Project Description:
Fracton Research is an R&D institution for inclusive coordination design, focusing on solving public goods problems such as the free-rider problem and tragedy of the commons. Especially, we are huge focusing on evaluating or measuring impacts and outcomes. We have been researching grant programs, or building a tool for impact evaluators. We have been collecting and analyzing grant data, so we will developing tools to evaluate and measure impacts of grantors and grantees, and then especially we would like to focus on community activities as well as OSS. Our goal is to provide publicly accessible, neutral, and evidence-based solutions for effective public goods funding.
Budget Breakdown
Milestone 1: $60,000 — Conduct comprehensive interviews and analysis of grantees, particularly focusing on community managers and event organizers.
- Expected Outcome: Grasping the overview of crypto communities and finding the properties among communities
Milestone 2: $60,000 — Develop and publish open-source tools for impact evaluation and measurement of granted communities and grant programs granting to communities.
- Expected Outcome: Launch the first version of the impact evaluation tool, accessible publicly on GitHub for community testing and feedback.
Milestone 3: $60,000 — Refine tools based on community feedback, expand impact metrics, and produce an evidence-based report highlighting grant program outcomes.
- Expected Outcome: A final research report showcasing new community impact indexes and tools that can measure public goods funding effectiveness.
Funding Requested: $180,000
Plans should you fall below, reach, or exceed funding goals:
- Below: Prioritize research and development of the impact evaluation tool.
- Reach: Deliver on all milestones, publish tools, and create detailed reports for community use.
- Exceed: Expand research into additional grant programs, improve tools, and enhance adoption with educational materials.
Impact Measurement and Reporting
Inputs > Activities > Outputs > Outcomes > Long Term Impact
Short-term Outcomes (0-3 months):
- Completion of interviews with grantees(community managers, event organizers, hackathon hosts, and more).
- Identification of baseline metrics and community challenges.
Mid-term Outcomes (3-6+ months):
- Launch of open-source tools for community impact measurement.
- Increased adoption of tools by grant program managers.
Long-term Impact (5+ years):
- Establishment of standardized indexes for evaluating grant outcomes and community activities.
- Significant improvements in public goods funding management and community sustainability.
Outcomes Measurement:
- Quantitative: Metrics like tool adoption rates, number of analyzed grants, and usage statistics.
- Qualitative: Case studies, grantee feedback, and demonstrated improvements in funding effectiveness.
- Tools: Public dashboards, GitHub activity, and reports.
Interim Reporting
Regular Updates:
- Provide monthly updates on research progress, tool development, and community adoption.
Milestone Verification:
- Verification through public deliverables and GitHub commits.
- Progress reports shared via Karma GAP project page.
Sustainability Plan
Fracton Research aims to ensure future funding through ongoing grants and research partnerships. By maintaining neutrality and legitimacy, our tools will become integral to grant management ecosystems. We also plan to collaborate with DAOs and public goods projects to develop sustainable funding models for long-term operations.
Case Studies and Testimonials
Gathering Feedback:
- Collect feedback through interviews, surveys, and collaborative workshops with grantees and grant managers.
Showcasing Success:
- Publish case studies, impact analysis reports, and blog posts to share learnings and insights with the broader ecosystem.
Advancing Values of Freedom and Privacy
Our tools and research are open-source, accessible, and decentralized. By improving transparency in public goods funding, we empower communities to make informed decisions and ensure effective management.
Supporting Decentralization
We focus on supporting decentralized funding systems like Retro Funding and Quadratic Funding. Our tools provide data-driven insights to enhance trust, transparency, and fairness in decentralized grant allocation.
Team Information
- Shinya Mori: He is analyzing grant data, and he found the difference among various grant programs by cross-comparing their data. He is often contributing to Grant Innovation Lab and Funding the Commons. He is huge contributing in public goods space.
- Shu Tanaka: He is building many protocols of public goods funding: gg Frame and IES(Impact Evaluation Service).
- Naoki Akazawa: He is familiar with data science and impact evaluation. He has various experience of measurement impacts / outcomes.
Social Proof
- Received funding from Public Nouns (5 ETH), Gitcoin Grants 21 ($905.28 USD), and Retro Funding 6 (15,011 OP).
- Recognized for producing open-source solutions and neutral evaluation methods in the public goods funding ecosystem.
- Our reports were reviewed by Carl Cervone(Open Source Observer), Jonas(Optimism Foundation), Federico(Reverie), Scott Moore(Public Works, Ex-Gitcoin), Toby Shorin(Other Internet), and more
- Shinya is contributing to Grant Innovation Lab, which is organized by Eugene, Mashal, Feems, and more.
- Shu is contributing to Counter Factually, which is organized by David Da, Mashal, Feems, and more.
Transparency
All funds will be transparently managed and tracked on-chain
- Expenses include research operations and tool development: 0x411f9a3cf8B761c0b29A7c18f0ca228C8E79BEB3
- Deliverables and progress will be shared publicly through reports: Reports | Fracton Research Portal
Other Funding
- Recent Grant Funding:
- Public Nouns: 5 ETH
- Gitcoin Grants: $905.28 USD
- Retro Funding 6: 15,011 OP
- Non-grant Sources: None — Fully grant-based and public goods-focused