Give Camp helps non-profits do more good

Building a website in a weekend is no easy task. And building 27 websites in one weekend is nearly impossible. However, that’s exactly what happened in Philadelphia recently with the help of Give Camp, a host of volunteers and an endless supply of coffee. 

Give Camp is a weekend-long event where software developers, designers, and database administrators donate their time to create custom software for non-profit organizations. Events take place year-round in locations across the U.S., including Seattle, Atlanta and Phoenix. Recently, Philly Give Camp took over the Microsoft Technology Center in Malvern, Pa., to tackle the seemingly impossible website-building task, in the fourth-annual event.

 “Typically the websites would cost between $5,000 and $10,000 and that’s a huge expense for a smaller non-profit,” Danilo Diaz, a senior technical architect at Microsoft said. “Give Camp is our way of using our skills to make a difference. Yes, it’s a big commitment but at the end of the day Sunday, when you see the smiles on the faces of non-profit owners and a huge embrace is the only payment necessary, it’s well worth it.”

During the recent Malvern Give Camp, participants received training from 75 volunteers in the areas of social media and website management, so they were able to leave the camp completely self-sufficient and able spread the word on their cause, raise donations, recruit volunteers, and much more.

The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania was just one of the many organizations that received a new site during this year’s event. Give Camp has helped hundreds of other charities since its inception in 2007. Previous local participants include the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Music Works Wonders and more.

To learn more about Give Camp, including signing up to volunteer your skills, please visit here.