A few months ago we reported on the progress of the do_action charity hackathon event series so far in 2018 — at that stage of the year, we had supported eight local communities to help them run their own do_action events. By the time the year came to a close, we had worked with a further four communities, making twelve total do_action events for 2018.
As the program grew through the second half of the year, the additional communities that had organised do_action events were Stuttgart, Beirut, Montreal, and Port Harcourt. Montreal and Beirut were both returning communities who held their do_action event for the second year in a row.
At these final four events, there were a total of 120 participants from the local communities, and they built websites for 21 different non-profit organizations in their cities. That makes a total of 340 participants and 53 non-profit organizations, across 12 events in 11 countries over the course of the year.
Some of the websites built at do_action events in the second half of the year include:
Youngstar Emancipation- ENGAGE
- Knit Together Initiative
- Charity Donation Foundation
- Camp
Weredale - Rotaract Beirut
Aside from great new websites, each organization also received newsletter service integrations, enhanced social media profiles, and simple donation platforms, allowing them to continue their work without technological hindrance.
In order to make sure the organizations are able to work with their new websites, each event runs training sessions for the non-profits coaching them on how to use WordPress to manage their content and get the most out of their sites.
While the participants at these events are working hard to build brand new websites for each organization, they’re actually offering each non-profit so much more than just a website. They’re building a platform that allows the organization to forget about any technical concerns and focus purely on their charitable work.
With these new websites working for them, each of the non-profits can receive donations, attract volunteers, help more people, and further their work. It is a great gift that goes beyond a bit of programming and really touches the heart of what the founders of organizations like these set out to do in the first place.
See the do_action website to find a local event near you, and read through the Oorganizer’s Handbook to find out more about organizing one yourself.