Four organizations you can support to help diversify tech
There are a lot of things to love about being a developer: it’s fun, mentally challenging, and creatively stimulating, and it gives you the tools to make a real impact on people’s lives. It’s also a high-paying career path that doesn’t require a college degree, which makes it unusually suited to newcomers.
Even so, the barrier to entry is high. Quitting your job to attend a boot camp requires a degree of financial stability that prevents many folks from pursuing such an opportunity. If you choose to self-teach, you still have to have access to a computer and internet, and time to devote to learning. Wouldn’t it be great if a career as a software engineer were equally accessible to everyone?
I had the opportunity to become a developer and discover how awesome it is. I want to share the excitement of coding with everyone — especially people who might not have access to the same resources that I have. If you’re like me, read on to find out how you can donate your time and money to support organizations committed to diversifying the tech workforce.
Code Nation
Access to high-paying career paths starts with education, and tech is no exception. Public schools in the United States are largely funded by taxes based on property values of the surrounding area, which creates massive differences in the quality of education that’s available to students. Code Nation focuses on making tech careers accessible to under-resourced high-schoolers by providing them with technical knowledge, professional experience, community support, and a network of industry contacts to move confidently into a software engineering career.
Code Nation operates in Chicago, New York, and the Bay Area. You can donate or volunteer to get involved.
/dev/color
Diversity in tech goes beyond statistics. Real inclusion starts with Black engineers in leadership positions. /dev/color is a Black-operated nonprofit committed to providing Black software engineers with the experience and support to become tech industry leaders.
Set up a recurring donation or find out how your company can partner with /dev/color in the long-term. You can also book a speaker, host an event to meet candidates, or refer a member on the partnerships page. Visit the bottom of the about page to fill out a volunteer form.
The Last Mile
The Last Mile is a bay-area based nonprofit that teaches web development to incarcerated folks. The United States has the highest prison population in the world — and the highest rate of recidivism. The Last Mile disrupts the recidivism cycle by teaching students in-demand skills to help them secure work after they’re released.
I spoke with Shiv Gogna, a former instructor for The Last Mile, about the impact that learning web development had on his students. He told me that coding provided an outlet while they served time and created career opportunities after their release. But it also deeply impacted their families. Incarcerated students discovered the excitement of programming and shared it with their children, providing a wealth-building opportunity that helped disrupt the cycle by which many families end up in the system.
You can set up a recurring monthly donation, get involved, or hire students. Students built the organization’s site, so you already have a sample of their work!
Black Girls Code
Black Girls Code teaches programming to Black girls and young women ages 7 to 17. According to founder Kimberly Bryant, Black Girls Code creates opportunities for Black youth to get familiar with technology and computer science skills “at a time when they are naturally thinking about what they want to be when they grow up.” They’re headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Oakland and New York and locations across the country.
Set up a recurring donation, apply to volunteer, or become a core team member. You can even check out their career listings for full-time and volunteer opportunities across the country.
Next steps?
These organizations are doing the work, but the work doesn’t stop here. How can we — as individuals — contribute to making careers in tech more accessible?
Identifying and acknowledging privilege in the workplace, being receptive to feedback, and amplifying coworkers from less-represented backgrounds is a good starting place. I’m also a big proponent of donating to individuals as much as organizations, so I encourage you to contribute to GoFundMes or financially support individuals in your community if you are able.
I strongly believe in the power of software engineering as a tool for the redistribution of wealth. Is there a great organization you think should be included? I would love to hear other ideas if you have them. Feel free to write a comment or email me at url.madeline@gmail.com.
