Submit Project Ideas

Does your community organization need help with a web-based or mobile software project? Submit a brief description of your project idea so we can consider your project and invite you to discuss your project with us at our casual “Pitch Night” event.

2019 Project Ideas

Center City Christian Outreach (DBA Well of Life Food Pantry)

Mission: Lead individuals to join together to grow spiritually by ministering to those in need and suffering.

Project: Create a web-app that will allow pantry volunteers to track orders and deliveries, eliminate duplication and errors in food requests and enforce pantry rules and regulations while allowing any exceptions to those rules per individual served. Create a new database and migrate pertinent historical data to the new system.

City of Springfield’s Workforce Development

Mission: To facilitate, advocate, and allocate resources for workforce solutions resulting in employer engagement and improved quality of life in the region.

Project: Create an interactive map of Springfield with the locations of nearby jobs relative to the location of the job seeker which will allow them to view and apply for jobs that are within a close proximity of their residence.

THIS PROJECT WAS SELECTED FOR 2019. VIEW PROJECT DETAILS

Generations Village

Mission: Provide a diverse, inter- generational, family-neighborhood living environment, promoting the best possible future for foster families and senior adults.

Project: A website to host information and resources for Generations Village, a new nonprofit organization starting up in Springfield, MO with the functionality to allow our organization to accept donations.

Isabel’s House

Mission: To provide immediate refuge for children ages birth to 12 whose families are in crisis. By partnering with families and the community, we will strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Project: Build a training portal on the web that would streamline and automate the required training process for volunteers and staff which must be completed year-round for licensing purposes. This would help further our mission by saving our volunteers and staff time allowing us to focus on our work within the community.

THIS PROJECT WAS SELECTED FOR 2019. VIEW PROJECT DETAILS

2023 Selection Timeline

  • Sept 1st – Project Idea Submission Deadline
  • Sept 8th – Project Selected and Announced
  • September/October – Project Pre-Planning
  • November 3rd-5th – Weekend Competition

Why Submit a Project Idea?

  • If your community organization already has a ​specific idea​ but is currently unable to fund the research, planning, and development of a technology solution, we can help you get started.
  • If your organization would like help designing and developing a website and/or mobile application that addresses a ​specific set of needs​, you are a good candidate for our program.
  • We will connect you with ​university student class projects ​to plan and perform initial prototyping of a technology solution that addresses your specific needs.
  • Volunteer designers and developers ​will work in a competitive team setting to build a website and/or mobile application according to those plans.
  • Volunteer designers and developers will have an ongoing opportunity to complete unfinished work or features so that you can begin using the software, or so that you can continue to expand/improve the software.

Frequent Questions

  •  Is there a cost to participate in Hack 4 Good? ​No. However, if we select your project idea, your staff will need to invest time working with us to plan and prototype your project prior to the event.

  • How does H4G select a project?​ Your organization will have an opportunity to “pitch” your project to the H4G team and community members at our “​Pitch Night​” event in July 2019​. Hack 4 Good 2019 project will be selected based on a variety of factors related to the scope and reach of your project.

  • Do we need to attend H4G the entire weekend? ​No, but please plan to attend orientation on Friday night and judging on Sunday afternoon. Refer to our event schedule.

  • When will we be able to begin using the software developed during Hack 4 Good? This depends on the scope of your project and how much planning you are able to help us with prior to the event. A simple project with a lot of planning is more likely to be usable shortly after the event, whereas a large project and/or poor planning could cause a project to take a long time to complete. We host quarterly “Hack Night” events so community volunteers have an opportunity to continue to improve H4G community projects.

Pitch Night Guidelines

Pitch Night allows us to learn more about your organization and how we might be able to engage the local developer community in furthering your mission.

Since we will have a number of organizations sharing their needs with us during Pitch Night, it is important that you limit your presentation to 6-10 minutes.

Please respect this requirement and do not go beyond 10 minutes.

We know that isn’t much time, so we are providing the following guidelines to help you communicate the essential details we need to evaluate fit:

  • 1 – 2 minutes sharing your organizations mission and vision.
  • 3 – 5 minutes sharing a high level concept of your need for an app and how it will help further your mission and vision.
  • 2 – 3 minutes sharing the target audience for your app and wrapping up your presentation.

It is not important present how you would like to the app to look. We are only interested in what you would like the app to do, and how it will help you further your mission.

Once the project is chosen for this year’s #Hack4Good event we will be in touch with you to spend more time learning more!

2018 Project Ideas

We had an opportunity to learn more about each of these proposed Hack 4 Good project ideas at Pitch Night 2018!

Attendees were encouraged to complete and return evaluation forms for each project. Our committee reviewed project evaluations before choosing the 2018 project. Pizza and soda was served. Attendees were welcome to bring outside food and drinks.

We encouraged attendees to participate in the Hack 4 Good 2018 competition on Nov 2nd-4th 2018.

Borrow My Angel (selected)

Mission: Helping anyone affected by depression & suicidal crisis find strength and hope through online connection and resources.

Develop an app that helps those struggling with depression/suicidal crisis by connecting them immediately with resources or a volunteer who can help.

Farmers Market of the Ozarks

Mission: Operates a vibrant farmers market that contributes to the success of local food growers and producers, strengthens the local food economy and serves as a community gathering place for the Ozarks region.

Create an online shopping system so customers could go online, pick out their local groceries, pay, and swing by the Market to pick them up.

K9s for Camo

Mission: Provide service dogs for veterans at no cost to the veteran.

Develop an app that shows videos on proper training techniques for service dogs.

Ozarks Regional YMCA

Mission: To promote Judeo-Christian values through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Integrate our existing business software into our website so community members can register for programs, membership and financial assistance seamlessly.

City of Springfield-Workforce Development

Mission: Facilitates, advocates, and allocates resources for workforce solutions resulting in employer engagement and improved quality of life in the region.

Develop an app that would allow job seekers to view a map of nearby job openings, new and existing businesses and can be sorted by a variety of filters and include notifications of hiring events, new job openings, and other important information.