Impact at Code for America means changing a person’s life for the better — in a way that we can verify and hold ourselves accountable to. The vision of Impact Sprints is a world in which the experience of every volunteer can be tightly coupled with impact — where every volunteer hour serves a specific and precious role in transforming our communities.
In 2021, a key theme we heard from many Brigade members during the Network ReVisioning process was that their projects needed more support - specifically in the realm of project management. This impact sprint is meant to directly provide paid project management support to 10-20 Brigade Projects. We hear that a clear, well scoped and managed project can make a world of difference in the outcomes that a Brigade can have in their community. And, we also see that having closer connections and support from other Network members can also help your community partnerships succeed.
Beginning in May, the Network will pilot an Impact Sprint program that will build a foundation for future impact by creating opportunities for all brigades to strengthen partnerships at every step in developing a project and partner relationship.
Like with everything in civic tech, and in the Code for America Network, the Impact Sprint effort will be iterative. As Brigade leaders and volunteers, there are two things that we are hoping to partner with you on:
- Catalyzing your local partners’ ability to change people’s lives for the better: We are looking for projects where Brigade volunteers, Code for America Network Team and Program Staff, and partner organizations can collaborate to CLARIFY and ILLUMINATE the specific impact and outcomes that partner organization work is having in their community
- Directly connecting volunteer effort to meeting community needs: We are looking for teams that can give every volunteer involved in their project the support they need to put each one of their hours to work changing lives — validated by the clarity described above, and accountable to people whose lives are impacted.
Last Year’s reporting suggested that Brigade projects and initiatives across the network already helped hundreds of thousands of people. Our goal with these impact sprints is to change 3M lives through our partnerships and efforts — and to tie each hour of volunteer effort to those changes.
2022 Impact Sprints Timeline
The impact sprints will include 4 phases.
What’s Next and How Do We Get Involved?
Submit A Partner-Driven Impact Sprint Project Idea [CLOSED]
Is there an organization that is having an impact in your community with whom you want to work with? Tell us about them here and we’ll work together on how your Brigade or project can catalyze their ability to change people’s lives! 
Open call for projects closes on Monday, June 6!
Apply To Be A Project Manager (Paid) [CLOSED]
We are looking for contract Project Managers that will work with our distributed Network volunteers and Network Team staff to manage projects related to the implementation of the ReVisioning recommendation (including Impact Sprints Brigade projects). We have full-time and part-time roles starting as early as June. Apply here or contact Em Burnett at eburnett@codeforamerica.org if you have questions 
Join An Impact Sprint Project Team! (Volunteer)
Updated on June 29, 2022: The Code for America Network will soon be announcing this year’s cohort with opportunities to volunteer on several civic tech projects.
If you’re looking for civic tech projects to plug into over the summer, sign up to get notified when project details and volunteer signups open! There will be opportunities to contribute your skills in development, design, data, communication, and more.
Sign up for our Community-Based, Participatory, Action Research Methods Micro-Credential
All Network volunteers can now enroll for Māʻawe Pono - Engaging in Community Research: a new course designed to help you cultivate the skills you need to carry out impactful community-based, participatory action research projects in Indigenous and diverse communities.
If you have questions about the Impact Sprints program, leave a comment below! We’d love to know what you think 
