Our Values and Community Guidelines

The Silicon Valley Modern Quilt Guild (SVMQG) acknowledges, honors, and actively upholds the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals.We seek to foster a vibrant and inclusive organization built on encouragement and mutual respect, where all feel welcome. We support the participation of all who are interested in the growth and development of modern quilting and we value the diversity arising from differences that make us who we are.

Diversity and Inclusion

SVMQG is committed to providing an environment that is free of discrimination of all types and free of abusive, offensive, or harassing behaviors. All participants deserve to feel safe, respected, and welcome.

Equity

SVMQG strives to ensure everyone has what they need to succeed by increasing access, resources, and opportunities for all. Our current efforts include:

• Equity pricing for membership fees 
• Equity pricing for workshops and activities
• Sew days on both weekends and weekdays to accommodate people with different work schedules.

Accessibility

Currently, SVMQG’s monthly meetings and all workshops are held on Zoom, with closed captioning available.

As we transition from Zoom-only to hybrid meetings (combination of in-person and Zoom), we are committed to continuing the Zoom broadcast of our meetings for those not attending in person.
SVMQG hosts additional informal meet-ups for members throughout the year, such as outdoor photo shoots, potluck dinners, field trips, and charity sew days. We strive to ensure easy access to those events.

We anticipate continuing a mix of remote and in-person gatherings moving forward. ​

Creating a Safe Environment for Everyone

To ensure a safe environment for everyone, all members, attendees, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers at SVMQG events are expected to: 

• Act with kindness, fairness, honesty, integrity and openness.
• Respect the differing viewpoints of others and offer critiques or opinions with respect.
• Be inclusive – go out of your way to be inviting and welcoming.
• Encourage and support other members of our quilting community.
• Be proactive in educating yourself about diversity topics.

To Guide our Community, Here are Some Examples of Problematic Behavior: 

• Talking negatively about another person in a group setting instead of addressing an issue or a concern directly with the person.
• Making generalizations or reinforcing stereotypes about people based on their background.
• Personal attacks or offensive verbal comments.
• Discrimination – unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people; behaviors based on bigotry or implicit biases against a particular group.
• Harassment – including (but not limited to) deliberate intimidation, sustained disruption of talks or other events, stalking, inappropriate physical contact, or unwelcome sexual attention.

Response to Problematic and Unacceptable Behaviors

We encourage any SVMQG member who experiences or witnesses problematic behavior to speak to the offending person directly, either in the moment (if the situation allows) or later in private. If a direct response is too uncomfortable or is inappropriate for any reason, please report problematic behavior directly to the guild president at siliconvalleymqg@gmail.com. We appreciate your cooperation in not spreading the information to other members. 

If a member experiences or witnesses an unsafe situation, we encourage them to first be safe, and then report it to the guild president.

Reports of any behavior contradictory to our values will be investigated and dealt with on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate, by the SVMQG Executive Committee.  Your anonymity is guaranteed if you prefer, though please be aware that may limit our ability to respond.

These guidelines are adapted from the Modern Quilt Guild’s official Community Guidelines, available on their website at https://www.themodernquiltguild.com/community-guidelines