Thank you everyone for all of your support during these last few weeks. It's been painful for the 100+ of us who've resigned or chosen not to return this year as we’ve come to accept that we needed to walk away for our own sake. This is a big change for everyone involved–the people leaving, the rest of the staff, attendees, leadership–everyone.
You know what hasn’t changed though?
Our passions. Our love. Our commitment. Our desire to see a better and brighter future, a future we wholeheartedly believe can happen. Together, we can rewrite this narrative.
We’ve banded together to create this website that echoes the sentiments we've expressed in our letters. It's not just burnout nor a list of complaints—it's a roadmap to the future we're dreaming of. A future with better support, fair compensation, and a code of conduct that actually works. This is about everyone rolling up our sleeves and building something better, something that works for all of us who love Fanime–“By Fans, for Fans”.
We invite you to spread the word on social media, share your own stories, and sign our petition. Every action counts, every voice matters! All of us together–from staff, attendees, supporters, and leadership–can make FanimeCon a beacon of community, passion, and connection for generations to come. Together, we are FanimeCon.💖 💫
https://failedbyfanime.com
Fanime's staff work for a badge and an enamel pin, while other cons of similar size can (and do) provide infinitely better perks. #failedbyfanime #fanimeCon #fanime #fanimecon2024 #bayarea #sanjose
More than anything else, signing the petition at https://failedbyfanime.com helps us let Fanimecon's board of directors know how many people their policies have affected.
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.
