Coders 4 Charities, now in its fifth year, brings software developers together to work on projects for nonprofits.
Ty Pennington won’t be on hand to enthusiastically encourage any bus drivers to move their ‘mobiles, but extreme makeovers are on tap this weekend in Overland Park, Kan. nonetheless.
The fifth annual Coders 4 Charities weekend will take place Friday through Sunday at the New Horizons Computer Learning Centers (9611 E. Metcalfe Ave.). There, teams of web developers, designers and analysts will pair up with representatives of local charities and in 48 hours provide, per a description on the Coders 4 Charities site, “extreme makeovers” of websites or create full online applications for the charities’ use.
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Coders 4 Charities was established to address a growing problem: nonprofits often lack the funds to implement a new website, intranet or database solution, and software developers often don’t volunteer for charity work because the need for technical expertise is not adequately publicized.
“This event is the perfect marriage of these two needs,” Coders 4 Charities coordinator Doug Butscher (left) says on the event’s website.
For those familiar with the format of Startup Weekend, Coders 4 Charities has a similar structure. Here’s a bit more on the event’s format, courtesy of the Coders 4 Charities site:
Volunteer programmers and designers will work intensely at all hours throughout the weekend, fueled by a steady stream of catered meals and energy drinks from local sponsors …
At the conclusion of the event, the Coders 4 Charities team awards prizes to teams based on the quality and usefulness of the applications they developed. Everyone who participates receives T-shirts and other giveaways from area technical recruiters, software companies and other business sponsors who provide an enthusiastic, comfortable, creative environment in which to work. Participating charities also receive the assets and source code produced during the event, so they can continue to enhance and maintain the implementation provided over the weekend.
Organizers say that, since the event started, dozens of Kansas City-area nonprofits have received complete online solutions or revamps from Coders 4 Charities. This year’s charities include the Heartland Soccer Association, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, UCP of Greater Kansas City, Heroes and Halos, TNC Community and the Center for Developmentally Disabled.
People interested in participate can sign up on the event’s registration page. For more information on the event, email info@coders4charities.org.
Credits: Graphic from coders4charities.org. Photo of Butscher from facebook.com.
