CauseCompass - Company Ethical Alignment Tracker

A Next.js webapp that profiles companies by alignment with user-selected causes and provides sources, scores, and alternatives.

Features

• Personalized Scoring: Companies are scored based on your weighted preferences for different causes
• Comprehensive Data: Each company fact includes confidence levels and source citations
• AI Summaries: Get AI-generated summaries tailored to your values (signed-in users) or general ethicality (guests)
• Better Alternatives: Discover companies with better ethical alignment in the same category
• Guest Mode: Use the app without signing up, with default scoring weights

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js 15 (App Router) + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Supabase (Postgres + Auth)
• ORM: Prisma
• AI: Google Gemini for text generation
• Hosting: Vercel

Setup Instructions

1. Environment Variables

Create a .env.local file in the root directory:

# Database
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://username:password@localhost:5432/ethicalbrand"

# Supabase
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL="your-supabase-project-url"
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY="your-supabase-anon-key"

# Google Gemini AI
GEMINI_API_KEY="your-gemini-api-key"

2. Database Setup

1. Set up Supabase:

   • Create a new Supabase project
   • Get your project URL and anon key from the API settings
   • Copy the database connection string from Settings > Database

2. Run Prisma migrations:

   npm run db:migrate

3. Seed the database:

   npm run db:seed

3. Google Gemini API

1. Go to Google AI Studio
2. Create a new API key
3. Add it to your .env.local file

4. Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start development server
npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 to see the app.

Usage

Guest Mode

• Search for companies and see results based on overall ethicality
• View company details, per-cause breakdowns, and AI summaries
• No account required

Signed-in Users

• Set personalized preference weights for different causes
• Get customized company scores based on your values
• AI summaries highlight alignment with your top priorities
• Save and manage your preferences

Causes Tracked

• Free Palestine: Support for Palestinian rights and opposition to Israeli occupation
• Russia Ukraine: Position on Russia-Ukraine conflict and support for Ukraine
• Feminism/Workplace: Gender equality, women's rights, and workplace diversity
• Child Labour: Opposition to child labor and support for children's rights
• LGBTQ+: Support for LGBTQ+ rights and equality
• Animal Cruelty: Opposition to animal cruelty and support for animal welfare
• Environment: Environmental sustainability and climate action
• Ethical Sourcing: Ethical supply chain and fair trade practices
• Data Privacy: Protection of user data and privacy rights

Scoring System

Companies receive scores from -1 (conflicts with values) to +1 (aligned with values):

• Aligned (0.3+): Company generally supports your values
• Mixed (-0.3 to 0.3): Company has mixed record on your values
• Conflicts (-0.3-): Company generally opposes your values

Data Sources

All company data comes from verified sources including:

• Company sustainability reports
• News articles and investigations
• Third-party assessments
• NGO reports

Each fact includes confidence levels and source citations.

API Endpoints

• GET /api/health - Health check
• GET /api/companies/search - Search companies
• GET /api/companies/[id] - Get company details
• GET/POST /api/prefs - User preferences
• POST /api/ai/summary - Generate AI summary

Deployment

Vercel (Recommended)

1. Push your code to GitHub
2. Connect your repository to Vercel
3. Add environment variables in Vercel dashboard
4. Deploy

Environment Variables for Production

Make sure to set all environment variables in your hosting platform:

• DATABASE_URL
• NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL
• NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY
• GEMINI_API_KEY

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For support, please open an issue on GitHub or contact the development team.