CoLab’s mission is not only to create a vibrant, creative community but also open its doors to the larger Nashville community.

So when CoLab’s Nashville Director Kailey Hussey was approached by Firefly Logic to team up to give GiveCamp a home here, she knew it was just the kind of way she wanted to show support in the community.

Microsoft’s Chris Koenig came up with the idea in 2007 to host a weekend-long event where software developers, designers and other skilled volunteers donated their time to help non-profit organizations with work they might not otherwise afford.

“We are a starting place for growing companies, and I think we can be a starting place for non-profits as well,” Hussey says.

Firefly Logic, a local software development company, filled CoLab’s space with nearly 50 volunteers working on projects for 10 different non-profits. Over the course of 48 hours from Jan. 14-16,  the volunteers met with the non-profits, determined what they needed and completed the work. Volunteers designed and renovated websites, edited web content to make it fresh and trained non-profit representatives how to use donor database software. Completing all the work needed was a daunting task, considering the time constraints.

“We were very much trying to prioritize what they were asking for that would have the most impact,” says Ben Henderson, a partner at Firefly Logic. “We had to be realistic about what could be achieved.”

The event was a complete success, and is something CoLab is interested in hosting again next year. “I sat in on the ending presentation where everyone showed off what they had done,” Hussey says. “It seemed like it was a really successful weekend.”

Give Camp was the second such even CoLab has hosted so far ─ In July they hosted a similar event, Designathon ─ and Hussey plans on it being just the beginning. “If we can help someone get their start I am more than happy to be involved in projects like that.”

In fact, one of the non-profit agencies that benefited from the July event, YouthTurns, is based at CoLab Nashville. YouthTurns works with children whose parents are in prison by providing counselors, mentors, educational programs and other support so they don’t repeat the cycle of incarceration.

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