The group is looking for IT volunteers with skills in software development, system administration, and UX/design for the event on November 28 to 30.
Not for profit and charity groups are also being encouraged to register for the program.
“Our hackathons allow IT professionals to contribute to charity and give back to their community without having to commit any further time to the charity after the weekend. Moreover, it is a great opportunity to volunteer while working with like-minded individuals and sharing their expertise and passion,” says Charity-IT.
Hacking for good
Read more: Leadership is demonstrated, not measured
The three-day event at the Servcorp Virtual & Serviced Offices at the PwC Towers in Auckland is “a cross between a hackathon and a startup weekend”.
Charities pitch their problem, volunteers form teams and then work with a representative of the charity over the remainder of the weekend.
During the weekend, some of the activities ICT professionals can work with are modernising the organisation’s website, provide guidance around an existing technology platform, optimising an existing IT system and developing a proof of concept for them to trial.
The end result of these activities will make a huge difference in the day to day running of these organisations, says Charity-IT.
Read more: Mission Critical ICT at St John NZ
“I strongly encourage ICT professionals to get behind it and share their skills and knowledge, not for a pay cheque but for something so much more,” says Aaron Overington, IT director of Spectrum Care, which provides services to people with disabilities.
“As an IT professional working in the not-for-profit space this awareness is heightened, as I can also see first-hand the impact technology plays in changing people’s lives for the better, and the cost savings that can be achieved."
He says the savings can then be focused on frontline operations and service delivery instead of back-office requirements and compliance.
Read more: Keeping the faith
This is a chance for ICT professionals to change the community they live and work in.
Overington speaks from first hand experience. Early this year, he volunteered to work on secondment to a smaller disability provider in the Bay of Plenty to assist them with a strategic technology review and deployment.
“They have benefitted from my years of experience in ICT and more recently the disability sector and I have got a greater understanding of how other companies approach issues that my own organisation faces.”
Read more: 360-degree leadership: John Emerson of Tait Communications
“It has provided me an opportunity to try different providers and technologies that I may not otherwise experience, as well as provide support to a charity doing remarkable work.”
“This is a chance for ICT professionals to change the community they live and work in,” he concludes.
Send news tips and comments to divina_paredes@idg.co.nz
Follow Divina Paredes on Twitter: @divinap
Read more: The art of giving
Follow CIO New Zealand on Twitter:@cio_nz
Sign up for CIO newsletters for regular updates on CIO news, views and events.