Our 21st annual Nonprofit Software Development Summit took place place 20-22 November, 2024 at our long-time home in Oakland, California USA.
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. We didn't hype tech; we questioned and challenged the role of all things digital with regard to building power in movements.
Our collaborative annual gathering included everyone from grassroots activists and campaigners, to journalists and policy advocates, to movement lawyers and fundraisers, to educators and communicators, 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.
This year, we continued 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, take stock of gaps and concerns, and explore whether there are opportunities for open and values-aligned alternatives.
We also hosted a pre-event on "Movement Hosting" on Monday and Tuesday 18-19 November, bringing together members of the Infrared network and anyone else interested in collaborating and supporting values-aligned hosting providers. Discussion on those days focused on what we can do to provide viable and sustainable alternatives to services provided by the large tech platform companies.
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 2024 agenda and session notes, all co-created with participants.
Get involved
We encourage you to join us for the 2025 Dev Summit, taking place 19-21 November, 2025.
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.
Come connect, learn, and celebrate with us at this unique and interactive gathering.
We look forward to seeing you in November!