Open Paws is a registered not-for-profit organization, legally incorporated as Open Paws MTÜ in Estonia (registry code 80635215). We are dedicated to using AI to advance animal rights by creating innovative, open-source AI tools, providing training and support, and advocating for a world where AI development takes into account the well-being of all sentient beings.

Why Estonia?

Being registered in Estonia allows us to have board members from all around the world, thanks to their e-residency program. This unique program enables all legal and governance tasks to be managed online, allowing us to work efficiently across borders with a truly international team.

Tax Deductibility in the US via Fiscal Sponsorship

Contributions to Open Paws are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law in the US. We have a fiscal sponsorship with the Players Philanthropy Fund (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178, ppf.org/pp), a Maryland charitable trust recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This makes it easier for our US-based supporters to contribute, knowing their donations are tax-deductible.

The Relationship Between Open Paws and VegCatalyst

Open Paws has a special relationship with VegCatalyst, a for-profit entity that develops AI tools like VEG3, designed to support vegan and animal advocacy efforts. Here’s how our connection works:

• Ownership: Open Paws holds a 51% stake in VegCatalyst, making it a significant but independent partner in our mission to leverage AI for animals.
• Separate Functions: While Open Paws is focused entirely on non-profit initiatives, VegCatalyst operates as a separate for-profit business. This means Open Paws and VegCatalyst have distinct roles, with VegCatalyst's business activities aimed at generating resources that support our mission.
• Financial Flow: The flow of resources between the two entities is one-directional. Profits from VegCatalyst support Open Paws, but Open Paws does not fund VegCatalyst’s for-profit activities. Additionally, VegCatalyst provides Open Paws with free computing resources, enabling us to train advanced AI models without high infrastructure costs.

This relationship allows Open Paws to benefit from the latest in AI technology while ensuring that all contributions to our non-profit efforts directly support our mission.

Key Takeaway for Donors and Volunteers

Your Contributions: As a donor or volunteer, you can be confident that 100% of your contributions—whether financial, time, or data—goes directly toward:

• Developing and deploying open-source AI models that are free from speciesist biases.
• Empowering animal-aligned organizations to integrate AI into their work.