Do you have an idea or a sticky problem you wish you could solve if you just had the resources to do it? Submit your problem or idea to Code for KC.
A new collaboration will create capacity-building tech solutions to help solve problems for KC-area nonprofit organizations at no cost. KC Digital Drive has partnered with the KC Developers Conference to host a hack-a-thon during their pre-workshop on August 13, 2025 and relaunch our Code for KC program. The KC Developers Conference (KCDC) is a large conference in the region, attracting almost 2000 developers and related professionals every year.
The purpose of this relaunch is to bring Code for KC back in a large sustainable way – connecting nonprofits and civic organizations with problems with technical talent with solutions. By leveraging KC Digital Drive’s network and reputation in the community, particularly through their Community Technology Action Network (CTAN), we are uniquely positioned to both understand the problems and manage the pipeline of talent building solutions on a volunteer basis. CTAN is a consortium of non-profit organizations that collaborate to explore new opportunities, contribute to program development, increase visibility for joint projects, and access resources and financial support to address their needs across organizations.
By looking as broadly as possible, we will be able to consolidate solutions to address problems efficiently for many organizations – scaling the impact of the work.
The Opportunity
This relaunch represents a great opportunity for partners to be provided solutions custom developed by tech talent. However, organizations interested in putting their projects through the hack-a-thon will need to commit to engaging with the solutions team throughout the entire process. At minimum, partners will have to provide their expertise about the problem being addressed, attend both workshops (4 hours each) and the all day hack-a-thon (8 hours), and attend regular meetings both before and after the hack-a-thon to ensure the problem and solutions are aligned.
The Process
KC Digital Drive has established networks in the coding and tech sector, including Code for KC and has newly partnered with the KC Developers Conference. Both organizations are well established in the region. Code for KC has been meeting weekly on Monday evenings for over 10 years and KCDC is a conference attracting thousands of coders annually for 15 years. KCDC has an upcoming hack-a-thon event in August of 2025 that needs your help – coders at KCDC are looking for project scopes involving tech solutions that can help solve Kansas City’s nonprofit organization’s problems.
Estimated Timeline in 2025
Q1 – problem solicitation and initial planning, with KCDD info sessions/workshops
Q2 – partners participate in discovery workshop held based on problems identified in Q1
Q3 – partners participate in design workshop held to finalize requirements for the projects out of the discovery workshop and the hack-a-thon held August 13, 2025 to create solutions
Q4 – solutions finalized and adopted
How to Learn More
KC Digital Drive will be conducting Info Sessions on March 10th, 2025 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and March 14th, 2025 from 11:30am to 12:30pm. RSVP for either of our Info Sessions (March 10th or March 14th) if you want to hear more about this opportunity and begin to brainstorm what a tech solution might be like for your organization. Or, if you already know what you want, fill out this form and KC Digital Drive will reach out to you.