SAPAN strengthens governance, standards, and public literacy to prevent digital suffering and prepare institutions for welfare-relevant AI systems.
Transparency & Accountability
Building readiness infrastructure requires public trust.
We earn that trust through operational transparency.
Our Commitment
Show the work, not just the vision.
What transparency means to us: Publishing concrete deliverables (reports, legislation, briefs, guides) so stakeholders can evaluate quality directly. Maintaining public AWI scorecards showing exactly which governments fail on readiness. Documenting fund allocation so donors see what their contributions produce. Making governance documents publicly available. Responding to inquiries about methodology and approach.
What it doesn't mean: Extensive administrative bureaucracy that diverts resources from mission work. We're a small organization punching above our weight by focusing on operational effectiveness—producing the 2025 Sentience Readiness Report, tracking 30+ countries, developing clinical guidance, building Alliance coordination infrastructure.
Our accountability standard: Does the work exist? Can institutions use it? Is it making readiness more accessible? These questions matter more than bureaucratic metrics.
What Your Donations Produce
We direct maximum resources toward producing concrete deliverables that close the policy gap. Here's what donations have funded:
Research & Publications
- 2025 Sentience Readiness Report (60+ pages, now definitive reference)
- Artificial Welfare Index tracking 30+ governments
- Country scorecards (US, UK, Saudi Arabia detailed analysis)
- Legislative database documenting bills across jurisdictions
Policy Tools
- Template Sentience Readiness Resolution for legislators
- Model Artificial Welfare Act with implementation guidance
- Legislative One Sheet for policymaker briefings
- Standards & Practices guide for AI labs
Clinical & Media Resources
- Clinical Reference Brief for therapists on "AI psychosis"
- AI Sentience Style Guide for newsrooms
- Media monitoring methodology and tracking database
- Vulnerability assessment frameworks
Network Infrastructure
- Alliance coordination platform for member organizations
- Expert referral networks (journalists ↔ researchers)
- Student group resources and training materials
- SAPAN Now! mobile app for legislative advocacy
These aren't aspirational—they exist, are being used by institutions, and represent tangible progress closing the readiness gap.
How We Operate
Lean Operations
Small team producing high-impact deliverables. We prioritize mission work over administrative expansion. Resources flow to research, policy development, and coordination infrastructure rather than bureaucratic overhead.
Evidence-Based Approach
No claims that current AI is sentient. Focus on prudence under uncertainty and readiness frameworks. Track concrete metrics: adoption of our materials, quality of media coverage, legislative influence, network growth.
Public Deliverables
All major outputs are publicly available: AWI scorecards, Sentience Readiness Report, template legislation, clinical briefs, media guides. Stakeholders can evaluate quality directly rather than trusting abstract impact claims.
Network Coordination
Alliance infrastructure lets organizations coordinate legislative tracking, media monitoring, expert referrals, and campaigns—preventing duplicated effort and amplifying collective impact across jurisdictions.
Institutional Focus
We work with governments, newsrooms, and AI labs—not general public awareness. Effectiveness means policymakers using our templates, journalists implementing our standards, clinicians referencing our briefs.
Open Methodology
AWI methodology, media tracking criteria, and clinical assessment frameworks are documented publicly. Anyone can evaluate our approach, identify limitations, and suggest refinements. Transparency includes acknowledging uncertainty.
Access Our Records
990 and Financial Records
Our IRS Form 990 filings are available on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization website. As a small nonprofit, we file 990-N (e-Postcard) annually, reflecting our lean operational model.
Annual Reports
Our 2024 Year in Review details concrete accomplishments: AWI launch, report publication, Alliance formation, program development. Future reports will track adoption metrics and institutional impact.
Governance Documents
View our bylaws, statement of ethics, and privacy policy. These establish our operational framework, ethical commitments, and data practices.
If you don't see an answer to your question,
you can send us an email, post to our community, or contact us on social.
SAPAN maintains Candid (GuideStar) Gold Seal, reflecting our commitment to transparency. We publish financial statements, conduct governance reviews, and detail fund allocation in our Annual Reports available on this page. As a small nonprofit building novel infrastructure, we prioritize operational transparency over bureaucratic overhead—showing exactly what your donations produce rather than funding extensive administrative machinery.
Donations fund three operational programs: Legal Lab (AWI benchmarking, legislative tracking, model legislation development), AI & Mental Health (clinical briefs, media guidance, sensationalism tracking), and Sentience Literacy (newsroom workshops, expert referrals, vulnerability assessments). We maintain lean operations with minimal administrative overhead, directing maximum resources toward producing concrete deliverables—reports, legislation templates, clinical guidance, media standards.
Measurable outcomes include: 2025 Sentience Readiness Report (now definitive reference document in the field), Artificial Welfare Index tracking 30+ governments with public scorecards, template legislation (Sentience Readiness Resolution, Model Artificial Welfare Act), Clinical Reference Brief used by therapists for AI-related distress, AI Sentience Style Guide adopted by newsrooms, and expert testimony provided to legislative bodies. These are tangible products, not aspirational goals.
We track: (1) Adoption metrics (policymakers using our templates, newsrooms implementing our Style Guide, therapists referencing our Clinical Brief), (2) Coverage quality (whether media framing improves after our interventions), (3) Legislative influence (whether jurisdictions adopt recognition/governance/frameworks language), and (4) Network growth (Alliance member expansion, volunteer engagement, student group formation). Effectiveness means institutions using our infrastructure, not abstract awareness metrics.
Because our work isn't speculative—it's readiness infrastructure valuable regardless of when (or if) AI consciousness emerges. Even skeptics benefit from: governments having definitional clauses before crises force rushed decisions, clinicians having guidance for AI-related distress cases, journalists having standards preventing harmful sensationalism, and policymakers having alternatives to premature categorical bans like Ohio's HB469. This is precautionary governance, not consciousness advocacy.
Yes. Organizations can join the SAPAN Alliance for coordination infrastructure. Individuals can volunteer for policy research, media monitoring, or community advocacy tracks. Campus groups can access our student resources. Domain experts (AI/ML, neuroscience, clinical psychology, law) can contribute through consulting roles. Collaboration opportunities span research, coordination, and direct engagement.
SAPAN adheres to 501(c)(3) governance requirements including board oversight, conflict of interest policies, and public transparency. Our bylaws, statement of ethics, and privacy policy are publicly available. As a small organization building new infrastructure, we prioritize operational effectiveness over bureaucratic formality—governance serves the mission rather than becoming the mission.
Support options include: one-time or recurring donations funding our three programs, monthly sustaining membership providing stable operational funding, volunteering for research or advocacy tracks, joining or forming an Alliance organization, or starting a student group. Different support modes suit different capacities and interests.