Better together: the high-impact power of fandom charity

When done right, fandoms can instigate a culture of altruism and action.

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Pick any random day to log into Twitter and you will, for sure, see at least one fandom-related hashtag on the Trending list. Whether it’s for a K-pop group, a Filipino actor, or the new episode of a TV show, there will always be one fandom mass-tweeting to get their faves the highest possible spot on that sidebar. 

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For some members of the general public, this is pretty amazing and kind of terrifying. You have a group of people, presumably in the thousands, organized enough to utilize and trend the same hashtag. This power extends beyond the screen, too. Fans have the ability to achieve anything they set their sights on, including the organization of events unique to their respective cultures. You’ve got intimate cupsleeve events in quaint coffee shops, as is common with many K-pop fandoms, all the way to full-blown conventions spanning multiple halls, such Cosplay Mania organized by Cosplay.Ph.

One type of activity that’s common across different fandoms, are charity projects, and there are plenty in the Philippines. By all means, these don’t make them paragons of perfection: like any other organization, fandoms can include questionable characters that take questionable actions. But many of its members are, in their own ways, trying to make the world a safer, healthier, and happier place.  

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Consider fan bases like Tatak LizQuen Official, which is dedicated to the love team of Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil (LizQuen). It started in December 2014 as a private Facebook group led by then-college students Riza Cabural, Myee Azur, and Andy Azur. When Amy Masungi was asked to manage the group, they set up public accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. As of writing, Tatak LizQuen Official has a cumulative total of over 947,000 followers across these channels.

There are also fan bases that are focused specifically on philanthropy. In March 2018, a BTS ARMY asked if anyone was interested in creating a project for Syrian refugees or #ENDviolence, BTS’s anti-violence campaign with UNICEF. As a small group started organizing the effort in earnest, the idea of establishing something more permanent was laid on the table. One in An ARMY (OIAA) was thus born, and has since amassed more than almost 158,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

As fans, they developed a deep understanding of what their idols stood for, and recognized the values that they embodied extending this understanding to efforts that translated into action. Fandoms such as these developed a sense of responsibility — a calling to spread the positivity that their idols wove into their lives.

“We love LizQuen and they are really good people. And because of that, we want to show a fan club that spreads love and kindness,” said Tatak LizQuen Official through an email interview. Their motto, #ForTheLove, guides its members in their activities.

“Things such as perseverance, kindness, supportiveness, and giving back to others are integral to [BTS], and that tends to draw [in] people who have the same inclinations or tendencies,” said OIAA through an email interview. “We think that is part of the reason that charity work has become something of a cultural trait in ARMY.”

This mindset was apparent as early as the height of Star Trek’s popularity, whose fandom is attributed as the origin of modern fandom culture by academicians Karen L. Hellekson and Kristina Busse. When Trekker Russ Haslage asked Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the TV series, what the ultimate Star Trek fan club should do, they reflected on what the crews of their fictional universe did in each episode. The answer, “They go places and help people,” became the thrust for the non-profit organization that they founded, the International Federation of Trekkers.

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Fueled by their love for their idols and admiration of their principles, fans tap into a wide range of causes that need utmost support. 

Tatak LizQuen Official frequently partners with homes for the elderly, such as Bahay ng Pag-Ibig in Pampanga, for whom they’ve organized programs and donated in-kind. They’ve also gone on several missions for Aeta communities, procuring donations from local and international fans and sponsorships from companies endorsed by LizQuen.

They also conducted a special project for a special fan. In 2016, then eight-year-old Isay thought that she was just going to pick-up a birthday gift. However, the surprise prepared by the group moved the girl to happy tears.

“[Isay’s mother] wanted to fulfill her daughter’s dream to meet Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. Her daughter has a medical condition — conjoined kidneys, and meeting LizQuen [could] help in bringing the best in her health,” recalled Tatak LizQuen Official. “She didn’t know she would finally meet the people [that] she admired. It was such a heartwarming moment.”

OIAA has mounted 28 projects across various countries, supporting causes like mental health and access to clean water. Most are straight-up monetary donations, but they also hold gamified fundraisers for ARMYs who may not be able to shell out cash at the moment. 

ALERT! #BTSARMY the time has come for you to be the hero once again!

Our favorite robot Van needs YOUR help! By playing @Freerice together for #7WithARMY, we will help provide food to hungry people around the world!

