Danielle Gillen: Saving the World Chapter by Chapter
by Maddie Gudenkauf
Originally written for Issue 15 of the W.A.N.D. in 2018
With over 250 chapters across 35 countries speaking dozens of languages, Fandom Forward boasts a massive Dumbledore’s Army devoted to decreasing world suck. Fandom Forward chapters work tirelessly to improve their communities and make the world a better place. The Edinburgh Unicorns in Scotland have created an LGBT+ toolkit for new students at their university. The Whomping Wolverines in Michigan hosted an escape room as a fundraiser to create an Apparating Library for a local after-school program. The Masaka chapter in Uganda recently made their first payment on the land needed to build a hospital. In order to achieve such massive accomplishments, chapters need a leader within Fandom Forward that can they can reach out to for help or guidance.
That’s where Danielle Gillen comes in. As the leader of the Chapters Outreach team for Fandom Forward, Danielle is our very own Hagrid, welcoming each Chapter Organizer, making sure they have what they need to succeed, and leading a team of 17 other volunteers all doing their own part to help chapters be the best they can be.
Danielle’s wizardry as the Chapters Outreach lead and her work with Fandom Forward began when she created her own local chapter in her town. She first heard about tFandom Forward on MuggleNet, a popular Harry Potter fan news site, and attended a Fandom Forward talk at a Harry Potter conference in 2008. “I thought the concept of using a story like Harry Potter to enact positive change was brilliant, and I instantly wanted to get involved,” Danielle said. When she couldn’t find any chapters near her, Danielle opted to start her own. The chapter is still active today, with Danielle proudly declaring, “We are a small but mighty group!”
In 2009, while Danielle was studying to be a medical transcriptionist at Philadelphia University, she noticed that Fandom Forward did not have transcripts of their podcasts and livestreams. After approaching Karen Bernstein, the Chapters Director at the time, Danielle became a transcriptionist for Fandom Forward. This was good practice for her future career and she was able to help people who are hard of hearing or deaf engage with the HPA’s content.
Eventually, this led to Danielle joining the Chapters team. She says it was a lot smaller back then, with just a few volunteers who did whatever tasks were needed at the time. In the nine years she’s been with Fandom Forward, the Chapters program has grown significantly and Danielle was honored to be chosen to lead the Chapters Outreach team when it was created.
For Danielle, her favorite thing about volunteering for Fandom Forward is the community. “Whether it is interacting with chapters or my fellow volunteers,” Danielle said, “it is so inspiring to be surrounded by folks who want to make a positive change in the world.”
Today, Danielle continues to lead the Chapters Outreach team with the strength and bravery worthy of her Hogwarts House of Gryffindor. In her Muggle life, Danielle works as a full time medical transcriptionist. She also enjoys writing, running, dancing, and playing with dogs. She recently trained to run the Providence Marathon in Rhode Island and she volunteers at her local animal shelter as well.
With Danielle’s support, Fandom Forward chapters have been able to accomplish amazing feats that have benefited their local communities, and the world. Many chapters have contributed to Accio Books, Fandom Forward’s annual book drive, this year benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico, and many continue to host fundraisers to address local issues within their own communities.
These efforts could not be accomplished without Danielle’s dedication and hard work. During her nine years with the organization, she has helped grow the chapters team and, in turn, cultivated a thriving way for Harry Potter fans to utilize their love of fandoms to benefit their communities around the world.