How it works?
A hackathon is an event during which a group of developers come together to solve a specific challenge or problem in a limited time, usually one day or a weekend, utilizing their most innovative and agile ideas. Including a nonprofit project in a hackathon can be very powerful in bringing together tech professionals who are passionate about making a positive change.
What is the typical scale of engagement in this model?
Small-scope projects or prototyping phase
Benefits for your company:
- By working together, participants can build relationships and better integrate into their teams while building a common sense of purpose;
- Participants can unleash their creativity and ignite their sense of agency by proposing new initiatives, tools, and approaches for the organization;
- The team can deliver practical, feasible, and impactful solutions simultaneously;
- Contributing to a social cause while boosting your team’s energy and skills.
Tech To The Rescue recommended process to work with this model:
Step 1
Assemble a team to organize an internal hackathon or join other on-site or online hackathons such as https://hacktotherescue.org/
Step 2
If you’re organizing, decide on a date and the duration of the hackathon and start preparing logistics (remote tools to be used, boards to be worked on, etc.);
Step 3
Pick the central theme of the hackathon. This can be a problem area (e.g., educational projects), a type of technology (e.g., GenAI), or dedicated to a certain type of organization (e.g., big players in the nonprofit sector).
Step 4
Start searching for projects two to three months in advance to prepare the project scope. Pick the project that suits you the most on our Available Projects page or contact one of our Matching Managers to help you find the best ones.
Risk management:
Hackathons are high-intensity events that give participants a very short time to develop tech solutions. Make sure the project you pick is well-scoped by the nonprofit’s team so that solutions can be developed in this period. If you need more clarification about the size of a project, consult one of our Matching Managers to give you further guidance.
At Amazon, we believe that Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility and through Amazon Web Services we see cloud technologies having the potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues, from bridging gaps in environmental equity, to supporting communities in the wake of disasters, and beyond. We’ve been proudly collaborating with Tech To The Rescue since 2022, helping to drive forward non-profit and tech partnerships to help respond to environmental changes and reduce unequal environmental burdens around the world. Working with the Tech To The Rescue team has been extremely rewarding, and we look forward to future projects together.
Maggie Carter, Social Responsibility and Impact Director at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
