I wonder what you/readers think about indoor air quality as an accessibility feature.
It's quite a topic in my other community (infection associated chronic illnesses & immunosuppressed people) with many people who still prefer not to be in spaces with poor indoor air quality, especially during high levels of covid.
I very sympathetic to people who care about high air quality and ventilation for health reasons!
By default, I often try to host events outdoors when I can, when the weather is good and generally try to keep spaces well ventilated.
I also think it can make sense to explicitly ask people who feel unwell at all to stay at home in communications prior to the event.
And I think it’s very reasonable for people with concerns to enquire with the hosts about things like this prior to the event!
I also think having some virtual events for those who might not want to or be able to attend in person events makes sense.
I might add something to the guide about this :)
Great guide! Thanks for sharing. I'd like to make a suggestion, which I'm not sure is applicable to your organizations. But some areas can pose risks for certain types of attendees due to local laws. For example, laws that criminalize trans people using their preferred bathrooms, or laws that increase deportation risks for undocumented people. So, that's something to be aware of maybe. Having event planners, if they're deciding where to host an event, look into local laws.
Also, OFTW's harassment policy seemed to focus on harassment related to protected characteristics, like gender, race, etc. But what about harassment for other reasons? Eg, someone harassing/threatening/intimidating someone who rejected their grant application. GWWC's harassment policy was more general, and I would assume it would cover this type of harassment, though it was not made explicit.
That's a really good point! I'll make a note to update the guide to include a note about this!
[We are sharing this guide on the Forum as an example for other organisations and groups that may be organising events. This guide is used by volunteers and staff at both Giving What We Can (GWWC) and One for the World (OFTW) when planning and running events.]
This guide is for anyone who is organising events in association with Giving What We Can or One for the World, whether that be paid staff or volunteers. We also hope it will be a useful resource for anyone else who is looking to organise community events in a safe and inclusive way.
It can be hard to think of all the relevant considerations around running events by yourself, and each of us have biases or preferences that mean that we may be more likely to think of some areas and not others. This guide aims to cover a broad range of considerations to help all organisers and ensure safe and inclusive events for all attendees.
Giving What We Can and One for the World take providing safe and inclusive events seriously. Our organisations exist to improve the world, and aim to do so through the lens of compassion. We believe our events should mirror our commitment to creating a better world.
Under 18s
Alcohol
Power dynamics
Families
Anti-Discrimination & Harassment
Providing appropriate facilities and products
Venue
Checking about accommodations required
Thinking about volunteer capacity
There are many types of community events that may be appropriate for you to organise. The following discusses considerations in organising different types of events. When selecting the type of event to organise, it is worth thinking about selecting the type of event that balances the value provided to attendees with any considerations or risks. For example, if an event will provide just as much value as a dinner at a local restaurant when compared with a party at someone’s home, it would be preferable to host a dinner at a local restaurant, if costs were equal, as people may feel more comfortable in a public setting.
Accommodation and sleeping arrangements
People have varying levels of comfort when it comes to sleeping arrangements, and it’s important to respect people’s boundaries.
When organising accommodation, people should always be offered the option to stay in a room with people of their own gender, and offered an option to stay in a room by themselves, if they require. It is key for people to be able to express their desire to change their sleeping arrangements if they are not comfortable.
If there is limited space or funds available for accommodation, and someone’s preferred option is not available, you should brainstorm ways you could meet this person's requirements within the constraints.
It could also be wise to have an additional room available in case anyone falls ill or requires a space to themselves during the event.
Food
Many people will have dietary preferences due to religion, allergies or medical conditions and lifestyle preferences. When organising a multiday event, you should ask for everyone’s dietary preferences in advance so that food can be appropriately prepared.
Allergens should be clearly labelled whenever possible, and an organiser or venue staff member should be able to identify all ingredients in the food. If someone has a severe allergy, consider whether it’s practical to avoid having the allergen present at all,
Ideally, you will be able to cater for all preferences throughout the event, but if someone has very complex dietary requirements, you may wish to contact the person to discuss and come up with solutions together about how best to cater for them. Meal times are generally highly social, so we should endeavour to have everyone included.
Within the effective altruism community, a large portion of people are vegan or vegetarian and many events are catered to be vegan by default. This is generally considered to be best practice as it is also generally inclusive of religious food restrictions such as kosher and halal. At a larger event, there will often be a couple of people who are also gluten free, and nut allergies are common.
