Pitch an idea
Spotted a problem worth solving, or have something you want to build? Pitch it to the Civic Tech DC team, privately at first. We'll help you shape it, and if it's a fit, turn it into a real project with a partner and a team behind it.
What you can pitch
You don’t need a finished plan, or even a solution. You just need something you care about enough to start.
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A problem
Something broken or frustrating in DC that technology could help with. You don't need to know the fix, just a problem worth solving.
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An idea or a build
You already know what to make, or you've started building. Bring it and we'll help you take it further, and find the people to build it with.
What every project needs
Bring whatever you’ve got, but to become a Civic Tech DC project, it has to clear three bars. These are also what we’ll help you work toward.
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A real user to validate it
Every project needs someone who's actually the user, or has direct access to them. A resident, a community organizer, a city employee, an elected official, a nonprofit: anyone close enough to confirm the problem is real and the solution would help, so the team builds on evidence, not a hunch.
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Open source
Everything we build is open source: free for anyone to use, learn from, and improve. No walled gardens, no lock-in.
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Real, measurable impact
It has to help people, society, or the environment in a direct, measurable way. If we can't say who it helps and how we'd know, it isn't ready yet.
How a pitch becomes a project
From a hunch to a team
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Pitch it to the team
Send your problem or idea straight to the Civic Tech DC team. A short email is plenty. This first conversation is just with us, not a public pitch, and it doesn't need to be polished.
Email your pitch -
We review it with you
We're a bit like an incubator: we talk it through, pressure-test it, and shape a rough plan together. Not every pitch becomes a project. Starting privately is what lets us be honest about which ones are ready.
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It becomes a project
If it's a good fit, we help it find a home: someone who owns the problem to validate it, and a lead to drive it. Then we pitch it to our members at a Project Night to rally a team.
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Build it
Your project comes to life at Project Nights, every two weeks, alongside people who want to help it succeed.
Just want to help?
Looking to jump onto an existing project rather than start your own? That’s what Project Nights are for: come to an event or say hi in Slack.