Hack for a Cause will harness the ENTREPRENEURIAL spirit of the STARTUP tech community, couple it with SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY, and focus it towards a CAUSE via an overnight HACKATHON.

1. Hack for a Cause
Idealism + Pragmatism + Technology + Entrepreneurs
kai elmer sotto | Nov 18, 2011

2. Stuff you’ll find in this Brief
1. About Hack for a Cause (H4aC)
• The idea
• The ingredients
• The vision
2. About the Cause:
• Free the Children + We Day
• The problems
• The possibilities
3. About the Projects
• Some ideas
4. Details about the Hackathon (Nov 18th)
• Agenda
• Logistics
• The team

3. What is Hack for a Cause?
Harness the ENTREPRENEURIAL
spirit
of the STARTUP tech community, couple it
with TECHNOLOGY, and focus it
towards a
CAUSE via an overnight

4. What is the Framework for
H4aC?
The key ingredients
H4aC Framework Because…
Startup Tech Entrepreneurs They get shit done, they move fast and they build products.
One Night Everyone is busy. Focus.
Overnight (12 hours) Because cramming works.
One Cause So we can go deep and truly understand their problems.
Build Software Technology scales the efforts of the non-profit organizations.
Social Technology Boost and amplify the efforts of the people who support the Causes.
Ship Turn ideas into actions. Present products at 6am.
Open Every code is open sourced so other Hackathons can iterate.

5. What is the vision?
Seed the idea that
Startup Tech ENTREPRENEURS,
ANYWHERE in the world,
can organize one-night HACKATHONS
to solve real problems for specific CAUSES.

6. What is H4aC’s mission?
Builda framework and movement.
Objectives Impact
Ship We need to prove that the H4aC concept works.
Iterate We will re-group and discuss how we can make it better.
Package We need to build a framework to allow any organizer to replicate.
Share We need to document and seed the idea with the community.
Measure Focus on impact. We need to work with Cause to measure results.
Repeat We plan for 2nd hack, next Cause.
Celebrate Party!

7. Free the Children
(We Day)

8. Who is Free the Children?
Is a charity that BELIEVES in a world
where all YOUNG people are FREE
to achieve their fullest POTENTIAL
as agents of CHANGE.

9. What is their strategy?
They have a two part strategy.
1. Domestic 2. International
Get young people in Help young people in
Canada and other third world nations to
developed nations to be free from poverty,
believe that they can thirst, exploitation
make a difference and disease.
and they can change
the world.

10. What is our Hack’s focus?
Our Focus on Nov 18th
1. Domestic 2. International
How do we reach and Help young people in
engage more kids in third world nations to
Canada, US and UK, be free from poverty,
and make them thirst, exploitation
believe that they can and disease.
make a difference?

11. Specifically, how do we amplify
the impact of We Day?
1. Domestic
How do we reach and
engage more kids in
Canada, US and UK,
and make them We Day is an annual event organized by Free
The Children that aims to inspire and empower
believe that they can young people to take action. We Day brings
make a difference? world leaders and the hottest entertainers
(everyone from the Dalai Lama to Justin
Beiber have taken the stage) to over 70,000
young people in 5 cities (and growing!) every
year.

12. Watch
weday.com
Read weday.com
Feel facebook.com/weday

13. About We Day
Kids + Adults Educators and parents are equally involved with We Day
It’s big 70K young Canadians attend We Day each year.
In 5 cities Toronto, Waterloo, Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg
Annual Only happens in each city once a year
Star Power Justin Bieber to Dalai Lama, they are all fans of We Day
Fan Power ~800K Fans. Largest youth-oriented non-profit page on Facebook.
Media Power Supported by CTV and has access to Advertising
Based on Merit Can’t buy tickets. Must prove why they deserve to attend We Day
Progress Tracked Tracking of commitments and progress of We Day participants
Rock Concert Thousands of screaming kids. Emotions! Excitement!

