The Nonprofit Open Source Partnership is offering a valuable opportunity for selected nonprofit organizations to transform their existing software and technology projects into publicly accessible, licensed and well-documented open source tools — at no cost to participating organizations. The partnership brings together Bloomberg, Develop for Good, CodeDay and Fast Forward to support a small group of technology-focused nonprofits with the technical expertise, student developer capacity and industry mentorship needed to prepare software for open source use or strengthen projects that are already part of the open source ecosystem. As part of the program, each selected nonprofit will receive a dedicated team of eight vetted and trained college student volunteer developers who will work on the organization’s project for 16 weeks. The program represents approximately 800 hours of technical work per team, supported by weekly check-ins, technical guidance, project management assistance and team coaching. The program is particularly relevant for nonprofits that have developed useful technology but lack the time, staff capacity or specialised expertise required to properly license, document, package and maintain that technology as an open source resource.
Applications for the program close on September 9, 2026.
Nonprofit Open Source Partnership 2026 at a Glance
- Program: Nonprofit Open Source Partnership
- Organizing partners: Bloomberg, Develop for Good, CodeDay and Fast Forward
- Target applicants: Selected technology-focused nonprofit organizations
- Project focus: Open sourcing an existing nonprofit software tool or contributing to an existing open source project
- Technical support: Eight college student volunteer developers per nonprofit
- Program duration: 16 weeks
- Technical contribution: Approximately 800 hours per team
- Industry mentorship: Bloomberg employee volunteers
- Open source guidance: CodeDay
- Program support: Develop for Good
- Cost: No cost to participating nonprofits
- Nonprofit application deadline: September 9, 2026
- Selection notification: October 2, 2026
- Program kickoff: October 25, 2026
- Final delivery: February 20, 2027
What Is the Nonprofit Open Source Partnership?
Many nonprofit organizations build or use technology to deliver their missions, but creating software and preparing it for open source distribution are two different challenges.
A nonprofit may have an existing application, platform, internal tool or other technology that could potentially benefit other organizations. However, making that technology genuinely open source involves much more than publishing code online.
The organization may need to address:
- Software licensing
- Technical documentation
- Code organization
- Developer onboarding
- Project contribution processes
- Technical maintenance
- User documentation
- Open source best practices
- Project management
- Quality assurance
- Collaboration with external developers
These tasks require time and specialised technical knowledge that many nonprofits may not have available internally.
The Nonprofit Open Source Partnership is designed to help close this gap.
Through the partnership, participating organizations receive a dedicated team of student developers and support from experienced professionals who can help turn an existing technology project into a more accessible and reusable open source resource.
Who Is Behind the Program?
The initiative is a collaboration between four organizations:
Bloomberg
Bloomberg is participating in the partnership through employee volunteers who will provide guidance and mentorship to participating nonprofit projects.
Develop for Good
Develop for Good provides the student development teams and program support. The organization will run weekly check-ins with participating students and provide structured support covering technical work, project management and team coaching.
CodeDay
CodeDay will provide guidance on open source best practices, helping participating nonprofits understand how to prepare their projects for open source use.
Fast Forward
Fast Forward is also part of the partnership, contributing to an initiative designed to strengthen technology capacity within the nonprofit sector.
Together, these organizations provide a combination of student technical talent, professional mentorship, open source expertise and program management support.
What Will Selected Nonprofits Receive?
Selected organizations will receive several forms of support throughout the 16-week program.
1. A Dedicated Team of Eight Student Developers
Each participating nonprofit will receive a team of eight vetted and trained college student volunteer developers.
The students will dedicate their time to the nonprofit’s selected project throughout the 16-week program.
This gives nonprofits access to a substantial pool of technical capacity without the financial cost associated with hiring a conventional software development team.
2. Approximately 800 Hours of Technical Work
The program estimates that each team will contribute approximately 800 hours of technical work.
This can provide significant development capacity for a nonprofit that may otherwise struggle to dedicate internal resources to an open source initiative.
