What We Believe

Our Mission

The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) is a non-profit organization run by and for fans to preserve and protect transformative fanworks and fan cultures in their myriad forms. We believe that fanworks are transformative and that transformative works are legitimate.

Our Vision

We envision a future in which all fannish works are recognized as legal and transformative and are accepted as a legitimate creative activity. We imagine a world where the culture and history of fandom are preserved, and fannish activities and creations remain widely available and accessible.

Our Values

  • We value transformative fanworks and the innovative communities from which they have arisen; this includes anime, books, comics, games, movies, music, shows, sports, theater, and other fandoms.
  • We value the many ways fans express their fannishness, including but not limited to art, cosplay, fiction (including real-person fiction), meta, podfics, songs, videos, and zines.
  • We value our volunteer-based infrastructure and the fannish gift economy, both of which reflect and celebrate the worth of countless contributions across diverse activities.
  • We value making fannish activities as accessible as possible to all those who wish to participate.
  • We value infinite diversity in infinite combinations. We value all fans engaged in transformative work, regardless of background or circumstance.
  • We value ensuring that everyone feels fully part of the community while contributing their unique experiences and perspectives, so that every fan of any media feels like they have a place with us.
  • We value the free exchange and blending of fannish ideas and cultures while striving to preserve the diversity and decentralization of fandom.
  • We value maximum inclusiveness of fannish content and oppose censorship in all forms. We support fandoms, fanworks, and fannish content of all kinds, even if they may be considered offensive or objectionable.

Our Initiatives

Since our founding, the OTW has laid the groundwork for a vibrant and creative organization by undertaking a variety of projects and initiatives that support our mission, vision, and values:

  • Founded the OTW as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission of protecting and supporting fandom
  • Developed infrastructure to oversee and support the OTW’s mission through a Board of Directors and committees
  • Designed, programmed, and launched the Archive of Our Own, an open-source online archive to host transformative fanworks
  • Created Fanlore, a fan wiki to preserve the history of transformative fanworks and the fandoms from which they have arisen
  • Formed a Legal Advocacy project to defend the rights of fans and protect fanworks from commercial exploitation and legal challenges
  • Instituted the Open Doors project to provide shelter to at-risk fannish content and ensure it is preserved for current and future fans
  • Established Transformative Works and Cultures, a Diamond Open Access peer-reviewed academic journal which promotes scholarship on fanworks and fan practices

This list does not encompass all of the work we’ve ever undertaken; we encourage you to stay updated by following our news posts.

Our Goals

We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished as an organization and hope that our work continues to grow alongside the needs of fans and fandom. We will continue to respond to current events in fandom and develop with them. Current long-term priorities include, but are not limited to:

  • Ensuring that the value of fans and fanworks is recognized and protected by advocating for, supporting, and defending fannish interests
  • Welcoming and supporting all fans and fandom communities, including those that are marginalized, unconventional, or new
  • Growing the size and strength of our userbase and membership to include new groups and spectrums of fans that reflect the diversity of fandom
  • Creating and strengthening inclusive and safe environments for our users and volunteers to engage with fandom
  • Exploring new ways to make our projects and the fannish content they support accessible to all
  • Launching additional projects relevant to transformative fandom, such as new efforts to build and maintain infrastructure for use by fans, support the preservation of fan history and fanworks, and sponsor academic scholarship on fandom
  • Encouraging community building and interactions through OTW platforms and across fan spaces, both online and offline
  • Forming new alliances to defend fanworks from legal challenges around the world and ensure that fans’ voices are heard in the places where decisions are made
  • Improving communication and transparency both within and outside the OTW about our operations, goals, and actions
  • Building a sustainable culture and organizational structure to guarantee that the OTW remains able to support fans for many years to come