14. Problems
How do we extend and amplify the emotions from We Day,
and continue to ENGAGE the attendees?
It’s Physical How do we extend the emotions beyond the stadiums?
It’s Canadian How do we efficiently reach other countries and cities?
It’s Annual How do we extend the feeling of being able to make a difference?
Star Power How do we leverage the celebrity supporters?
Fan Power How do we not only grow beyond 800K fans, but ENGAGE the fans?
Discovery How do we help We Day kids reach and inspire their friends at scale?
Tracking How do we help kids track their We Day actions, & share with friends?
Get Cheers How do we use tech to get affirmations and support from friends?
Email Deprecated How do we reach kids if they no longer respond to our emails?

15. Opportunities
How do we capitalize on the 800K fans and growing?
Vow of Silence On Nov 30th, thousands of kids take the vow of silence to take a stand.
800K Facebook Fans More fans than web traffic. More engagement than other channels.
Ontario High School Need to document 40-hour community services to graduate
Commitments To attend We Day, kids have to make a pledge
Tracking Encouraged to track their progress and share
Schools and Educators Also encouraged to track their progress
Education Tools Schools are using We Day content to help teach kids
Global Tons of demand from other cities, like We Day NYC
Cool We are engaging Kids, so let’s make doing good fun and cool

16. Some product ideas…
We welcome any and all ideas (as long as we can ship).
Vow of Silence apps Distribute & track who & when Vows are taken, started & completed.
Progress Tracking apps Allow easy (mobile) tracking of actions and progress.
Social Plugins on web Install Like buttons & social plugins on weday.com
Gamify Offer badges for specific actions (i.e. “Silence”), and gamify
Dashboard Build a dashboard to visualize pledges, actions and progress
Dashboard API Allow other We Day apps to integrate into the dashboard
Friends Influence Show your friends who are taking We Day actions as well
Mobile Web Improve the landing experience via mobile on We Day
More please… The beauty of hackathons is the genius that come out of them…
… …

17. Wish List from Free the Children
1. Keep it easy and simple,
2. Make it cool and fun,
3. Give us scale and reach to go beyond borders,
4. Capitalize on the Facebook momentum, and
5. Engagement is prioritized higher than
acquisition.

18. Logistics
Almost everything you need
to prepare for H4aC v1.0

19. Key Information
Stuff you need to know before Nov 18th
When Friday, November 18, 2011
Start 6PM
End 6AM
Where Toronto
Parking Building has basement parking
Who You must be registered in advance.
Homework Read this brief. Go to www.weday.com and read, watch, feel.
How many Anticipate about 50-60 coders. Plus support staff.
Talent Mobile, UEX, Web, Facebook ninjas in abundance
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsTxt9rgnDx_dDBPQVViOTA3TDhzOUhidWNJRW9FUnc&hl=en
Project Plan
_US#gid=5

20. Agenda
6PM register, hugs, chow, dance, libations
6:45 kick-off, about H4aC, about FTC
7:0o logistics
7:15 brainstorm huddle (optional)
10:00 reveal your product plans (team leads only)
10:00 – onwards code
Midnight snack (optional)
3:00 snack (optional), tears, cursing, 2nd wind
6:00am present products
7:00am breakfast (Sunset Grille), war stories, more hugs

21. Team Leads
Project team members who will help organize us
Organizer Kai elmer sotto | facebook.com/kai
Project Manager soniya monga
Hack Master leila boujnane
Mobile Lead boris chan
Facebook App Lead alkarim nasser
UEX Lead andrew peek
Student Team naheed hirji | farid ali
Facebook Open Graph sachin monga
Facebook Platform API jeff sherlock
Event Manager daniel habashi | victoria wong
Communications victoria freeman | carrie baker | amanda york

22. Anticipated Hackers
Who should you expect?
BNOTIONS Facebook Apps, Android, iOS, Product Managers
XTREME LABS iOS, Facebook Open Graph
JET COOPER UEX, design, graphics
Students CS students
Facebook strategist, platform
Free the Children We Day data, insights, soul
Startup Community Hubba, Pinpoint Social, AppHero, etc.
High Road communications, writing
Supporters a stew of talent, energy and goodness