It is with a heavy heart that we have called for a boycott of FanimeCon 2025. We had wished that our previous efforts to bring to light the issues within your organization would spur you towards making the reforms we had desperately wished to see while we were working together. Concerns that, unaddressed, would continue to bring harm to the convention that we had all worked so hard to put on. We had hoped that you would reach out to us when we first came forward, to understand our grievances and take steps to address them. When we did not hear from you, we aired our issues with the public, but you still stayed silent on what you were doing to alleviate our concerns.
While the private efforts you have made thus far are admirable, they are not adequate. There are still several glaring issues FanimeCon faces that could destroy the convention we all love. The following, public steps, will alleviate our most pressing issues and restore both our and the public’s trust in your organization and convention.
All 5 are required to lift our boycott.
1. Sexual Assault/Harassment Reforms.
• All FanimeCon staffers who have a known history of credible SA/SH reports at FanimeCon should receive a permanent ban from staffing or attending future FanimeCons.
• Update the Public Code of Conduct to include clear and concise procedures and investigations into SA/SH issues. These investigations should be performed by the staffing department AND a neutral 3rd party. (The Foundation for Anime and Niche Subcultures is not a neutral 3rd party.) Enforcement and utilization of this newly updated code of conduct should be of the highest priority- no more reports should be “slipping through the cracks.”
• All members of FanimeCon staff and Board of Directors should undergo mandatory, yearly SA/SH training. We recommend visiting The Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) for their free presenter’s toolbox and training modules or partnering with the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CEPDV) and/or VALORUS (who also has free resources for your organization to train in SA/SH prevention).
• FanimeCon Staff should be vetted via a background check. Staffers should not be allowed to staff if they have been convicted of a violent crime. Verified Credentials and Checkr has bulk pricing available (Checkr starts at $30/person) and the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) starts at $16/person with a $100 one time setup fee.
2. Refunds
Make good on promised refunds from the COVID years (2020-2022).
3. Accessibility.
Rebuild the accessibility department to include an ADA advocate & comply with federal and state ADA standards. This department should work in tandem with other departments to ensure their programming or public facing posts are accessible to all. This department should also be on-site or work closely with the Info Desk department to help those with accessibility needs access the accommodations they need to enjoy the convention.
4. Update and reform staff benefits.
Staff benefits should include:
• A free or deeply discounted hotel that is close to the staffer’s area of work.
• A proper food budget that is allocated to all staff members and should be standard across all staff.
• A dedicated staff outfit, large accessory, or uniform to make staff more easily identifiable.
• Discounted parking.
All staff perks and benefits must be posted publicly on your website.
5. Finances.
Fix all issues with the Franchise Tax Board and the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.
Complete these reforms, and Failed By Fanime will lift the Boycott.
The following reforms are also highly recommended to increase our, and the public’s trust, but not required to lift the boycott:
Staffing:
• The Foundation for Anime and Niche Resources’ Board of Directors should not be department/division heads. This may constitute a conflict of interest.
• Revamp the Staffing Department to include a trained HR Director.
Communications:
• Overhaul the Social Media Department to ensure that important information is relayed to the public quickly and efficiently. Hiring a dedicated social media manager with training and experience in this field may help drastically improve your communication with the general public.
• Create a roadmap of upcoming changes that is publicly accessible on your website for attendees and staff alike.
• Increase the transparency of staff meetings- Meeting notes should be distributed within 24-48 hours to all staff. Recordings of the meetings should also be available within 24-48 hours. Dedicate a note taker & an audio/visual person to ensure that these meetings are accessible to all staff at all hours. A google drive accessible to staff will do.
Finances:
• Department Heads should receive their estimated budgets for the following year no later than October 1st.
• Open finances and budget information to Department Heads and above. There are a lot of disparities in budgets and space allocations between different departments, some of which we feel are unfairly allocated.
Miscellaneous:
• Rebuild the 24 hour programming. This was one of the things that made FanimeCon unique among other California conventions and it is sorely missed among the public.
• No major policy changes should be made or announced between April 1st and June 5th.
It is our sincerest wish to see these reforms put into action at FanimeCon and we invite you to work with us to correct the issues that threaten our beloved convention.
Boycott Fanime 2025. Do not buy your badge until Fanime meets our demands!!
As of the end of 2024 con, they have still not addressed the following primary issues:
- There are several unresolved cases of sexual harassment and assault, with the alleged perpetrators still on staff.
- The Code of Conduct that was released last month lacks sufficient structure to effectively address and resolve incidents, particularly those involving Staff.
- The legal case involving the former Chief Financial Officer of the Foundation for Anime and Niche Subcultures (FANS, Fanime’s parent organization), while now resolved, remains troubling. FANS has not taken any action to publicly address what happened and what they will be doing to prevent such embezzlement in the future.
- FANS is still listed as delinquent with the California Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. They have until June 25th 2024 to resolve this issue or face penalties and fees.
