Give the Gift of Coding: 5 Non-profit Orgs to Support this Season

Natalee Blagden

December 20, 2017

It’s the giving season, our annual reminder that we can make a difference in our communities by supporting organizations doing great work. We’ve picked five of our favorite organizations that are working to make technical skills accessible to more people. Pick one to support this season, and tweet us some of your favorite philanthropic groups!

1 - Code.org

Code.org strives to improve access to computer science education through a mix of global and local initiatives. Their “Hour of Code” tutorials for kids have been translated into 45 different languages! Here in the U.S., Code.org also offers free K-12 computer science teaching materials to bring coding into classrooms. Fewer than half of U.S. schools currently offer computer science or coding lessons, according to a recent Gallup research study. Code.org aims to change that. Read about their approach and donation options here.

2 - Girls Who Code

Aiming to decrease the gender gap in tech, this organization runs after-school clubs and summer camps for 6th- to 12th-grade girls. Their programs span all 50 states! Read about their programs and how you can support them here.

3 - Black Girls Code

This organization delivers workshops, after-school programs, and free events encourage African-American girls to try coding. Their calendar of events has fun themes, like game jams, 3D printing groups, and robotics workshops. Founder Kymberly Bryant created Black Girls Code to provide more welcoming, comfortable, fun places for girls to try coding before they decide what to do in college. Learn how to contribute here.

4 - All Star Code

All Star Code is bringing computer science education to Black and Latino young men. Their summer intensive bootcamp helps introduce high schoolers to tech career pathways at a critical, decision-making stage in their lives. Find more info on their donation options here.

5 - Operation Code

Military personnel often come from underprivileged communities and return home from difficult missions worn out, wounded, and in need of relevant job skills. Help members of the military and their spouses receive access to coding instruction, scholarships, mentorship, career services and community events through Operation Code. Their all-volunteer team welcomes support in the form of financial donations and in-kind donations. Learn more here.

What are some other awesome organizations we should know about? Tweet us @CodeNewbies and give them a shoutout! And let us know who you’ll be supporting this holiday season.