Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#1

Post by jiblyyyy » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 2:09 PM UTC

So I'm looking to launch an app dev service focussed around nonprofits (I've been building apps for large co's for many years). To kick things of, test a few hypothesis and the viability of that service idea, I'm looking for a nonprofit that could use a simple app.

I'll be picking 1 that I can work on and build it for free.

All I want is:

- Some feedback on the service idea (will have a few questions along the way)

- Ability to use it as a case study

Extra credit if you're connected to other non profits that you can potentially introduce me to later on.

-

Contact details are in my profile

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#2

Post by sharemywin » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 2:16 PM UTC

Why not build a platform...some kind of app that non-profits could plug into and use.

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#3

Post by smt88 » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 2:31 PM UTC

Does "viability of the idea" mean you could make a living? Because then it's not viable.

I started a non-profit a few years ago that brings processes and technology from the for-profit sector into the non-profit sector -- moving old NPOs from listserv to MailChimp, for example. Getting them to use HootSuite instead of manually posting is another.

It's incredibly time-consuming and difficult just to get non-profits to redesign a terrible website. There are tons of stakeholders, no budget, and (most importantly) very little bandwidth among decisionmakers.

The unit economics just don't work out. It would take so long to sell a single app that you wouldn't profit at all.

If you're doing this just to do something good and not to make money, then great!!

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#4

Post by speps » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 2:53 PM UTC

Build an actual version of this : http://www.chorus-home.org/

Longer video : https://vimeo.com/179904952

Why?

It seems it would a lot of use cases that non profits or any other organisation would have to deal with. I always found it a bit dumb to have to re-invent everything every time you need to spin up something new.

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#5

Post by jiblyyyy » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 2:59 PM UTC

sharemywin wrote: post #2

Why not build a platform...some kind of app that non-profits could plug into and use.

that is the goal, but working 1-on-1 with a non profit first allows me to learn all the needs so that the platform can have all the stuff they want vs what I think they want.

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#6

Post by jiblyyyy » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 3:00 PM UTC

smt88 wrote: post #3

Does "viability of the idea" mean you could make a living? Because then it's not viable. I started a non-profit a few years ago that brings processes and technology from the for-profit sector into the non-profit sector -- moving old NPOs from listserv to MailChimp, for example. Getting them to use HootSuite instead of manually posting is another. It's incredibly time-consuming and difficult just to get non-profits to…

Hopefully it can just cover some basic costs. The goal isn't to build a $1B business round it. Just to cover some basics, so it makes sense to allocate time. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#7

Post by dvfjsdhgfv » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 3:06 PM UTC

If possible, it would be great if you could make it generic, so that more than one non-profit could use it.

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#8

Post by amelius » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 3:07 PM UTC

It's a good idea to ask what people need, rather than just dream up a product that nobody wants.

I wonder, though, if this approach is efficient, and what the most efficient way is to figure out what people actually want.

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#9

Post by thecolorblue » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 3:21 PM UTC

I would suggest look at givecamp (you just missed the event that was this past weekend, http://clevelandgivecamp.org/) or similar programs. If you are looking for non-profits that need dev services, they would all be at these events.

Re: Offer HN: I'll build a free app for a non profit

#10

Post by PCaponetti » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 3:24 PM UTC

I don't have a specific idea or non-profit in mind, but as a developer (professional, 10+ years experience making web applications and a few on mobile) that has been working on hobby projects for a long time I have been looking to use my skills to better the world in some way for quite some time.

I would like to offer my services to help build this app (free of charge of course).