I organize some of the most fun anime conventions in the world through my company AnimeCon.org. Let's talk about anime conventions and nonprofit organizations.
The History of Nonprofit Anime Conventions
When anime conventions first started, most were organized by colleges. Over time, these events transitioned to being run by nonprofit organizations, which meant a group of passionate nerds would come together to organize an anime convention. And for a long time, this system worked well.
However, as with any organization that exists for years without strong leadership, problems began to arise. Many nonprofit conventions started to be taken advantage of, and today, many of them no longer exist. There was one convention that had been running for decades in a medium-sized city just northeast of me in Iowa. After COVID, the convention shut down. From what I’ve been told, the board members had been paying themselves a salary.
In a nonprofit, board members can legally pay themselves for the work they do. So if someone claims their work is worth $20 an hour and they put in 10 hours a week, they’re suddenly paying themselves $200 a week—thousands of dollars over time. This drains the convention’s money and leads to financial instability.
The Problem With Nonprofit Conventions Claiming They Are Better
I take issue with nonprofit anime conventions when they claim their nonprofit status inherently makes them better. In some cases, it can be true. If a nonprofit takes all the money from attendees and exhibitors and reinvests it into the event—bringing in high-quality guests, providing excellent experiences, or even offering scholarships—that’s fantastic. That’s exactly what a nonprofit convention should do.
But when I started AnimeCon.org, I noticed something strange. Some of these nonprofit conventions in the same cities we were hosting events in were making around a million dollars a year. I sat down and did the math. They had 10 guests, and I spoke to those guests to find out what they were getting paid. If the convention had been investing a significant amount into the anime industry—into people actually working on anime—it would have been commendable. But that wasn’t the case.
The guests were coming for practically free, maybe getting $500 or $1,000. They weren’t flying first class, and they weren’t being treated particularly well. Instead, these conventions would fly in 10 voice actors on budget flights for about $400 each, totaling around $4,000 in travel costs, plus another $5,000 for hotel stays. That’s less than $10,000 spent on guests. So where was the rest of the money going?
A Lack of Transparency in Spending
I was on the board for one of these nonprofit organizations, and I always wondered what was happening with the extra money. To their credit, they did attempt to set up a small scholarship and gave some money back to the community. But at all times, they had over $200,000 sitting in their checking account as a treasury reserve. That means there was $40,000 to $50,000 in revenue every year that wasn’t being spent on the convention experience for attendees.
For example, one of these conventions used to have a "con suite," similar to what we offer at AnimeCon.org events. The idea is to provide free snacks like soda and ramen to attendees. But these nonprofit conventions were incredibly stingy. They would put out 10 boxes of ramen, and if it ran out by 3:05 p.m., they wouldn’t provide more until 4 p.m. Meanwhile, they were sitting on $100,000 or more in profits and just hoarding it.
I’ve also seen these organizations waste money on things like office buildings for their board members, where they could meet and run their own special projects. Some would even host extravagant steak and lobster dinners for their staff and volunteers. While it’s nice to show appreciation, that money could have been spent on making the convention better—providing better guests, better experiences, or even just keeping hotel and vendor costs reasonable for attendees.
High Salaries in Nonprofit Anime Conventions
Some of these nonprofit conventions justify their spending by saying, "Oh, we’re a nonprofit, so all our money goes to good things." But I know for a fact that some of these organizations pay their directors tens of thousands of dollars. The biggest anime convention in the country pays its executive staff hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Just because a convention is a nonprofit doesn’t mean the people running it aren’t making a lot of money.
I find it especially suspicious when some conventions don’t even publish who is in charge. At my conventions, people hold me accountable for everything—whether it’s long registration lines, missing supplies, or a guest cancellation. If something goes wrong, people know it’s my responsibility. But in these board-run nonprofit conventions, with faceless leadership, who is accountable when something goes wrong? When they cancel a major event last-minute? When they cut key features? There’s no one to hold responsible.
Transparency Is Key
One thing I’ve wanted to do at AnimeCon.org for years is publish our financials. I keep meticulous financial records. Every single expense, every bank transaction—everything is categorized. If I spend $2 at Taco Bell on my personal card, that’s logged as a personal expense and not deducted from our taxes.
Some day I hope to be able to publish these all the time, so people can see where we spend our money.
The problem is figuring out how to share this information without violating privacy. I can’t publicly disclose how much we pay specific voice actors or guests without their permission. But if I can find a way to publish overall financial breakdowns—like how much is spent on guests in total, how much goes to event costs, etc.—I’d love to do that. Transparency is something I believe more organizations should embrace.
The Future of Anime Conventions
I truly care about the conventions I run and the people who work with me. But I worry about the lack of transparency in nonprofit anime conventions. Many of them claim nonprofit status while quietly pocketing large salaries and failing to reinvest in the attendee experience.
At AnimeCon.org events, we focus on making the best possible experience for attendees, making sure vendors thrive, and ensuring fair hotel and vendor costs. That’s what running an anime convention should be about—creating an unforgettable experience for fans.
So if you're looking for an anime convention where you know the focus is on you, the attendee, I hope you’ll join us at one of our events!