Do you have techie talents? Consider joining the folks volunteering their technology skills for unusual causes.
“At Random Hacks of Kindness events,” writes Cody Switzer for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, “technology experts volunteer to solve problems facing nonprofits and other organizations interested in doing good.
“Programmers in San Francisco and Berlin got together recently to attempt to build a system that would allow immigrants to tell their families they’ve arrived safely at their destination without anyone else finding out.
“In Nairobi, a similar group worked on a system to report election results in real time, including incidents of election violence and accusations of voter fraud.
“In Toronto, others worked on a system that could allow Nepali women to send ultrasound pictures via mobile devices.
“All of them were volunteers, willing to lend their technological expertise to nonprofits and causes.
“These projects and others were part of the Random Hacks of Kindness weekend, a twice-yearly, 36-hour work session for designers, programmers, and technology experts to solve problems facing nonprofits and other organizations interested in doing good. The most recent events, held [in June 2012] in 25 cities worldwide, drew 900 participants, according to organizer SecondMuse, a consulting firm that works with companies and individuals on better ways to collaborate.”
The Christian Science Monitor reprinted the story. Check it out.
Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/File
Employees at Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other technology companies volunteer for Random Hacks of Kindness.
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