Open Resource Access Network
A chat-first civic resource navigator that helps people move from a real-life need to a trustworthy next step.
The problem we solve
Finding real help is harder than it should be. Government benefit portals are fragmented. 211 databases go stale. Community resources are scattered across PDFs, flyers, and word of mouth. When someone is in crisis, “Google it” is not good enough.
ORAN is a chat-first navigation system for government, nonprofit, and community services. It gathers only the context needed to improve a match, retrieves publication-gated records, and guides the person toward a concrete next step without inventing facts.
Mission & vision
Mission
Make social-service navigation reliable, safe, and accessible by connecting people to source-authorized government, nonprofit, and community resources.
Vision
A world where finding help is as dependable as emergency routing: fast, factual, privacy-respecting, and available to everyone.
How it works
Find
Describe what you need and share only the location or eligibility details that can change the match. Chat, map, and browse use the same publication-gated records.
Verify
Each listing separates source authority, record confidence, and explicit verification. Reports and freshness checks can hold suspect records for review.
Connect
Use the stored phone, website, location, hours, and intake steps, then confirm changing details directly with the provider.
Non-negotiables
Truth first
Results come only from stored records with positive publication authority. ORAN does not invent phone numbers, addresses, or hours.
Crisis-first routing
Imminent danger routes to 911; suicide or mental-health crisis routes to 988; 211 supports non-emergency navigation. ORAN is not an emergency service.
Eligibility caution
ORAN never guarantees eligibility. Results carry "may qualify" language — always confirm directly with the provider.
Privacy by default
Location is approximate by default. Profile saving is opt-in. Our Privacy Policy details how data is collected and used.
Accessible to everyone
WCAG 2.1 AA is the design and testing target. ORAN is built for assistive technology, mobile devices, and low-bandwidth connections.
Open governance
Service quality uses a layered review model. Approved provider and community submissions retain their source and decision trail. Freshness checks and user reports can place records on hold for human review; a record is never called provider-verified from an update timestamp alone.
ORAN is open source. The platform code is publicly available on GitHub, enabling public scrutiny, community contributions, and trust through transparency.
Platform at a glance
30+
Service categories
Positive authority + review
Publication model
911 / 988 / 211
Crisis gate
MIT
License
WCAG 2.1 AA
Accessibility target
Free
Listing cost
Why ORAN is different
Existing tools fall short in different ways. ORAN is purpose-built to close each gap.
vs. AI chatbots
Retrieval-grounded
ORAN does not invent phone numbers, addresses, or service hours. Every result is retrieved from a stored record that passed the publication gate.
vs. search engines
Structured & eligibility-aware
Search engines surface pages. ORAN surfaces the structured contact, location, eligibility, and intake facts a source actually provides, with missing details labeled.
vs. stale 211 databases
Freshness review built in
Records can expire, receive issue reports, and enter re-verification queues. A recent import or confidence score alone does not count as verification.
vs. proprietary directories
Open source & auditable
MIT licensed. Anyone can inspect how records are scored, how data flows through the pipeline, and how eligibility criteria are assessed — no black boxes.
Get involved
Whether you're seeking help, listing services, volunteering your time, or funding the mission — there's a path for you.
Get Help
Tell ORAN what is wrong and find a trustworthy next step.
List Your Organization
Add your services to the directory for free.
Become an Admin
Volunteer to verify records and expand local coverage.
Support ORAN
Fund verification infrastructure and geographic expansion.
Contribute on GitHub
Open source · MIT licensed · PRs welcome · Issues tracked publicly.
Open source
MIT licensed · Auditable · Community-driven