The exact nature of the work will depend on the organization’s project and the objectives established for the program.
Potential work could involve preparing an existing tool for open source publication, improving documentation or contributing to an existing open source project.
3. Weekly Program Check-Ins
Develop for Good will conduct weekly check-ins with students throughout the program.
These check-ins are designed to help teams remain focused, address challenges and maintain progress toward the project’s objectives.
4. Technical Support
Participating teams will receive structured technical support to help them move their projects forward.
This can be especially valuable for organizations that have a strong mission and a useful technology product but do not have extensive internal software engineering capacity.
5. Project Management Support
The partnership also includes project management assistance.
This helps keep the work organized and ensures that the student development team and nonprofit point-of-contact remain aligned on priorities, deliverables and timelines.
6. Team Coaching
Teams will receive coaching designed to support effective collaboration and project execution.
Because the program involves nonprofit staff, student developers and industry mentors, structured coaching can help ensure that different participants remain coordinated throughout the 16-week engagement.
7. Open Source Best-Practices Guidance
CodeDay will provide guidance on open source best practices.
This is particularly important for nonprofits that are making the transition from an internally developed or privately maintained tool to a publicly accessible project.
8. Bloomberg Employee Mentorship
Participating nonprofits will receive weekly guidance from experienced Bloomberg employee volunteers.
These mentors are described as being invested in the success of the projects and can provide an additional professional perspective throughout the program.
9. A Publicly Accessible and Documented Final Product
One of the most important outcomes is a finished project that is intended to be:
- Publicly accessible
- Properly licensed
- Documented
- Ready for the nonprofit to use
- Potentially useful to other organizations
This can extend the impact of a nonprofit’s technology beyond its immediate internal use.
What Does “Open Source” Mean for Participating Nonprofits?
Open source software is software whose source code is made available under a license that allows others to access, use and, depending on the license, modify and redistribute it under defined conditions.
For a nonprofit, making a tool open source can create opportunities for other organizations, developers and communities to benefit from technology that might otherwise remain limited to the organization that originally developed it.
However, simply uploading software to a public repository does not necessarily mean that a project is ready for meaningful open source collaboration.
A well-prepared open source project generally needs appropriate licensing, clear documentation and enough structure for other users or developers to understand how the project works and how they can engage with it.
That is the gap this partnership is intended to address.
Learn more HERE
What Types of Projects Can Participate?
The program is designed for nonprofits with an existing technology project that is ready to be open sourced or that needs support to contribute to an existing open source project.
A nonprofit may therefore consider applying if it has:
- An existing software tool it wants to make open source
- A technology project that needs improved documentation
- A software project that needs preparation for public release
- An existing open source project that requires development support
- A technical project that could benefit from a dedicated student development team
The organization should have a sufficiently defined project for the student developers and mentors to work on during the 16-week program.
Apply HERE
What Does the Nonprofit Need to Contribute?
Although the program is offered at no cost to participating organizations, selected nonprofits are expected to commit time and resources in the form of staff participation.
Each participating nonprofit should plan for approximately:
2–3 hours per week for 16 weeks
from a designated point-of-contact.
The nonprofit point-of-contact will participate in activities such as:
- Regular check-ins
- Providing feedback
- Collaborating with student developers
- Working with industry mentors
- Answering project-related questions
- Helping clarify priorities
- Reviewing project progress
- Supporting decision-making when necessary
This commitment is important because the student developers and mentors need a knowledgeable representative from the nonprofit to provide context and feedback.
How Much Time Should a Nonprofit Expect to Commit?
The stated commitment is approximately 2–3 hours per week for 16 weeks.
Over the entire program period, this represents approximately 32–48 hours of point-of-contact involvement.
Organizations should therefore select someone who can consistently participate throughout the program.
A nonprofit that cannot provide a reliable point-of-contact may struggle to take full advantage of the technical resources being provided.
What Does the Program Cost?
The Nonprofit Open Source Partnership is offered at no cost to participating organizations.
