba Prom will ensure important details like rules & directions are clearly listed. In the meantime, they've compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about participating in Prom activities:
I can't attend Prom because I am busy that day. Can I still participate in the photo contest, raffles, etc.? YES! The Shibas insist. While some activities do require attendance (such as Best Pawtier Award), many activities start before Prom & do not require you to be in attendance.
Do I have to be in attendance at Prom for my Shiba/honorary Shiba to win the photo contest? NO! Category winners are determined by the number of votes received. We will contact you after Prom with the good news!
Do I have to be in attendance at Prom to win raffles? NO! Winners are determined at random. We will contact you after Prom to let you know that you've won!
What do I need to attend Prom? At bare minimum, a device that has the ability to connect to the Internet & a basic understanding of how to use whatever platform is used to host Prom in any given year (such as Zoom or Google Meet).
When will you announce the Prom theme, date & time? I am excited! The Shibas of Shiba Prom start Prom planning several months in advance. Our Shiba Prom calendar lists the date of Prom (& other events for that year). By buying a calendar, you're one of the first to know! Otherwise, we will annouce the date in January of every year & start dropping theme hints in March (the Shibas love to create an atmosphere of mystery!).
I am affiliated with an animal rescue or shelter. Can my Shiba/honorary Shiba & I still participate in any of the Prom activities? YES! The only hoomans & Shibas prohibited from winning prizes are current Shiba Prom Board members.
The rescue organization where I volunteer has received Shiba Prom grants. Does this prohibit us from participating in any of the Prom activities? NO! See question above.
What if I don't have any pets and/or my honorary Shiba isn't a dog or meowie? The Shibas insist you participate & pawty with us. All walks of fur are welcome to be an honorary Shiba (remember a lizard once attended Prom!).
What if I live outside the USA? We would love to try & accomodate you so that you can attend! Contact the Shiba Prom team first at [email protected] so we can discuss any restrictions.
I can't attend Prom because I am busy that day. Can I still participate in the photo contest, raffles, etc.? YES! The Shibas insist. While some activities do require attendance (such as Best Pawtier Award), many activities start before Prom & do not require you to be in attendance.
Do I have to be in attendance at Prom for my Shiba/honorary Shiba to win the photo contest? NO! Category winners are determined by the number of votes received. We will contact you after Prom with the good news!
Do I have to be in attendance at Prom to win raffles? NO! Winners are determined at random. We will contact you after Prom to let you know that you've won!
What do I need to attend Prom? At bare minimum, a device that has the ability to connect to the Internet & a basic understanding of how to use whatever platform is used to host Prom in any given year (such as Zoom or Google Meet).
When will you announce the Prom theme, date & time? I am excited! The Shibas of Shiba Prom start Prom planning several months in advance. Our Shiba Prom calendar lists the date of Prom (& other events for that year). By buying a calendar, you're one of the first to know! Otherwise, we will annouce the date in January of every year & start dropping theme hints in March (the Shibas love to create an atmosphere of mystery!).
I am affiliated with an animal rescue or shelter. Can my Shiba/honorary Shiba & I still participate in any of the Prom activities? YES! The only hoomans & Shibas prohibited from winning prizes are current Shiba Prom Board members.
The rescue organization where I volunteer has received Shiba Prom grants. Does this prohibit us from participating in any of the Prom activities? NO! See question above.
What if I don't have any pets and/or my honorary Shiba isn't a dog or meowie? The Shibas insist you participate & pawty with us. All walks of fur are welcome to be an honorary Shiba (remember a lizard once attended Prom!).
What if I live outside the USA? We would love to try & accomodate you so that you can attend! Contact the Shiba Prom team first at [email protected] so we can discuss any restrictions.