Religion
During multiday events, it becomes more likely that the event will crossover with religious rituals or traditions that attendees may be following. You may want to actively provide a space for prayer during the event or people may choose to disclose any requirements to you in lead up to the event. No one should have to disclose their religion to you or anyone else at any point, and be mindful that you may not know who is religious amongst attendees.
Attendees should be allowed to leave any sessions or activities to undertake prayer or religious obligations.
Space
Over a multiday event, thinking about how different people live their lives is important. Some people may be extroverted and want to stay up late and chat, while others may want to go to bed early, or prefer quiet time alone. Providing spaces for people to engage in their preferred way to unwind or recharge will make for a more fulfilling event for all involved.
Some people may benefit from a quiet space to relax, reflect or work during downtime at an event. Providing a space that is intentionally quiet can also help signal to others that someone does not want to be disturbed at the moment. This can be especially helpful if the accommodation involves shared rooms.
Bedtimes and wake up times vary significantly in adults, so it may make sense to group those who generally go to bed early or late together when planning accommodation. This can be done through a survey during registration.
It is also worth thinking about designating a social space where people might be making (reasonable levels of) noise late in the evening or early in the morning.
We recommend having a set of ‘quiet hours’ where noise should be kept to a minimum. Depending on the location, 10pm-7am may be reasonable.
Timing (i.e. new parents might struggle to attend)
Dinners are an easy option for a social gathering, but it may be worth bearing in mind that not all people will be able to attend evening events. They might be new parents who don’t want to interrupt their baby’s sleep schedule, or they may have an early bedtime or limited energy which may conflict with evening engagements. If organising a dinner, try to alternate the next event with a lunch or a differently timed activity to allow different attendees to come along.
Food
If going out to a restaurant, selecting a venue that can cater for multiple dietary requirements is important. Many people in the effective altruism community are vegan or vegetarian, so a restaurant that is vegan, or has multiple vegan options is usually a good bet. Vegan options also generally cater for those seeking kosher or halal options.
Let people know you’ve chosen an option that caters to specific dietaries in the event description and registration. It makes sense to collect dietary requirements as far in advance as possible, and to let the chosen venue know in advance as well.
Events in private homes can be a wonderful way to develop relationships with people in your community, but they carry an extra set of responsibilities to ensure that the event is safe. Generally, we would recommend hosting events in public spaces but recognise some people would prefer to host in their own home. If hosting events in your home, try to host alternating events in public spaces.
Power dynamics/vulnerability
When hosting in your home, you are in a position of power and it is worth being mindful of how others may feel in your home. People may be more deferential to you as a host than they would normally as they are not in their own space, and may feel indebted to you for hosting. This means that attendees may be more vulnerable and less likely to speak up if they are uncomfortable. Choosing a co-host who does not live in the home may provide an alternative option for people to raise concerns to during the event. It may also help women feel more comfortable attending if a woman is co-hosting if the other hosts are men.
Ideally, you would close off any private areas of your home, i.e. bedrooms and make it clear that they are not to be entered during the event with signs on doors. Also having a sign on the entry or gate can affirm to people that they’re in the right place.
When starting the event, you should let people know where to find the bathroom, where items like glasses and water are and what areas of your home they may use. Encourage people to stay in the main areas of your home where the majority of others are.
It can be particularly difficult to provide adequate bathroom facilities for a large group of people in a private home. In general, we recommend not hosting more than 15 people in a private venue unless it is particularly well-equipped for large groups.
Consent
If someone has invited you to their home, you should always gain their permission before sharing the address with another person, and let the host know who exactly you intend on bringing, in case there was a reason that person was not invited.
In most cases events run in association with Giving What We Can or One for the World would be considered social professional events, where a standard of professional conduct would apply. When in a private home, it can be easier to relax into more personal than professional behaviour, especially if some attendees are close friends. It should be made clear to all attendees what kind of behaviour is and isn’t encouraged in your home during the event, as well as reminding attendees that this event is run in association with Giving What We Can or One For The World, and that the event should be treated the same as if it was hosted in a public space.
In general, organisers should feel empowered to ask people to leave if there are any issues. Agreeing in advance who is responsible for asking people to leave can help organisers feel more comfortable in actioning this.
