Community Stack Labs
Where future community infrastructure is built.
Our long-term research and innovation function. We prototype, test, and pilot new models of social infrastructure, then graduate what works into the core platform.
Research
Exploring emerging models with communities and institutions
Pilot
Controlled tests with partner organisations
Graduate
Successful pilots become production capabilities
The Problem
Communities shouldn't rely on fragile tools.
We don't build novelty. We build what endures.
3.8m
lack essential digital skills
UK Government
2.8m
have no internet access
Ofcom
49%
of disabled people put off by poor accessibility
Charity Times
71%
leave websites that are difficult to use
Click-Away Pound
Research
Current themes
We explore emerging models, standards, and capabilities with communities and institutions.
Inclusion-first discovery
Reducing exclusion through multi-channel access and structured discovery pathways.
Offline-first participation infrastructure
Voice and SMS access for communities and individuals without reliable internet.
Accessibility systems and standards
Patterns that make accessibility the default, not a specialist task.
Ecosystem coordination and resilience
Shared infrastructure that reduces fragmentation and strengthens continuity.
Responsible insight and outcomes
Understanding without control; non-extractive ecosystem intelligence.
Fundraising and funding access
Making grants and fundraising more transparent, equitable, and discoverable.
Open standards for community infrastructure
Protocols and templates that help ecosystems operate consistently with local autonomy.
Active Projects
Current explorations
Designed to become real-world capabilities, not demos.
Inclusion-first discovery (Participation Index)
Structured discovery that helps people find support by need, context, location, accessibility and language, not by who they follow.
Discuss a pilotOffline access infrastructure (Voice + SMS)
Service discovery for people without smartphones or reliable connectivity, local numbers, voice menus, and SMS pathways.
Partner on offline pilotAccessibility-first design system
A reusable system for third-sector organisations to publish accessible digital experiences without specialist expertise.
Contribute to researchGrant and funding infrastructure
A shared grant board and funding discovery layer, reducing gatekeeping and improving equitable access.
Pilot with usEcosystem hubs and coordination
Shared calendars, resource pooling, skills exchange, and cross-organisation campaign coordination.
Pilot in your regionResponsible impact intelligence
Descriptive ecosystem metrics that help coordination and inclusion without becoming evaluative or extractive.
Discuss data ethicsRun a Pilot
Partner with Labs
We co-create solutions that scale responsibly. Pilots are lightweight, outcomes-driven, and designed to protect community trust.
We partner with
Define the challenge and intended outcomes
Select a pilot cohort (region, hub, or community set)
Deploy baseline tooling or prototype capability
Measure impact with transparent, ethical metrics
Graduate what works into the core platform
How We Work
Innovation principles
Community-led, from day one
We don't build in isolation — communities shape the work early.
Accessible by default
Accessibility is baseline infrastructure, not an add-on.
Open where possible
Research and learnings are shared responsibly to strengthen the sector.
Impact over novelty
We measure success by outcomes and resilience, not technical spectacle.
Trust and ethics by design
We protect community trust and avoid extractive data practices.