Public Nouns

Abstract

CARBON Copy is a platform that shares news, stories, research, and reports about Web3 projects focused on ReFi and public goods. Our goal is to make these initiatives more visible and trusted, both for crypto users and the wider public. We truly believe Web3 has huge potential to drive positive environmental and social change from the ground up, and the projects leading this work deserve to be recognized and supported.

The Public Nouns DAO is an ongoing effort to continuously fund public goods. Every 12 hours, it auctions a new NFT and uses the money to support proposals chosen by the community. So far, over 60 projects have received funding, but information about these projects is scattered across forums and social media, and existing summaries aren’t very easy to use.

To solve this problem, we’re asking Public Nouns for 5 ETH in funding. We will use this to create a comprehensive, community-focused report that documents every public good project the DAO has funded. This report will feature clear summaries, interviews with project founders, and analyses of their impact. We’ll present it in a way that’s informative, accessible, and engaging. It will serve as a lasting resource, bringing context, transparency, and storytelling to the DAO’s funding activities.

All the content will be published for free under a CC0 license, which aligns with the Nouns’ commitment to openness and creative commons. This report will highlight how Public Nouns is helping build a more transparent, responsible, and inspiring model for funding public goods in Web3.

How Does This Initiative Support Public Goods?

This initiative helps public goods by reporting on every initiative Public Nouns DAO has funded. Our report will make these good deeds more visible by:

• Highlighting projects in open-source, education, environment, and community building.
• Creating a knowledge base for others to learn from and build on. Making the funding process transparent, showing how decentralized funding works.
• By sharing the results of these projects, we help the Web3 community see the real impact of DAO-funded efforts.

Why This Report is a Public Good

This report is designed to be a true public good because it’s:

• Non-Excludable: Anyone can access, use, and share it for free since it will be published under a CC0 license. Researchers, developers, journalists, or anyone curious can use it.
• Non-Rivalrous: One person using the report doesn’t stop anyone else from using it. Downloading it once doesn’t make it less valuable for others. Since it’s digital and openly licensed, it can be copied and shared endlessly at no extra cost, which fits perfectly with the idea of public goods.

Why Does it Need Funding?

The Public Nouns DAO has already funded over 60 public good projects. But as time goes on, information gets scattered and context is lost. The report needs funding now to prevent impact data from disappearing:

• Preserve history: The more projects funded, the harder it becomes to piece together their stories later. Capturing this information now ensures accuracy.

• Maximize learning: The sooner we gather and analyze this data, the more helpful it will be for future proposers and the DAO to fund what matters.

• Keep the momentum going: Timely sharing of these stories can keep the community energized and highlight the importance of public goods, driving the purchase of more Public Nouns NFT.

• Impact: To show the sustainable impact of every initiative the Public Nouns DAO has funded.

Impact/Deliverables

We propose to produce a single comprehensive report that catalogues every public-good proposal funded by Public Nouns. The report which will be provided in a PDF format will include:

• Project Summaries: A clear, organized account of each funded proposal (title, team, funding amount, objectives, status, and outcomes).

• Proposers’ Interviews: First-hand interviews with the people behind each initiative to capture their goals, stories, and impact from executed initiatives.

• Impact Analysis: Evaluation of each project’s reach and benefits. We will collect quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback from interviews to assess the permanence of the impact achieved. This dual approach follows best practices in implementation research.

By covering all funded projects in one place, the report will give the community a “home” for understanding the entire Public Nouns portfolio of public goods, promoting transparency and context for the DAO’s funding activities.

Methodology

• Data Collection: We will gather proposal data from official sources like Public Nouns on-chain records and Discord where proposals are discussed. We will compile each proposal’s description, funding details, and any reported outcomes.

• Community Outreach: To obtain deeper insight, we will contact the teams behind every proposal. Using a semi-structured interview approach, we will reach out via email and Discord and conduct interviews (text or video) with project founders. In parallel, we will distribute a brief community survey to gather broader feedback on the state and impact of Public Nouns.

• Impact Analysis: For each project, we will document measurable outcomes and compile testimonial evidence from interviews. We will categorize impacts to provide both quantitative and narrative context. All data will be cross-checked against public records for accuracy.

• Report Writing: We will synthesize the collected information into a polished written report. The report will use clear, non-technical language and include visuals (tables, charts, infographics) to make the data accessible. Each proposal will be featured in a dedicated section with a concise summary, key metrics, and interview highlights.