This is one of the program’s major advantages because nonprofits can receive substantial technical support without having to pay for a professional software development team.
The program combines volunteer student developers with industry mentors and structured organizational support to provide the technical capacity needed to advance participating projects.
Why Open Source Can Matter for Nonprofits
Transforming nonprofit software into open source can have benefits beyond the immediate project.
A well-documented and publicly accessible tool can potentially:
- Allow other nonprofits to use the technology.
- Encourage collaboration among developers.
- Reduce duplication of technology development.
- Create opportunities for external contributions.
- Increase the visibility of the organization’s technical work.
- Make the software easier for other organizations to evaluate and adopt.
- Build a community around a useful technology project.
- Extend the impact of technology developed for a specific nonprofit mission.
The potential impact depends on the quality of the project, the needs of the wider community and the nonprofit’s ability to maintain and support the software after the program concludes.
Program Timeline
The Nonprofit Open Source Partnership has a defined timeline from application through final delivery.
September 9, 2026 — Applications Close
This is the deadline for nonprofit organizations to submit their applications.
Organizations interested in participating should complete their application before this date.
October 2, 2026 — Selected Nonprofits Notified
Organizations selected to participate will be notified on this date.
October 25, 2026 — Program Kickoff
The program officially begins with the kickoff on October 25, 2026.
This marks the beginning of the 16-week collaboration involving the nonprofit, student developers and mentors.
February 20, 2027 — Final Delivery
The program is scheduled to conclude with final delivery on February 20, 2027.
By this stage, participating teams will have worked toward completing the agreed project objectives.
How to Apply for the Nonprofit Open Source Partnership
Nonprofit organizations interested in participating should submit an application through the program’s online application form.
Application deadline: September 9, 2026.
Apply for the Nonprofit Open Source Partnership
Before applying, organizations should make sure they understand the program requirements and can commit the necessary staff time for the entire 16-week period.
How Nonprofits Can Prepare a Strong Application
Although the provided information does not specify a detailed scoring rubric, organizations can prepare by clearly defining the project they want the program to support.
1. Identify the technology project
Determine which existing tool or project you want the student development team to work on.
The project should be sufficiently defined to explain what the team will be expected to accomplish.
2. Explain why the project should become open source
Organizations should be prepared to explain the value of making their technology publicly accessible.
Consider:
- Who could benefit from the software?
- What problem does the tool solve?
- Why would other organizations use it?
- What could an open source community contribute?
- How could open sourcing the project increase its impact?
3. Define the technical challenges
Identify the areas where your organization needs support.
These could include:
- Software development
- Documentation
- Open source preparation
- Technical improvements
- Contribution workflows
- Existing open source development
A clear understanding of the project’s technical needs can help the development team work more effectively.
4. Identify a reliable point-of-contact
Choose a staff member or representative who can commit 2–3 hours each week for 16 weeks.
The person should have enough knowledge of the project to answer questions and provide meaningful feedback.
5. Consider the project’s sustainability
Open sourcing a project is not necessarily the end of the work.
Organizations should consider how the software will be maintained, documented and supported after the partnership ends.
Thinking about sustainability in advance can help ensure that the project’s results remain useful after February 2027.
Who Should Apply?
The opportunity is especially relevant to nonprofit organizations that have an existing technology or software project and want technical assistance to make it open source or contribute to an existing open source project.
A strong potential applicant may be a nonprofit that:
- Has already built a software tool.
- Has an existing technology project.
- Wants to release its software as open source.
- Needs assistance with documentation.
- Wants to improve an existing open source project.
- Has limited internal technical capacity.
- Can provide a dedicated point-of-contact.
- Can commit 2–3 hours per week for 16 weeks.
- Is prepared to collaborate closely with student developers and mentors.
What the Program Does Not Provide
Applicants should also understand the nature of the opportunity.
This is not described as a cash grant or direct financial award to nonprofits.
Instead, the core support comes in the form of:
- Volunteer software development
- Technical assistance
- Open source guidance
- Industry mentorship
- Project management support
- Team coaching
- A structured 16-week development engagement
The primary value is therefore technical capacity and expertise rather than direct funding.