- There is still no Accessibility department to advocate for attendees, volunteers, or staff, leading to the oversight of blocking the only accessible ramp in the plaza, elevator malfunctions and closures, and placing accessible metal detector entrances in locations that are hard to find and travel to. Attendees should not have to rely on the kindness of strangers to carry them or their wheelchair down a flight of stairs.
- Numerous badge refund requests are still pending resolution, some from as early as 2020.
- There is still a clear lack of communication to address public concerns and issues that arise.
- Contradicting policy enforcements such as allowing the sale of counterfeit and illegal props and weapons in Dealer’s Hall, in direct opposition of FanimeCon’s own policies. This is separate from the fact that many of these are illegal to sell in California.
We have advocated for these and many other changes, which you can find on our website.
Failed By Fanime
Official website of #failedbyfanime. Run by former FanimeCon Staff. We want a better Fanime for future generations.
We want a better FanimeCon for future generations.
This letter was written by several members of our collective. It is our raw emotions and our honest opinions.
When Failed By Fanime (FBF) was created, we had no idea how things would go, how big the movement would become, or how we should really go about it all. What we had was a goal and a desire to accomplish change. Not only for ourselves, but also for the future generations of staffers that may come after us, and for the attendees for whom we so lovingly put on our show. None of us had done anything like this before, and it has truly been a learning process for us all. As what comes with learning something new, we’ve had ups and downs, wins and losses. But despite it all we have never given up, we have continued to push forward, and are eternally grateful for all the love and support we have received that inspires us to keep going, and to continue the fight.
We know some in the community wish to silence our collective voices, calling us names such as “bad actors”, “children throwing tantrums”, “whiners”, etc. We've seen the attempts to discredit us and bad mouth us. Despite it all, we have never faltered. Rumors were brought about, saying we were part of “cancel culture”, just wishing to see Fanime crash and burn to oblivion. All misconceptions, because that has NEVER been our goal.
Our goal has always been and will continue to be, a push for change, a push for improvement, and a push for betterment for all. Since we started in March, we’ve seen current staffers argue against our movement, but in the same breath, also agree that change is needed within Fanime, showing some form of common ground. And the reality is, there's a lot more that we can all agree on than it may seem, the only difference is how we each want to go about this fight for change.
The fact of the matter is that there is no right or wrong way to fight for change. We all have the same end goal in mind, isn’t that what should matter the most?
Some feel it is better to stay as staff and work for change from within. And if that is how you wish to fight, then that's ok. For many of us in FBF, that was no longer an option. Some of us spent far too many years attempting that method, only to be faced with rejection, opposition, and ridicule. Others did what many current staff have encouraged: “join staff! Learn the ropes! Make the change from within if you want to make a difference!”, only to realize right away, that if things could not work out for our veteran colleagues, what hope did that give the newcomers? This is why we chose to resign and speak out publicly to bring these issues to light.
Some have made note that things in their work environment are great, they face no issues and receive full support. To which we say, that's great! We’re happy your department is well supported, and issue free. But it's important to keep in mind that just because things are going well for your department, does not mean that others share the same experience. Those that are needing more should be supported by their colleagues and community rather than dismissed or shamed. Are they not deserving of being heard? Or does it only matter depending on the issue?
Throughout this journey, it has become at times a bit disappointing to see the negative comments, reactions, and feelings some have sent us. Mostly because many of such have come from people that, at one point or another, were colleagues we once worked with, close friends we built bonds with, and family and loved ones we shared memories with. Rather than bring us together as Fanime once did in the past, Fanime and its issues have divided us apart because we desire a con that guarantees safety, better treatment and benefits for its staff, better communication and transparency in its ranks, along with much more as we have stated and will continue to do so until resolution is received.
Our original hope was to have been heard by Fanime, and work in collaboration to remedy these issues. That was unfortunately not an option, as we still have not heard back from Leadership or Fanime's Chair Team.
Despite the negativity, we have also accomplished so much- FanimeCon is finally changing! We received mountains of support throughout these last few months that have blown us away. We realized that although Fanime has divided us apart, the fight for change and betterment has instead brought many of us together. It has shown us where the community truly lies, and we thank each and every one of you for your continued support. We have received over 300+ signatures of support from many various members of the community, from staffers, vendors, and attendees. At one point, some deemed us as “a few/ small handful” of former staffers that are “just whining” and should just be ignored. However, it can be argued that 300+ signatures of support, along with our 125+ resigned staffers, is anything BUT small.
Just because we were failed by Fanime does not mean we wish for Fanime to fail. For those that have visited our website, signed our petition and shared your story, thank you. For those that have not, please consider visiting our website and see for yourselves what we’re hoping to accomplish.
P.S. Don't let people who didn't bother to listen to us try to tell you that our movement is about a t-shirt. Those who care, know the truth.
-FailedByFanime
Official website of #failedbyfanime. Run by former FanimeCon Staff. We want a better Fanime for future generations.
We want a better FanimeCon for future generations.
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