• Review and Editing: The draft report will be shared with the Public Nouns community for feedback (via Discord and forums). We will incorporate community input, perform professional editing, and ensure the final document is error-free and well-designed.

Distribution Plan

• Blog Post & Report Release: We will publish the findings as a prominently featured blog post on CARBON Copy and make the full report available as a downloadable PDF, licensed under CC0 to align with Nouns culture of openness. The link to the PDF will be prominently displayed on the CARBON Copy site alongside other reports, and a summary will be published as a feature article. We’ll also share the report across our newsletter, social channels including X, LinkedIn, Telegram, and Farcaster and pursue an interview on Crypto Altruists to further discuss the findings.

• Shareable Graphics: Key insights will be distilled into eye-catching graphics and infographics suitable for sharing on social media (Twitter/X) and discussion forums. For instance, an infographic summarizing projects with the most impact or a timeline of funding rounds can help spread awareness.

• Community Channels: We will announce and promote the report in the Public Nouns Discord channels and Twitter spaces. A short presentation or AMA will be organized to walk the community through the findings.

Value Offered to the Web3 Community

• Enhanced Transparency: By aggregating all funded proposals and their outcomes, the report will give Public Nouns stakeholders a clear view of where funds went and what was accomplished.

• Building Trust in Public Goods Funding: Documenting results helps build confidence. By providing thorough documentation of Public Nouns funded projects, we reinforce the legitimacy and trustworthiness of public-goods funding in Web3.

• Inspiring Participation: Sharing success stories and lessons learned can motivate more people to get involved and purchase more public nouns. Our written report serves a similar purpose: it tells the story of each funded project, which can excite and inspire both current community members and newcomers. Each narrative highlights how creative ideas receive support, which can encourage others to fund the DAO.

• Informing Future Proposers: The report will act as a knowledge base. By examining what has already been funded and what impact resulted, future proposers can learn what works (and what challenges arose). Our analysis will surface patterns and best practices, helping proposers craft stronger submissions.

• Cultural Record: By documenting each proposal and its narrative, the report preserves this cultural record. It shows not just financial details but the human stories and community reactions behind them, benefiting researchers and community historians alike.

Timeline (to January 2026)

• July 2025: Project kickoff. Finalize research plan, compile list of funded proposals (using Public Nouns on-chain data), and prepare interview questions.
• August–September 2025: Data gathering and interviews. Reach out to all project leads and conduct interviews. Collect any remaining metrics and project documentation.
• October 2025: Analysis and drafting. Analyze collected data, draft proposal summaries and impact write-ups, and outline the report structure.
• November 2025: Writing and design. Write full report content, create visual assets (charts/graphics), and format the report. Share a draft with the community for feedback.
• December 2025: Editing and finalization. Incorporate feedback, perform professional editing and proofreading, finalize layout/design, and prepare publishable formats.
• January 2026: Publication. Release the report publicly and initiate the distribution plan.

Budget Breakdown (Request: 5 ETH)

• Research & Data Collection (1.0 ETH): Time and resources to gather proposal information, administer surveys, and conduct interviews.
• Writing & Interviews (1.5 ETH): Compensation for authoring the report, including transcribing and analyzing interview content.
• Editing & Review (0.5 ETH): Professional editing, proofreading, and fact-checking to ensure high quality.
• Design & Layout (1  ETH): Graphic design of the report, including charts, infographics, and cover art.
• Promotion & Outreach (0.5 ETH): Creating shareable graphics and social media content; small budget for community campaigns.
• Contingency & Miscellaneous (0.5 ETH): To cover any unforeseen costs (e.g. translation into multiple languages, extended interviews).

Total: 5 ETH funding request. Any excesses will be included in the financial report and done as the DAO desires.

Feedback Loop

We will provide monthly updates to Public Nouns that will highlight the work we’ve done using the funds.

By following this plan, we ensure that the report is not only comprehensive and professional but also widely accessible and engaging for the entire Web3 public. It will serve as a lasting resource to improve transparency, inspire community participation, and guide future public-good proposals in the Public Nouns ecosystem.

Recipient Address

0x687EaD20dee82DcD9f04409BdE1b134e915ab1FB

Amount in ETH

5 ETH

References

• CARBON Copy Website
• Socials: X (Formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Farcaster
• Previous reports done by CARBON Copy: State of ReFi Report 2024 State of Impact DePIN Report 2024
• CARBON Copy Research articles
• Team: Kent Babin – Data & Operations | Trinity Morphy – News & Research