Questions to Ask Before Applying
Before submitting an application, a nonprofit should consider:
- Do we have an existing technology project?
- Is the project suitable for open source development?
- Are we prepared to make the project publicly accessible?
- Do we have a clear understanding of what technical work is required?
- Can we identify a point-of-contact?
- Can that person commit 2–3 hours every week for 16 weeks?
- Can our organization provide timely feedback to developers?
- Are we prepared to work collaboratively with college student developers?
- Can we engage with industry mentors?
- Do we have a plan for using or maintaining the project’s output after the program concludes?
If the answer to these questions is generally yes, the partnership may be worth considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Nonprofit Open Source Partnership?
It is a collaborative program involving Bloomberg, Develop for Good, CodeDay and Fast Forward that provides selected nonprofits with technical assistance to turn an existing software tool into an open source project or contribute to an existing open source project.
How many student developers does each nonprofit receive?
Each participating nonprofit receives a team of eight vetted and trained college student volunteer developers.
How long does the program last?
The program runs for 16 weeks.
How much technical work is provided?
Each team is expected to contribute approximately 800 hours of technical work.
Does the program charge participating nonprofits?
No. The opportunity is provided at no cost to participating nonprofits.
How much time must the nonprofit contribute?
The nonprofit’s designated point-of-contact should expect to contribute approximately 2–3 hours per week for 16 weeks.
What will the nonprofit representative do?
The point-of-contact will participate in check-ins, provide feedback and collaborate with student developers and industry mentors.
Does the program help with open source best practices?
Yes. CodeDay provides guidance on open source best practices.
Will nonprofits receive professional mentorship?
Yes. Experienced Bloomberg employee volunteers provide weekly guidance throughout the program.
What happens at the end of the program?
The program is scheduled to have its final delivery on February 20, 2027.
The intended outcome is a publicly accessible, licensed and documented project that the nonprofit can use and that may potentially be useful to other organizations.
When is the application deadline?
The nonprofit application deadline is September 9, 2026.
How do I apply?
Applications are submitted through the online application form:
Nonprofit Open Source Partnership application form
Contact Information
Organizations with questions about the program can contact:
Michael Gabrielle
Nonprofit Partnerships Manager
Develop for Good
Email: michael@developforgood.org
Important Dates to Remember
For convenience, applicants should keep the following dates in mind:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 9, 2026 | Nonprofit applications close |
| October 2, 2026 | Selected nonprofits notified |
| October 25, 2026 | Program kickoff |
| February 20, 2027 | Final delivery |
The most immediate date for prospective applicants is September 9, 2026, which is the application deadline.
Conclusion
The Nonprofit Open Source Partnership provides selected nonprofits with an opportunity to access significant technical development capacity without paying for it. Through a collaboration involving Bloomberg, Develop for Good, CodeDay and Fast Forward, participating organizations can receive a dedicated team of eight college student developers, industry mentorship, open source guidance and structured project support.
The program is particularly relevant for nonprofits that have already developed a software tool but lack the internal time or technical capacity needed to properly prepare it for open source use. Rather than simply publishing existing code, participating teams can work toward creating a project that is publicly accessible, appropriately licensed and documented for future use.
The commitment from nonprofits is also clearly defined. Each organization should provide a point-of-contact who can dedicate approximately 2–3 hours per week for 16 weeks to check-ins, feedback and collaboration. This involvement will be important for ensuring that student developers understand the organization’s mission, users and technical priorities.
With applications closing on September 9, 2026, eligible nonprofits should begin identifying a suitable project, establishing their technical needs and selecting a reliable point-of-contact as soon as possible.
For nonprofits looking to expand the impact of their technology, improve an existing open source project or make an internally developed tool available to a wider community, this partnership offers an opportunity to gain technical expertise and development support without direct program costs.
Application deadline: September 9, 2026
For more Opportunities click HERE
