Our 20th(!) annual Nonprofit Software Development Summit took place 15-17 November, 2023 in Oakland, California US.
The dates for the 2024 Dev Summit will be 20-22 November, 2024.
We talked much less about software development that the event name might suggest, and much more about how digital technology can equitably, appropriately and accountably empower racial, social, and climate justice movements.
Our collaborative annual gathering included everyone from grassroots activists and campaigners, to journalists and policy advocates, to movement lawyers and fundraisers, to software and hardware developers. Our community came together from around the world to share knowledge, build relationships, and collectively envision the future of free, open and equitable digital tools and practices to support social change.
In 2023 we increased our focus on "operations" technology, the so-called "back office" platforms that underpin organizational operations from accounting and contracting to HR and fundraising. We compared who is using what, took stock of gaps and concerns, and explored whether there are opportunities for open and values-aligned alternatives.
We held a pre-event on "Movement Hosting" on Tuesday 14 November. Discussion on that day focused on what we can do to provide viable alternatives to services offered by the large tech platform companies.
For those not able to join us in person, or just wanting more Dev Summit Fun, we also hosted another Virtual Ephemeral Dev Summit Session online on Thursday 9 November.
We also owe a big debt of gratitude to TechSoup for generous travel support that enabled us to bring 10 additional participants from Asia, Africa, South America, Central America and Mexico.
A co-created agenda
The agenda included a diverse collection of discussions and interactive sessions developed in collaboration with participants. We employed our interactive and participatory approach to convenings, and worked to specifically address the outcomes highlighted as most useful and relevant to those in attendance.
Each person participating was encouraged to add their topics to the list, and we invited everyone present to bring stories, ideas, questions, and knowledge to share.
You can check out the 2023 agenda and session notes, all co-created with participants.
Get involved
We encourage you to join us for the 2024 Dev Summit, taking place 20-22 November, 2024.
Want to know how to stay involved in the meantime?
- 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.
- Follow Aspiration on Mastodon, Bluesky, Twitter (yuk, deprecating) and Instagram (yuk, equivocating) to check out updates and join the conversation.
- You can also browse the agenda and session notes from almost 2 decades of Dev Summits on our Dev Summit wiki.
Help us continue to 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 are expected to help create the most inclusive and safe space possible by honoring the Participation Guidelines and Event Expectations.
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 welcome suggestions and ideas for how we can further enhance health and safety at the event. Share your thoughts with us.
Reach out to us if you want to connect or have any questions about attending.