We Built the Tools. We Wrote the Book. Now Help Us Keep the Lights On.
A free children’s book on AI, two open-source projects, and a nonprofit that shows you exactly where every dollar goes.
For a long time we’ve done the work quietly. Today I want to show you all of it at once — and ask for your help keeping it alive.
1. A new free children’s book
Who’s Holding the Light? — Book 1: The Machine That Couldn’t See a Somersault.
It’s a story for kids (grades 3–5) about a smart machine that’s certain it can spot anyone — until a clever kid out-thinks it with a somersault, a cardboard box, and a fir tree. (That part’s true — it really happened to a military detection system.) Underneath the fun, it teaches the one thing kids need as they grow up surrounded by AI: how to think clearly about it — neither afraid of it, nor fooled by it.
It’s free. Read it, share it, read it to your kids.
2. Two things we open-sourced
We don’t just talk about transparency — we ship it.
- NotesGap — a way to keep AI systems honest and auditable. Free, open, anyone can use it. → Notes Gap
- Child-Welfare Decision Chains — open logic mapping how child-welfare decisions actually get made. → US Child Welfare Decision Chain Dataset
3. Why I’m asking for help
Everything we build runs on infrastructure that costs money every month — servers, a 340-million-record database, the website, the tools. On June 14, our servers went dark because we ran out of funding.
So I’m doing this the only way I know how: in the open, with a full ledger, on a platform that won’t pull the rug. We’ve launched a GiveSendGo, and I’ll show you every single line of where your money goes. No salaries. 100% volunteer. A registered 501(c)(3) (EIN 33-1323547).
👉 GIVE SEND GO LINK HERE!!!
If you can give, thank you. If you can’t, share this — that helps just as much.
— Andrew Fayal Co-Founder, Project Milk Carton · U.S. Navy (ret.), Master EOD
Project Milk Carton — Open Books
Our Finances, In Full. Nothing Hidden.
Project Milk Carton · 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · EIN 33‑1323547 · projectmilkcarton.org Figures current as of June 2026. Every number here is backed by invoices, bank records, and platform statements we keep on file.
You asked to see the books. Here they are.
We believe a nonprofit that asks for your trust should show you, not just tell you. So below is exactly what it costs to run Project Milk Carton, exactly what we’ve taken in, and exactly what the founder has put in. No spin. No rounding in our favor.
What it costs to run us — every month
We are 100% volunteer. Nobody draws a salary. This is the entire operating budget — the real infrastructure that keeps the website, the database, and the tools online.
What we’ve taken in
(Stripe‑verified, Apr 2024 – May 2026. A small amount of PayPal/Substack giving is still being reconciled and will be added.)
What the founder has put in
Before we ever asked the public for a dollar, our founder funded this himself.
Founder’s personal investment to date: $23,340
This covered two years of technology, hosting, legal formation, and equipment — paid out of pocket, largely from a veteran’s disability income. This is a contribution to the mission, not a debt the organization owes anyone. We mention it only so you can see the commitment behind the ask: we put our own money in first.
What we’re asking for — and why
Our goal is $20,000. At roughly $900/month, that keeps every light on for about two years and seeds a small operating reserve — so this isn’t a flash in the pan. We’re building something meant to outlast any one person.
👉 GIVE SEND GO LINK HERE!!!
Every dollar that comes in goes to the budget above. If we ever add paid staff in the future, those roles would be funded by grants and major donors, approved by our board, and never paid out of these donations — and we’d show you that ledger too.
The standard we hold ourselves to
✅ 501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 33‑1323547, donations may be tax‑deductible
✅ Open‑source — our code is public and auditable
✅ Every dollar itemized — the budget above is the whole thing, not a sample
✅ Veteran‑founded and ‑run
If you can give, thank you. If you can’t, sharing this helps just as much.
— Project Milk Carton