Our story

When COVID-19 struck in Spring 2020, life changed for everyone. Universities across the U.S. abruptly sent 14 million students home, all while campus activities, internships, and even full-time new grad offers were canceled. Despite their personal challenges, students sprang to action to support each other virtually as the pandemic worsened and instances of social and racial injustice ensued. These moments of selflessness revealed an intrinsic desire in college students to care for and help others.

At the same time, one-third of global nonprofits were projected to shut down due to a lack of digital access. This was especially alarming, as vulnerable communities and families needed the support of nonprofits more than ever during these tumultuous times.

Moved by the compassion of their fellow classmates, and spurred by the critical needs of both students looking for work and nonprofits seeking digital support, Computer Science students at Stanford created Develop for Good. The organization supported teams of students as they developed technical products for nonprofits, and later partnered with Silicon Valley tech companies to engage industry professionals as mentors to the students. As a result, Develop for Good provided tech students with guided, real-world project experience while they simultaneously helped the people and causes they cared about most.

Today, Develop for Good powers social good through students from all colleges and backgrounds. The Bay Area nonprofit especially prioritizes making its valuable, hands-on project experiences accessible to underserved and underrepresented students in tech to accelerate their careers. It strives to empower the next generation of diverse tech leaders to learn by doing good, all while furthering the digital transformation of the nonprofit sector. At its core, Develop for Good hopes to create a world where students, nonprofits, and corporations are dedicated to furthering technical education, advancing digital equity, and helping one another unlock their fullest potential.