Technology that helps people find common ground.

Common Axis is a nonprofit building privacy-first tools that make communication and community support easier to understand, find, and share.

01 / Who we are

We build for understanding, access, and connection.

Common Axis, Inc. is the nonprofit home of Shared Language and Kind Locator. We develop practical technology in service of people and the organizations that support them.

Our mission is to reduce friction between a person and the words, resources, or relationships they need—while treating privacy, accessibility, and clarity as foundations, not features.

02 / Our work

Two tools. One shared purpose.

Technology should help people move forward without asking them to give up control of their information.

Product 01

Shared Language

A communication tool for turning complex ideas into language more people can understand and use.

Why it exists
Complex language can become a barrier. Shared Language helps make important information clearer, more useful, and easier to act on.
Who it serves
Community organizations, public servants, educators, advocates, and anyone working to make information easier to understand.
Privacy by design
The product is being shaped around data minimization: use only what a feature needs, protect it carefully, and avoid unnecessary retention.

Product 02

Kind Locator

A community resource tool designed to help people discover nearby services, support, and opportunities to help.

Why it exists
Finding the right help can be difficult. Kind Locator is intended to make local resources and ways to contribute easier to discover.
Who it serves
Individuals and families, community members, and organizations looking to find or share local services, support, and opportunities.
Privacy by design
Location and personal information should be handled with restraint. Our standard is to ask only for what a service genuinely needs.

03 / Principles

How we intend to earn trust.

01

Human first

We design for real needs. Empathy, accessibility, and dignity guide every decision.

02

Privacy is a practice

We minimize data, protect it carefully, and keep privacy work ongoing and visible.

03

Built with partners

We listen, test, and improve alongside the communities and organizations we serve.

04

Clear about progress

We communicate plainly about what we are building, what is ready, and what comes next.

04 / Transparency & privacy

Trust needs evidence, not slogans.

As our tools develop, our privacy standard is simple enough to explain and specific enough to evaluate.

  • Collect the minimum information a feature needs.
  • Never sell personal information.
  • Write policies in plain language and make them easy to find.
  • Be honest about product status, limitations, and what we are learning.
  • Publish meaningful changes to our practices and products.
Ask a privacy question

05 / Stronger together

Help build technology communities can trust.

We welcome conversations with community organizations, nonprofits, funders, civic leaders, accessibility advocates, researchers, and technology partners.

PartnerCo-design, pilot, or share expertise.
SponsorSupport a product, program, or community effort.
DonateHelp sustain privacy-first public-interest technology.
Start a conversation

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