If anyone is in physical danger, you must call the authorities. You should also contact a member of staff from One for the World or Giving What We Can at the earliest practical opportunity, so that they can assist (see below). If someone is in immediate danger, it is entirely appropriate to involve the police.
If you believe a crime has been committed but the immediate danger has passed, you should offer to support the victim in reporting it or offer to do this on their behalf if they consent. That said, if you have reporting obligations [such as a “duty-to-report” in the US], you must always report to the police and other authorities according to your legal and contractual obligations.
If in doubt, you should seek advice at the earliest opportunity from a member of staff at One for the World or Giving What We Can.
If you encounter an issue that doesn't rise to the level of involving the authorities, and if the involved parties are safe to do so, address any less serious issues calmly and take appropriate action (more guidance on issues you could encounter below).
Take down a record of what happened and contact the organisation’s person in charge of community events. Record the contact details of witnesses as appropriate. They may want to investigate what happened and take further action.
For Giving What We Can events, you can contact the CEA Community Health team, or Luke Freeman. For One for the World events, you can contact: Jack Lewars or Emma Cameron. [Note: personal contact information has been redacted for the EA Forum version]
Someone feels left out
If someone is shy or feels left out, one solution could be to offer activities during breaks or to ask if someone wants to participate in a discussion on a topic you know they might have an interest in.
Someone is made to feel uncomfortable
There are differing levels of what people will and will not be comfortable with in terms of ways of communicating, topics of discussion etc. While we recommend being mindful of what is discussed and how, for example, avoiding discussing things of a sexual nature, graphic violence or other commonly upsetting topics, it is possible that someone may feel uncomfortable with less obviously difficult topics.
If someone is in distress as a result of a conversation or interaction, they should be encouraged to talk to the event’s point of contact to discuss it and talk about whether anything can be done to help. This could mean moving the distressed person into a new room, new accommodation or a different working group.
Depending on the conversation or interaction, it could be worth having a conversation with the person who initiated it, to let them know that this can be seen as making others uncomfortable, and to encourage them to avoid similar topics or behaviour.
If it persists, you may want to ask them more explicitly to stop, or explain that you will ask them to leave the event. If the conversation or interaction is deemed to be harassment then consider the below advice.
Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination
There may be occasions where behaviour at an event may constitute harassment, bullying or discrimination. If someone raises a serious concern about or reports this behaviour:
If you think there is a conflict of interest at any point, you should make the other person aware as soon as possible and find someone else to manage the situation.
If you would like advice on a situation like this, you can reach out to the CEA Community Health team. For more guidance on responding to and investigating a report of this nature, you may want to look at these resources from CEA on community health.
Mental health: helping someone experiencing a panic attack, or overwhelm
If anyone is in immediate danger or seriously injuring themselves or others, you should call emergency services. Ideally, this should be done with the consent of the affected person, if at all possible, but you have a primary responsibility to keep everyone safe.
It is possible at a large event that someone may experience a panic attack, we recommend familiarising yourself with this article about someone who is having a panic attack.
Especially at multiday, overseas, or large and busy events, it’s likely that someone will become overwhelmed at some point. Often the topics being discussed can be emotionally distressing or heavy to talk about.
Having a quiet space for people to recover or unwind is a good idea. Scheduling breaks between sessions or activities can also give people space to decompress if the programming is heavy or difficult for some attendees. Mentioning at the start of the session that people are welcome to step out if they are finding it overwhelming can also be a good idea if the content is potentially upsetting. Remind attendees that they can always speak to the contact person.
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The contents for this guide have been based heavily on the Advice about Community Health at Retreats from CEA.
Latest version: July 2023
Thanks to JL, LF and CL for reviewing and providing input.
Thanks for this guide!
One thing that I appreciated when attending a GWWC event was that expectations of responsible conduct were made clear with an explicit announcement at the beginning of the event. I thought this was a good way to create a social agreement among attendees.
I think that some people are reluctant to do this because they think it might bring the mood down, or it feels awkward to call attention to the possibility of harmful behaviour at what is supposed to be a fun or professional event. They might also not be sure exactly what to say. One idea for addressing these barriers would be to provide a basic script that organisers could say, or rewrite in their own words.
I actually do have this in a template for slides for events organisers are doing! I've also included in a doc on how to run events that it's important to set the tone for the event, and that this can be a good time to speak about what behaviours you do (and don't) want to see!