Mission

Furvana is an organization¹ dedicated to providing a venue² and events for the world wide community of enthusiasts of anthropomorphic arts to gather together, allowing people of all ages and differences to feel safe and respected as they engage in community activities³ that bring anthropomorphism to life.

Intent of Mission Statement Notes

1. “organization” (alternatively “organized convention”). The intent of Furvana is to be a convention as defined by the above mission statement. Not to be confused with a Board which is a different organization serving a different purpose in the community.
2. “venue” (alternatively “convention center and hotel”). It is not always guaranteed to be the same venue.
3. “community activities”. Including but not limited to costuming, visual art, literature, music, dancing, and discussions.

Values

• We want to make the community heard, ensuring that all staff and attendees have a voice in the convention built by and for them.
• We want to strengthen community ties and make every community member feel included.
• We want to embrace weirdness, the spirit of eccentricity that makes our community unique.
• We want to give community members a place to meet new friends and share interests and learn from each other.
• We want attendees to feel safe expressing their interests and do it in a positive way.

Tenets

How do we accomplish our mission and fulfill our values?

• Don't just say “no”. All ideas should have a discussion before being accepted or denied. Evaluate possibilities and communicate your thought process to others.
• There are always more than two answers to a problem; find the third option.
• Make volunteering fun and rewarding.
• Make attendees feel safe, comfortable, and respected.
• Train the leads to become leaders.
• Enable visibility and transparency. All staff should have visibility into leadership discussions and decision making, unless there is a specific security reason the information must be kept private.
• Always assume good intentions during discussions with other staff and attendees.
• Follow the “We'll make it right” principle of customer service.
• Consider how your role in staff affects other staff roles. Map your connections.
• Precedent, precedent, precedent! Study other conventions and events to see how they manage and solve problems.
• Keep the mission in mind!