A curated path from developer skills to social impact
Finding an open source project where your code makes a tangible difference isn't always straightforward. For Good First Issue, a new initiative from GitHub, aims to close that gap by curating a list of open source projects that are recognized as digital public goods (DPGs) and are actively seeking contributor help.
The platform is designed to connect the platform’s large developer community with nonprofits and social sector organizations that often lack the funding and technical resources to build software solutions. The goal is to make it easier for technologists to volunteer their expertise for causes they care about.
What counts as a digital public good
The projects featured are those that meet the DPG Standard, a certification ensuring they adhere to privacy and other best practices and are designed to do no harm. DPGs include open source software, open data, open AI systems, and open content collections that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a set of 17 interlinked objectives addressing global challenges like poverty, health, education, and climate change. The DPG Standard itself is developed collaboratively and is available as an open source project on GitHub.
The curated nature of the list means developers don't have to sift through countless repositories to find a project aligned with social impact; they can filter by a specific SDG or programming language.
Two examples of projects needing help
The list is expected to grow over time. Two current examples illustrate the range of work available:
- Human Essentials is an inventory management system for essentials banks, which distribute items like diapers and menstruation supplies to community partners. The platform supports over 200 registered banks across the United States and Canada. Developers can assist with tasks ranging from implementing password complexity requirements to improving manual testing processes—a mix suitable for both beginners and more advanced contributors.
- ODK is an open source mobile data collection platform used across a range of SDGs. It supports work as varied as monitoring cash assistance and guiding conservation efforts. The project is seeking front-end developers to contribute to user-friendly improvements.
How to contribute or get your project listed
Developers can start by visiting For Good First Issue and choosing a topic or language that interests them. From there, they can browse issues labeled as bugs or enhancements and jump into a project at their skill level. Maintainers of a qualifying project who believe it should be featured can request inclusion by submitting an issue on the initiative's GitHub repository.
