Build a Project

Welcome! Building a civic tech project is more than building a tool. It means understanding a real problem, working with others, and creating something that can last.

We’re excited you’re interested in starting a Civic Tech DC project. Not every project needs to be fully formed before you come to us. Some projects already have a clear problem and community partner, while others are still exploring an idea. Depending on where your project is right now, you may start in either the Onboarding Track or the Incubator Track.

But first, let’s look at what makes a project a good fit for Civic Tech DC.

Is Your Project a Good Fit?

Before getting started, make sure your project fits the type of work Civic Tech DC supports. We’re interested in projects that address real community needs and use technology for public good.

Who We Work With

Nonprofits and Community Organizations: Our strongest partners historically have been local nonprofits and community-based organizations. Whether it’s digitizing paper processes, building new forms, or developing proofs of concept, we’re always interested in seeing how technology can make an impact in our community.
Government: Local government provides invaluable services to our community, and we’re interested in helping make those services more effective. This might mean developing a more effective community outreach form or building a tool for people to request a particular service.
Community Members and Volunteers: Do you have an idea of how technology could help solve a problem in your community? We’re interested in hearing more! Those closest to or experiencing a problem often know it best and have ideas for how it can be improved.

Project Criteria

Projects that become Civic Tech DC projects should meet the following criteria. These help us determine whether a project is a good fit for the community.

Criteria	Details
It’s civic tech	The project relates to civic life in a meaningful way. See our definition of civic tech.
It’s open source	Projects must be open source so volunteers can contribute. Code and other project materials should be accessible to the community.
It serves a real community or partner	There is a clear end user, such as a community, nonprofit, public agency, or other public-interest partner, whose needs the project is addressing.
It has a public-interest purpose	The project is intended to create a benefit beyond the individual contributors or organization building it.

What We Don’t Take On

While we’re open to different types of projects, there are some things Civic Tech DC won’t support.

Electoral or partisan campaign work: Civic Tech DC does not support campaigns, candidates, or electoral advocacy. We are strictly nonpartisan. Projects may address public issues or policy topics, but they must remain focused on public-interest outcomes rather than campaigning.
Startup product development for private benefit: We do not accept pitches that ask volunteers to build or advance privately owned startup products. Volunteer time is reserved for public-interest projects.
Ideas without a clear public-interest purpose or community need: Projects should have a clear benefit to a community, nonprofit, public agency, or other public-interest purpose.
Projects requiring resources Civic Tech DC cannot realistically provide: Projects requiring significant funding, proprietary technology, or other resources that are outside the capacity of a volunteer-driven project.
Unrealistic deadlines: We cannot guarantee that a volunteer team will meet an externally imposed deadline. If a project depends on a fixed deadline, the scope and timeline need to be realistic for a volunteer team. If the deadline is critical, it may be better to work with another organization or professional service provider.
Projects without a connection to the DMV: While many of our projects address issues beyond the DC area, the core of our programming is our in-person Project Nights. This makes it challenging to support projects without a local presence. And to clarify, we’re based in Washington, DC, not Washington State! 🙂

Not sure if your project fits? That’s okay. These criteria are meant to help us understand whether Civic Tech DC can support you, not to discourage ideas. If you’re unsure, you can bring your idea to a Project Night or reach out to the organizers at team@civictechdc.org.

Where Projects Come From

Projects come to Civic Tech DC from two directions: community-initiated or volunteer-initiated.

This distinction helps us understand where the idea comes from and what responsibilities or challenges may come with it. Community-initiated projects often have an existing organization or partner experiencing a problem, while volunteer-initiated projects begin with someone who has identified a problem and wants to develop a solution.

Both types can enter either the Onboarding or Incubator Track depending on how ready they are.

Civic Tech DC volunteers working together on projects

Community-Initiated

You are a nonprofit, government agency, community organization, or other partner that has identified a problem and is looking for volunteers to help address it.

This might look like:

Exploring a problem: Your organization has identified a challenge or an existing process that isn’t working well, but you’re not sure what the solution should look like.
Specific request: Your organization already has a tool in mind (aka a website) and is looking for volunteers to help develop it.

Please know that Civic Tech DC is a volunteer community, not a free software development service. Successful projects require partners who are willing to stay involved throughout the process, not just bring an idea forward. This means having someone who can explain the problem, connect volunteers with users, and help make decisions.

For more guidance, see Working With Community Partners.

Volunteer-Initiated

An individual who is willing to lead a project has identified a problem or opportunity and wants to develop a project around it.

This might look like:

Idea with a potential partner: You have identified a problem and have a community or organization in mind that could benefit from the project, but have not yet established a formal partnership.
Idea with an existing partner: You have identified a problem and already have a community or organizational partner interested in working with you.

You do not need to have everything figured out before bringing an idea to Civic Tech DC. However, you should have a sense of who experiences the problem and which community or organization the project would serve.

One of the biggest challenges with volunteer-initiated projects is making sure you’re solving a problem that people actually experience, rather than building something based only on your own assumptions. This is why identifying community partners or potential users is an important step toward officially becoming a Civic Tech DC project. If you haven’t established a partnership yet, making those connections should be one of your first priorities. If you already have one, the next step is to work together to define the project’s scope.

Keep in mind that starting a project also means taking on leadership responsibilities. You don’t have to do everything yourself, but you should be prepared to take ownership of getting the project started.

Choose Your Track

Once you’ve determined that your project is a good fit, the next step is to figure out where it should start.

Civic Tech DC has two tracks based on how developed a project is, regardless of whether it is community-initiated or volunteer-initiated. The project’s origin tells us who brought the idea forward, while the track reflects its stage of development. For example, a nonprofit may approach Civic Tech DC because it struggles to organize its data but hasn’t yet identified a specific solution. Even though the project is community-initiated, it would start in the Incubator Track to better define its scope before moving into onboarding.