Our Values
The Moth’s mission is to promote the art and craft of storytelling and to honor and celebrate the diversity and commonality of human experience. The Moth promotes understanding and connection through the practice of storytelling and by elevating the artform on stages, airwaves and in workshops around the world, we are creating a more compassionate world where every individual story matters.
We believe that by telling true personal stories and honoring an individual’s experience, we can:
● challenge dominant narratives
● inspire greater confidence in storytellers
● deepen connection in community; and
● spark empathy among listeners around the world
Conduct and Ethics
At The Moth, we are committed to:
● Acting honestly, truthfully, and with integrity in all our interactions and dealings;
● Seeking out diversity of voice and representation and to providing equal opportunity for staff, consultants, volunteers, board members, storytellers, and partners, regardless of their self-identified gender, race, identity, sexual orientation, nationality/heritage, economic background, or other;
● Treating every individual with dignity, respect and fairness, including our staff, board members, volunteers, consultants, storytellers, audiences, and the world at large;
● Providing employees, board members, volunteers, storytellers, and partners with a safe and fair work environment including supporting conditions of employment that protect their rights and welfare;
● Being good world citizens and complying with both the spirit and the letter of the law;
● Acting responsibly toward the people and communities in which we work and for the benefit of the communities that we serve;
● Being responsible, transparent and accountable for all our actions; and improving the accountability, transparency, ethical conduct and effectiveness of the nonprofit field.
ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY: Discrimination, Harassment, Bullying, Or Sexual Harassment
At the Moth, we are committed to maintaining a working and performing environment free from sexual, racial, ethnic, religious, age-based, disability, sexual orientation, and gender expression harassment and bullying. Such harassment is expressly prohibited. Definitions of Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Bullying are here.
No one formally affiliated with The Moth (management, employee, instructor, board member, storyteller, consultant, etc.) may request or require an employee, instructor, board member, storyteller, or anyone else to submit to sexual harassment as a condition of receiving any benefit such as a raise, promotion, or selection for a performance.
The Moth is within its rights to revoke, suspend, and/or permanently ban anyone from participating in some or all Moth-related activities, with or without cause. And current or prior permission to perform or enter any Moth location is not a promise or guarantee of future permission.
TO WHOM AND TO INSTANCES DOES THIS APPLY?
This policy covers conduct that takes place at The Moth office and at any Moth-sponsored event.
TO WHOM DO I REPORT INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT?
If you become aware of discrimination or harassment in violation of the policies stated above, you are responsible for immediately reporting the matter to the manager, instructor or to The Moth's Head of People and Culture at aragsdale@themoth.org.
The Moth will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all complaints of harassment or discrimination. The scope of the investigation will depend upon the specific circumstances.
The Moth will make every effort to respect the privacy of those involved in an investigation under this procedure. However, it should be understood that The Moth might need to disclose certain information to complete our investigation or otherwise address the matters raised in the complaint. A request not to investigate a reported violation of this policy cannot always be honored.
The results of the investigation will be discussed with those individuals involved and The Moth will determine whether any action is warranted in response. Individuals who are found to have violated this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including warnings, probation, and termination of employment or affiliation with The Moth. The specific action taken will be consistent, reasonable, fair, and match the severity of the incident.
The Moth will not retaliate against any person for making a good faith complaint under this policy, regardless of the outcome of the investigation. Similarly, The Moth will not retaliate against any person for providing truthful information in connection with an investigation under this policy. Any employee, instructor or storyteller at The Moth who retaliates against another for utilizing in good faith the procedures in this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination or termination of their affiliation with The Moth, as the circumstances warrant.
If in the course of an investigation, if The Moth learns that a crime has been committed, the organization may be obligated to report that crime to the relevant authorities. Similarly, The Moth will comply with any requests for records or information made in connection with any police investigation as required by law, or with any subpoena issued lawfully in any legal proceeding.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A FALSE REPORT?
Any person who knowingly provides false information in connection with an investigation under this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of employment or affiliation with The Moth.