GiveCamp is a weekend-long event where software developers, designers,
and database administrators donate their time to create custom software
for non-profit organizations. This custom software could be a new website
for the nonprofit organization, a small data-collection application to
keep track of members, or a application for the Red Cross that
automatically emails a blood donor three months after they’ve donated
blood to remind them that they are now eligible to donate again. The only
limitation is that the project should be scoped to be able to be completed
in a weekend.
During GiveCamp, developers are welcome to go home in the evenings or
camp out all weekend long. There are usually food and drink provided
at the event. There are sometimes even game systems set up for when you
and your need a little break! Overall, it’s a great opportunity for
people to work together, developing new friendships, and doing something
important for their community.
At GiveCamp, there is an expectation of “What Happens at GiveCamp, Stays
at GiveCamp”. Therefore, all source code must be turned over to the
charities at the end of the weekend (developers cannot ask for payment)
and the charities are responsible for maintaining the code moving forward
(charities cannot expect the developers to maintain the codebase).