Onboarding Track

The Onboarding Track is for projects with a defined problem, an identified community partner, and a clear enough direction to begin preparing for an official launch as a Civic Tech DC project.

The first step is to meet our team at an in-person Project Night. We highly recommend reaching out to us at team@civictechdc.org beforehand with a summary of your idea and what you hope to accomplish. This helps us prepare for your visit, as Project Nights can get busy. If you can’t attend in person, you can also request a virtual conversation.

Note: If your project still needs more exploration or a clearer scope, we may recommend starting with the Incubator Track.

1. Initial Conversation

You don’t need a polished pitch when you first meet with us, but you should have a general understanding of:

• The problem: What are you trying to solve?
• The people: Who experiences this problem, and who are you working with?
• The idea: What might you build or explore?
• The goal: What would a useful first milestone look like?
• The commitment: How much time can you realistically dedicate to leading the project?

We’ll ask questions (probably a lot!) to better understand your idea, its potential impact, and what support you might need.

2. Review Period

After our initial conversation, the team will review your project internally to determine whether it aligns with our project criteria. This typically takes about one week. In some cases, we may be able to confirm alignment during Project Night and invite you to give a short 30-second introduction at the end of the evening.

During the review, we may follow up with additional questions or suggestions to help refine your project.

3. Confirmation & Next Steps

Once your project is approved, we’ll invite you to officially launch it as part of Civic Tech DC. You’ll then move into Project Setup, where you’ll document your project, prepare your repository and other resources, and get ready to welcome contributors.

Go to Project Setup →