What We Do

Fractor is a social media start-up dedicated to inspire civic action through online and mobile technologies.  Our initial development was a simple, groundbreaking web application that matched news stories with opportunities for service.

Fractor: Act on Facts

Often the influx of daily news can be overwhelming. Disasters, violence, poverty, crime and war are the regular tally. Readers comment on the world being out of control or at least out of their control. They often ask, “What can I do?” Fractor offers a direct answer to this question.

In the Fractor interface, “Facts” and “acts” are organized on a single, intuitive page where every news story is linked to real-world actions that users can take.

Fractor gives news readers the tools to “act on facts.” For example, searching for news on an earthquake in Central America might bring up “acts” requesting humanitarian relief such as sending blankets, canned food and medical volunteers to the disaster zone. Similarly, stories about the crisis in Darfur might be paired with “acts” highlighting political action, educational opportunities and fundraising needs.

At its essence, Fractor will encourage the spirit of civic activism and volunteerism that necessarily has its roots in a ‘think globally, act locally’ approach.

For a good overview article on Fractor, check out Aggregating, Recommending and Making a Difference: Fractor–Act on Facts

The Fractor prototype was made possible by a MacArthur Foundation Knowledge Networking Award