A Capitol Hill area non-profit is receiving a technology upgrade this weekend thanks to the 2011 Microsoft GiveCamp. We’re betting there are a few local techies on the helper side of things, too. Among the Seattle groups benefiting from this year’s GiveCamp are the Central District’s AlleyCat Acres and the Capitol Hill Alano Club. Check out the video interview with CHAC’s Aaron Emde who talks about the project to build a new Web site for his group.
You can learn more at http://givecamp.org/national-givecamp/
The purpose remains unchanged. During the weekend-long event, teams of designers, developers and database administrators will donate their time and expertise to complete an IT project – usually custom software or a new website – to benefit a charity in their community. It’s an event that takes a lot of work, time and commitment, and relies on volunteers to organize.
National GiveCamp is Microsoft’s way of making the task easier for those volunteer organizers. Multiple events over the same weekend – no coincidence that it’s the weekend set aside to celebrate the community service-minded Martin Luther King, Jr. – means Microsoft can help organizers overcome the event’s two biggest hurdles – location and sponsorships.
Toward that end, Microsoft established partnerships with venue sponsors DeVry University and New Horizons to provide accessible facilities in organizers’ hometowns so they don’t have to worry about locating a venue. Microsoft has also partnered with several food and beverage sponsors to ensure National GiveCamp volunteers are well-fed and well-caffeinated throughout the weekend.
For all their hard work, time and commitment, organizers and volunteers receive the satisfaction of knowing they’ve created a new web page or custom software that their cash-strapped charities could probably not otherwise afford to develop. In this information age, charities need as many means as possible to reach the communities they serve and National GiveCamp helps make that a reality. Get involved and Code it Forward!
