Startup Anime Nonprofit Misunderstands the Question

Lauren Orsini, writing for Forbes, has done a masterful job in discussing the protocols of the online base building in close communities when you are not yet on familiar terms. Her column is well worth a careful read because it applies much more broadly than just to the anime enthusiast community.
The Flying Colors Foundation was founded just a few months ago to “inspire change through dialogue. We connect and share the [anime] community’s voice.” Their website says they want to share the (Western) anime community’s voice with animators and producers in Japan. The problem is that no one “authorized” the group to act in that powerful role. In the wake of the Facebook revelations, potential constituents think they smell a rat in the whole endeavor.
The Foundation’s first move was to put out a “community survey” to find out what fans watched and what they wanted from companies. It was immediately controversial for two major reasons. One, they did not explain why they wanted the information. The group was brand new and their following was small, so their mission was not well known, and it was unclear what they were planning to do with whatever data they collected. Two, they asked, “Have you ever suffered from any of the following health complications?” They asked about anxiety, depression, addiction, and other socially stigmatized issues.