The core rule: if RWN cannot name a credible public source and explain how a person accesses the service, the listing is not ready to publish.
1. Purpose and audience
RWN organizes public information about free or low-barrier essential services so a person can find a practical next step. The directory prioritizes clarity under stress: plain names, need categories, access details, hours or availability notes, public contact routes, original sources, review dates, and map options.
RWN is a discovery service. It is not a provider accreditation, a clinical judgment, an eligibility decision, or an endorsement of every practice of a listed organization.
2. Source hierarchy
Editors should use the strongest available evidence in this order:
- an official government, public-agency, or provider service page;
- an official provider location finder, program page, or public directory;
- a recognized humanitarian network’s official listing;
- a first-party public document or announcement that can be dated; then
- a reputable secondary directory only as a lead that must be confirmed against a stronger source.
Every public RWN record must include a source name, HTTPS source URL, and last-reviewed date. Search-engine snippets, AI-generated summaries, anonymous posts, and copied directory text are not enough on their own.
3. What may be included
A listing may be included when it offers or reliably connects people to an essential service such as food, water, shelter, healthcare, hygiene, clothing, legal help, crisis support, or a closely related basic need. The public source must describe the service and an access path.
A listing should be excluded or removed when the source is unverifiable, the service appears closed, the organization misrepresents what it offers, a link is unsafe, the primary purpose is commercial lead generation, or the listing could create a material safety risk. Paid placement does not determine inclusion or ranking.
4. Location and marker standards
| Listing type | What the marker means | Coordinate standard |
|---|---|---|
| Direct service site | A public-facing place where the named service is provided or accessed. | The verified public entrance or provider-published site position when available. |
| Official locator | An official tool that helps a person find multiple nearby services. | A representative country or regional point; never presented as a walk-in address. |
| Network | A recognized program or humanitarian network with broader coverage. | A representative public headquarters or coverage point, clearly labeled as a network. |
Coordinates are checked against the written place and source context. National boundaries use Natural Earth generalized geometry and do not express an RWN political position or provide legal boundary guidance.
5. Review and freshness
The date shown on a listing is the date an editor last checked the public source—not a promise that the provider confirmed every field that day. High-consequence details such as closure, emergency access, physical address, eligibility, and hours deserve priority review.
Automated checks can flag broken URLs, invalid coordinates, duplicates, impossible dates, missing fields, and unsafe protocols. Human review remains necessary to understand access language and source meaning. RWN should recheck listings on a risk-based cycle and promptly when a provider publishes a material change.
When hours or capacity can change quickly, the listing should say so and ask the visitor to contact the provider before travel. The absence of a warning is never a guarantee of availability.
6. Corrections and removals
Corrections should be evidence-led and leave a clear audit trail in the source data. The preferred evidence is an updated first-party page, provider notice, official location record, or direct confirmation from an authorized provider representative.
For an urgent safety problem, a listing can be temporarily removed while evidence is reviewed. Cosmetic or ranking requests do not override accuracy and user safety.
Current reporting boundary: a verified public RWN correction channel has not yet been established. Providers should first correct their official public source. RWN must publish a monitored correction address and response process before representing the editorial operation as fully governed.
7. Independence and conflicts
RWN does not currently accept donations through this website and does not offer sponsored placement. If funding or partnerships are introduced, they must not buy inclusion, favorable language, map prominence, or a higher ranking. Material conflicts should be disclosed and handled by someone who did not create the conflict.
Metrics should measure whether people can find credible next steps—not reward sensational language, unnecessary data collection, or engagement for its own sake.