SocialCoding4Good = Software Development + Pro Bono!

Palo Alto, California, October 25, 2013 /3BL Media/ -- This is an extraordinary time to be focused on technology in the service of social good. New apps and tools are being developed every day to help solve the world’s most pressing challenges, from education and environment to health and poverty. We’re thrilled to see so much energy and creativity being dedicated to this “technology-for-good” global movement, especially during pioneering events like Taproot Foundation’s Pro Bono Week!

Now, we might be a tad biased. After all, connecting talented software industry professionals with the opportunity to use their technical skills for social benefit is central to SocialCoding4Good’s mission. But when the term "pro bono" comes to mind, it’s generally business, finance, or legal professional services that are front and center. That’s why we’re honored to participate in Pro Bono Week 2013, and celebrate the combined power of pro bono and open source software development to create true, transformative impact.

Unlike many terrific technical volunteering programs, we don’t host hackathons to rally around new ideas and apps. Instead, we partner with established nonprofit organizations that build the global platforms enabling these apps to be designed in a weekend. Our nonprofit Project Partners are producing free, sustainable solutions that have direct impact on millions of people every day. That’s why they need the commitment and contributions of the volunteer and pro bono community to grow and scale.

"It’s amazing to think about the real, long-term impact that a pro bono software development team can have," says Josh Nesbit, Founder and CEO of Medic Mobile, a SocialCoding4Good partner. “For Medic, a single deployed project can improve healthcare delivery for more than 5 million people worldwide, not just immediately, but for years to come."

We’ve witnessed firsthand the results when organizations like Medic Mobile come together with  experienced, pro bono professionals. During Pro Bono Week 2013, we’re excited to further support this impact by:

-       Joining the Taproot Foundation Pro Bono Marketplace, powered by LinkedIn, to make it easier for individuals and companies alike to find pro bono projects leveraging highly technical skillsets; and

-       Introducing SocialCoding:ProBono, a new engagement opportunity offering specifically designed projects for CSR and pro bono initiatives to companies participating in our Corporate Partner Program.

Every day, we are inspired by the commitment and contributions SocialCoding4Good volunteers make to our nonprofit Project Partners. This week, join us in celebrating the lasting, global effects that software industry professionals can have through pro bono service!

About SocialCoding4Good

SocialCoding4Good is a new initiative from Benetech, a nonprofit tech company with a pure focus on developing technology for social good. SocialCoding4Good drives awareness of humanitarian, open source software and the nonprofit organizations creating it as their core mission, matching technical professionals to opportunities to volunteer time and talent to them and enabling sustainable, cross-sector collaborations for the broader corporate, nonprofit, and technology communities. SocialCoding4Good’s partners include Medic Mobile, Mifos, Ushahidi, and Wikimedia Foundation, along with companies such as VMware and HP. Find us online www.socialcoding4good.org, on Linked In, or on Twitter.

About Pro Bono Service

Pro bono--short for pro bono publico, "for the public good"—refers to professional services delivered without expectation of a fee to organizations serving the social good. It is both a form of support for community organizations as well as an increasingly core part of the ethic of business professionals from design to HR and technology, who believe that high-quality professional services are too important to only be available to those who can afford them.