The Harry Potter Alliance Announces New Name
The nonprofit organization formerly known as the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) has announced its new name: Fandom Forward.
The name change comes following a vote by supporters of the organization earlier this year, as noted in the press release announcing its rebranding. According to Katie Bowers, Co-Managing Director of Fandom Forward, 99% of those who voted on the possibility of a name change voted in favor of changing it. In a quote, Bowers assured supporters that the organization itself won’t be changing, but its name will be more reflective of what it has done and hopes to accomplish in the future.
We’re still going to work with all the stories you know and love – and we wanted a name that reflected that. In fact, more than 1,000 members weighed in on our name change decision – and literally 99% voted in favor of changing the name! For nearly ten years we’ve worked with a diverse community of fans in and outside of Harry Potter – and it’s time for our name to reflect and welcome our full, incredible community.
This is also reiterated in the text of the press release:
The non-profit organization has organized in multiple fandoms for over ten years. By rebranding to a more inclusive name, Fandom Forward will expand its reach to include more fan communities and to provide a larger audience of fans [with] the resources and tools that they need to become leaders and further the belief that activism should be accessible for everyone. Fandom Forward utilizes experiential training programs and real[-]life campaigns to develop compassionate, skillful leaders who learn to approach our world’s problems with joy, creativity, and commitment to equity.
The Harry Potter Alliance teased its new name via social media, including the hashtag #TheHPAIsEvolving and a reference to Doctor Who.
We're about to regenerate on June 8. Is it too soon to pull out the fish and custard? #TheHPAisEvolving pic.twitter.com/Ss2pAZDofi
— Fandom Forward (@FandomForward) June 1, 2021
Under its previous name, Fandom Forward’s campaigns have included the long-running Accio Books! campaign, the Granger Leadership Academy, and Dumbledore’s Army Fights Back, among many others. At this time, it is not clear if these initiatives will be receiving new names as the organization undergoes its rebranding.
The social media handles for Fandom Forward have changed too. It can now be found on its new official website and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.
