HP ALLIANCE INC
We turn fans into heroes.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
For many people, activism is not accessible or sustainable.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Accio Books!
An international book drive hosted by the Harry Potter Alliance where members donate books to a target area, usually the continental US and their local communities.
HPA Chapters
Leading or joining an HPA chapter means being part of something truly unique and special: a real-life Dumbledore’s Army that spans 25 countries, speaks over a dozen languages, shares a passion for multiple fandoms, and fights multiple forms of worldsuck.
Wizard Activist School
The Harry Potter Alliance’s Wizard Activist School brings you the skills you need to organize your own Dumbledore’s Army.
Fandom Forward
Fandom Forward helps you bring fan activism to your favorite fandoms with free toolkits and activities to use in your chapters, with your friends, in your classrooms, or at your libraries.
Dumbledore's Army Fights Back
#DAFightsBack is our answer to the need for joyful connection and resistance in dark days. We're focusing on actions that connect and bond activists in new ways and help us respond to each challenge with energy, imagination, and - most importantly - love.
Granger Leadership Academy
The Granger Leadership Academy is a retreat for leaders, organizers, and activists that is unlike anything else in the world. We’re using over a decade of expertise harnessing pop culture for social good to create a life-changing experience for leaders of all ages.
Hero Training
The Harry Potter Alliance has been training new and experienced leaders alike for over a decade, and you won’t find training quite like ours anywhere else. We’d love to be a part of your group’s journey!
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We strive to make activism accessible, sustainable, and joyful through story-based advocacy and leadership development.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The HPA organizes Harry Potter and pop culture fans to make a difference through activism, leadership, and service. Through the power of story, we help fans understand complex social justice issues and find meaningful, exciting ways to take action.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The HPA currently employs three full-time employees and one part-time employee. In addition, the HPA has over 80 active volunteers.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Our model works. Our reach has extended to 250 chapters in 35 countries. Over five years of study, we have found that our Chapter Organizers consistently report being more knowledgeable, passionate, and committed to the social justice causes we introduce them to. In 2018, 100% of attendees of our most intensive training expressed that following the conference they felt confident in their identity and abilities as activists. We have influenced legislation on marriage equality and net neutrality, organized thousands of fans to successfully compel Warner Bros to make all Harry Potter-brand chocolate fair trade, and much more. Our methodology has most recently been featured in USA Today, Rolling Stone, and Yahoo Entertainment. The HPA is in the process of completing a new, comprehensive 3-year strategic plan, including developing a new action hub that will make it easier (and more fun!) to make frequent and meaningful impact on everything from gender equity to racial justice.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Fans. More specifically, our primary audience is Millennial and Gen Z people who are active in fandom spaces, over 80% of whom are young and over 50% of whom are LGBTQ+
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We changed our name from "The Harry Potter Alliance" to "Fandom Forward" as a direct result of informal and formal feedback, via social media, in-person and phone conversations, surveys, and town halls.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HP ALLIANCE INC
Board of directorsas of 07/11/2022
Sabrina Cartan
Potomac Productions
Term: 2020 - 2023
Maggie Brevig
Network
Term: 2020 - 2023
Anna Dardick
Daniel Etcovich
Porshea Patterson-Hurst
Maddi Porter
K. Alexandra Mills
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/11/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.