Will you help Van in his mission? The journey begins here… pic.twitter.com/Zl5SJVxK0t

— One in an ARMY⁷ Charity Project 💜 (@OneInAnARMY) May 14, 2020

In one memorable project, ARMYs donated to Korean Kids and Orphanage Outreach Mission (KKOOM), an organization for at-risk children in South Korea, and sent them handcrafted cards for Christmas. Grace Lee, chief administrator at KKOOM, shared the story of a toddler whose tuition for preschool was covered by an OIAA project.

“When you look at the pictures of how HJ* physically looked when he first came, and pictures of him at our last Christmas party, he’s [now] a vibrant, joyful little child [who] is very curious; he loves to dance and he’s so well-loved at the children’s home,” she said. “For OIAA to take the opportunity to invest in his education — they may not be able to physically see the fruits of what they’ve done, but the impact that they’ve made on this little boy’s life, they’ve changed it forever.”

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In many instances, fandoms are able to pull movements so massive that they’re probably mind-blowing from an outsider’s perspective. Popsters, or Sarah Geronimo fans, raised P100,000 for victims of the Taal Volcano through a single event. OIAA’s #MatchAMillion campaign culled $1 million in less than 24 hours for Black Lives Matter. Harry Potter Alliance (HPA), a non-profit organization founded in 2005 by fans of the book series, have donated 400,000 books to various libraries across the world and raised almost $95,000 for a year’s worth of gender equality campaigns. They even successfully convinced Warner Bros. Entertainment to make all of their Harry Potter chocolate products Fairtrade-certified in 2014. 

For Professor Andrew Ty, an instructor at the Ateneo de Manila Department of Communication, the charitable acts of fandoms further cement their legitimacy as a social unit. “They can do good to benefit those outside their own circles of interest. That said, I think that fandoms can do this when they act as more than in-groups for people with shared interests [and] instead turn outwards and decide they are fans who will do the familiar collective labor they do for a purpose larger than themselves,” he said.

Recently, the general public has been experiencing an awakening towards the activist and philanthropic tendencies of fans. In May 2020, fans of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, or “KathNiels”, successfully mass-reported a blogger who had criticized the love team’s stance on the ABS-CBN shutdown. They gained the admiration of several people who lauded not only their awareness of social issues but also their charity projects.

#WeBlockAsOne #StarveTheTrolls pic.twitter.com/d2A2iLBoIt

— KATHNIEL SPIKERS (@KATHNIELSpikers) May 15, 2020

Thanks to technologies like the internet and its various tools, such as social media, it has become easier for fans to share information, organize their activities, and express themselves. Professor Lara Mendoza, an instructor at the Ateneo de Manila Department of Development Studies, believes that the collective power of fans has always existed, but technology serves to amplify that power.

“They’re given more of a voice. They become more empowered [to say], ‘We have impact, we play a significant role here, and it’s playing out in the clicks and the views that people give me. People are counting on my clicks,’” she said.

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Fandom has united millions of people, connecting individuals across the world who share the same passion. This further fosters an enrichment of experience as fans exchange knowledge, perspectives, and aspects of each other’s culture.

What’s even more beautiful is that this translates into fandom charity, wherein the consistent act of giving creates a ripple of transformation. When an entity instigates action towards good, whether it’s an individual fan or a huge fan base, many more will surely follow.

OIAA was able to document this through their ARMY Charity Map initiative, wherein they tallied charity acts done in the name of BTS. The results were stunning: since 2015, ARMY has mounted 623 projects across the world, not including those that weren’t reported to OIAA and those that the group itself organized.

The ARMY Charity Map, at a glance, shows how widespread the impact of fan-led charity activities can be.

Other organizations take this to the next level by nurturing agents of positive impact themselves. HPA launched Wizard Activist School, an online educational platform on fan activism. Students choose from a variety of modules, such as effective goal-setting and conflict resolution, and earn certifications for completed courses — all for free.

“Almost on a daily basis, we see fellow ARMYs say things like, ‘I wish I [could] donate but I don’t have a bank account yet; when I do, I will make sure to save up and participate in your campaigns,” or, “ARMYs in X-country did Y-project; anyone wants to do it in Z-country too?” recalls OIAA. 

“Seeing comments like that makes us realize how big of an impact a fandom can have on people in real life, how it can impact someone’s personality, and how it can change someone’s life. It makes us realize the importance of what we’re doing.”

While charity clearly doesn’t count the cost, the extent to which these fans and fan bases work for it might be crazy for some people. But if their love for their idols inspires positive change within themselves and in the world, then it’s labor that’s worth every bead of sweat.

*Real name concealed upon request.

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Header art by Kitty Jardenil