2019 Nonprofit Software Development Summit
Our 16th annual Nonprofit Software Development Summit will be held 6-8 November, 2019, at Preservation Park, Oakland.
Our collaborative three-day gathering is designed for everyone from grassroots activists to software developers, bringing together participants from around the world to share knowledge, build relationships, and collectively envision the future of free and open technology to support social change.
Register today to join us in November!
What makes the Dev Summit different?
Technology plays an ever-increasing role in all aspects of activism and social change efforts, but too often tech is hyped as a catch-all solution or a magic ingredient when in fact the reality is more complex. Technology can be a tremendous asset in organizing, campaigning, mobilization, and other efforts, but it also creates new vulnerabilities and often perpetuates power dynamics that run counter to the values of those using the tech. And increased dependence on tech correlates with increased vulnerability to surveillance and tracking.
Dev Summit is a tech-themed event that centers on people and focuses less on tech and more on movement strategy and building collective power. The Dev Summit community has been coming together for the better part of 2 decades to discuss how tech can accountably and sustainably serve social and racial justice efforts. New folks are always welcome, and our goal is to empower those who are early in their learning journeys and who don't necessarily self-identify as "techies".
The Dev Summit strives to avoid hyping and fetishizing tech, and instead focuses on conveying practical and essential processes for utilizing digital tools in sustainable ways. The event is designed to provide participants with best practices and insights they can apply in their day-to-day work. Conversation address the challenges, trade-offs, and opportunities we individually and collectively face in leveraging technology in our social justice and community work.
You will not see any presentations, panels or keynotes at the Dev Summit. The focus is on participant-driven dialogue and collaboration, and a primary objective is to enable participants to build and strengthen relationships where they can share knowledge and find support for many years to come.
Help us co-create the agenda
The Dev Summit agenda is a diverse collection of discussions and interactive sessions that are developed in collaboration with confirmed participants. We employ an interactive and participatory approach to convenings, and work to specifically address the outcomes that will be most useful and relevant to everyone who attends.
Check out the conversations and discussions you are likely to find taking place at the Dev Summit.
You can also check out the 2018 agenda and session notes which were co-created with participants.
We invite you to bring your stories, ideas, questions, and knowledge to share. If there is a session or discussion you would like to help facilitate or if you have an idea for the agenda, let us know.
Get involved and spread the word
Want to know how to stay involved in the meantime?
- Register today and save your spot at opening circle.
- Join the low volume Nonprofit Software Development Discussion List to participate in nonprofit and activist tech conversations and get notified of important event announcements year-round.
- Help us spread the word about the event using the hashtag #npdev.
- Follow our Aspiration Twitter and Instagram to check out sweet photos and join the conversation.
- You can also browse the agenda and session notes from the last decade+ of Dev Summits on our Dev Summit wiki.
Help us co-create safe and accessible spaces
We invite you to check out our Participation Guidelines and Event Expectations for sharing and exploration at Aspiration events. All participants will be expected to help create the most inclusive and safe space possible by honoring the Participation Guidelines.
We strive to host accessible events that maximize the opportunity of all individuals to participate and engage wholly in all spaces and activities, in full respect of cultural and linguistic identities, care needs, and abilities.
We will be gathering at Nile Hall at Preservation Park, located at 668 13th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.
For inquiries about accessibility or accommodation requests, please get in touch with us. Feel free to email us or give us a call at 415-839-6456.
We welcome suggestions and ideas for how we can create even more inclusive and accessible spaces at our Aspiration events. Share your thoughts with us.
Let us help you get there
If you're passionate about social justice and technology and want to participate but need support getting there, please let us know. We would love to have you there and want to find a way to make it work. We have sliding scale registration, registration scholarships, and limited travel stipends for those who need them. Please reach out to discuss options.
Come connect, learn, and celebrate with us at this unique and interactive gathering.
Reach out to us if you want to connect or have any questions about attending.
We look forward to seeing you in November!
