finding and helping a local nonprofit for geeks and others

Finding and Helping a Local Nonprofit

For Geeks And others

I volunteer at

marysplaceseattle.org

Tech Support

Tools Developer

Garbage Stomper

Child Distracter

It’s Kind Of Awesome

Small Non-Profits

• Homeless shelters• Food banks• Community outreach programs• Animal rescue• Home care assistance

They Need Everything

• Money• Supplies• Extra hands• Dependable tech support• Custom software tools

Like Startups

• Big ambitions• Tiny budgets• Creative solutions• You can help

Finding Them

• Hang out?• Dedicated Search Engines• Employer Volunteer Programs• Search as if

Dedicated Search Engines

• idealist.org• volunteermatch.org• flashvolunteer.org• craigslist.org

Employer Volunteer Programs

• www.google.org• www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship• www.amazon.com/b?id=UTF8&node=13786411

Search As If

• What if you needed it?• BTW – post it

No Code!

Every Org Is Different

• Legal requirements• Communities served• Mission philosophies

Learn How They Do Things

Don’t Disrupt!

• If it’s too different they won’t use it• Focus on one thing that makes you itch

Incentive Point Store+1,000 points -1,000 points

(I made up these points. No idea how much they really would have been.)

What They Had

A Small Idea

• Excel worksheet with macros• See if they use it

The Web App• 78,000 Entries• 3,800 Client Members• Three Locations

Tax Time?

• “But the points are make believe!”• Points are exchanged for goods.• Therefore points have tax value.• “Worst pretend store ever.”

What’s In It For Me?

• Fun code• Only fish in a small pond• Immediate feedback• Plain old fun

Go Have Fun!