Making A Difference

A movement is afoot in regional technology circles to find opportunities to give back to the community. The goals include helping non-profits gain a technical foothold where they otherwise might not have the resources to do so as well as provide technologists the chance to work closely with folks they may not regularly come in contact with. From the GiveCamp site:

GiveCamp is a weekend-long event where technology professionals – from designers, developers and database administrators to marketers and web strategists – donate their time to provide solutions for non-profit organizations.

Some organizations may need a new website or a renewal of an old one. For others, GiveCamp helps them make the leap from Excel spreadsheets to true donor databases. And for still others, this is an opportunity to think strategically, with the help of a consultant, about their social media presence or e-mail marketing. This is about matching the needs of non-profits with the talent of our local technology-loving community…

For volunteers, GiveCamp provides a unique opportunity to connect with the local tech community. A typical GiveCamp draws 75 to 100 volunteers. Individuals can work with their colleagues in company teams, or they can opt to be matched with fellow volunteers who have complementary skill sets.

Everyone is welcome to head home for the evenings – but there are always the diehards who work from Friday kickoff straight through Sunday afternoon. Food and drinks, especially of the caffeinated variety, are provided, along with game systems for breaks.

Here in Cincinnati, Ed Sumerfield (@esumerfd), an advocate for the local software development community, will lead a sattellite effort coordinated with a hub centered in Grand Rapids, MI. Ed is just that kind of guy.

If you’d like to help out you still have time to sign up. The event will be held the weekend of November 13-15. The Cincinnati effort will come together at the Edge Case offices in Springdale. Make some plans and sign up to help here.

This entry was posted Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am and is filed under Cincinnati IT Community, Philanthropy. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.