# Rational Animations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is looking for board members

> Source: <https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/vT9Cr2BpNtza6xKFX/rational-animations-is-a-501-c-3-nonprofit-and-is-looking>
> Published: 2026-06-12 16:47:24+00:00

TL;DR: We’re a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 99-1838037) making animated videos about AI safety and other topics. The IRS made its tax-exemption determination in October 2024. Our current three-person board is all staff and two of us are romantic partners, which is not ideal. We want at least two independent board members (not current staff and not expecting to be). Expect 10-30 hours per year of effort. The work consists mainly of quarterly meetings, high-level approvals of strategy and budget, review of company performance, and decisions where staff have a conflict of interest, such as compensation. If interested, email [business@rationalanimations.com](mailto:business@rationalanimations.com) with the subject “Board - <Your Name>”.

[Rational Animations](https://www.rationalanimations.com/) is a fully remote nonprofit studio producing [animated videos](https://www.youtube.com/c/RationalAnimations/videos) about various topics, with a strong focus on AI safety. At the time of writing, the YouTube channel has 450k subscribers and 32 million views. RA was co-founded by Emanuele Ascani (me) and Michela Biancini, who has also been my romantic partner since 2016.

Current board:

All three of us are employed by Rational Animations.

We’d benefit from additional board members in two main ways:

Here are some things you’ll likely do as a board member. These aren’t set in stone, and we'll figure out the best ways to coordinate as we go:

We expect the total effort to be about 10-30 hours in a typical year, more if something unusual demands the board's attention. This is an unpaid position with a renewable 1-year term.

Note on responsibilities: directors have the standard fiduciary duties of care and loyalty (informed decision-making, acting in RA's interest, and recusing when conflicted). We carry Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance covering board members for claims arising from their board service.

Mainly, we’re looking for two things:

Just email [business@rationalanimations.com](mailto:business@rationalanimations.com) with the subject “Board - <Your Name>”. We’d like to know about your background and why you’re interested in being a board member. Links to your LinkedIn profile, a personal site, or CV are welcome.