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Volunteer Β· judge

Judge solutions that change lives.

Use your expertise to recognize the most impactful technology for nonprofits β€” evaluating projects on innovation, social impact, and technical excellence, and helping teams improve with constructive feedback.

Awards presentation after judges evaluated hackathon projects

Upcoming judging opportunities

Where you can help next

Join one of our upcoming hackathons as a judge and help identify the most impactful nonprofit technology.

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FAQ

Questions, answered

The most common questions from our judge community.

Do I need to be there the entire weekend?+
Nope! But here's the key detail: please arrive by 2pm on the final day. Judging starts promptly at 3pm, so arriving by 2pm gives you time to find parking, grab a coffee, meet the other judges, and get situated before things kick off. 🎯

Beyond that, you've got flexibility:
β€’ Check the hackathon schedule to understand the overall flow
β€’ Feel free to drop by earlier and chat with participants
β€’ Just keep individual team interactions to about 3 minutes max before judging - these hackers are in the zone!

One important note: unless your company is sponsoring, please don't recruit or ask for resumes during the event (save that for after!). ⏰
Why do you require judges to be in-person for in-person hackathons?+
Great question! Here's why in-person judging matters so much to us: πŸ›οΈ

Live demos tell the full story. Watching a team demo their product in real-time β€” with all the nerves, live debugging, and spontaneous pivots β€” reveals far more than a polished screen share ever could. You see the real product, not the highlight reel.

You can feel the team dynamics. Being in the room lets you observe how teammates collaborate, support each other, and handle pressure. These soft skills matter enormously for social impact work.

Conversations go deeper. Face-to-face Q&A creates natural back-and-forth dialogue. You can ask a team to pull up their code, test the app yourself, or dig into their architecture β€” all in real time.

Fairness across all teams. When every judge evaluates every team under the same conditions β€” same room, same energy, same time constraints β€” the playing field is truly level.

You become part of the experience. Judges who are physically present absorb the energy of the event. You see the sleep-deprived dedication, the last-minute breakthroughs, and the pride when teams present. That context makes your feedback more meaningful and your scores more informed.

What about virtual hackathons? We typically run online-only hackathons during the summer, and virtual judging works great for those! But when teams have committed to building together in-person for an entire weekend, having judges physically present honors that commitment and ensures the most authentic evaluation possible. πŸ’»πŸ€
What do judges need to do to prepare?+
Great question! Here's your judge prep checklist: πŸ“‹

β€’ Review this page thoroughly (you're already crushing it!)
β€’ Watch our orientation video and confirm you've watched it
β€’ If it's a weekend hackathon, you can start reviewing projects as early as Sunday morning on both DevPost and GitHub
β€’ Find the links for teams you'll be judging at the judge dashboard

Pro tip: Come caffeinated and ready to be amazed by what these teams build! β˜•
Go to Judge Dashboard
What are the travel details? Where should I stay and how do I get there?+
All the logistics you need are on the specific hackathon event page! πŸ—ΊοΈ

Each event has its own travel guide, recommended hotels, parking info, and local tips. We've got you covered with all the details to make your judging experience smooth.
How do I communicate with you?+
We'll hook you up with a private Slack channel just for judges! πŸ’¬

You'll get the invite in your welcome email about 3 weeks before the event. It's where you can ask questions, coordinate with other judges, and get real-time updates. Judge headquarters - but with more emoji and definitely more fun.
How quickly will I hear back about my application?+
We aim to get back to you within a week! πŸ“¬

Because we get so many amazing judge applications (seriously, you all rock!), we review them in batches weekly. You'll get an email either confirming your spot or respectfully declining.

If we're at capacity for judging, definitely consider mentoring instead - it's remote-friendly and equally impactful!
Learn About Mentoring
Can you tell me more about the overall Opportunity Hack process?+
Absolutely! 🎬

Here's the TL;DR: We typically run one major in-person hackathon each year around October (perfect timing for internship season and fall graduation). It's a well-oiled machine designed to create maximum impact for nonprofits while giving participants an incredible experience.
See Our Process
Is the hackathon only for students?+
Not at all! We welcome everyone. 🌟

We've seen bootcamp grads, seasoned professionals, high schoolers, and college students all collaborating beautifully. In Arizona specifically, about 70% are students from ASU, University of Arizona, GCU, UAT, Maricopa Community Colleges, and other local schools.

The diversity of backgrounds and experience levels is what makes the magic happen!

Why become a judge

What you get out of it

Shape social impact

Help identify solutions nonprofits will actually implement to help their communities.

Grow your profile

Demonstrate expertise and community involvement β€” valuable for career growth and visa applications.

Build your network

Connect with industry leaders, innovative teams, and mission-driven nonprofits worldwide.

How judging works

Two stages, one fair process

Watch the complete judging overview

Real judges explain the scoring system, walk through live demo evaluations, and show exactly how we identify the most impactful nonprofit technology.

Stage 1 Β· Initial assessment

Pitch videos

Evaluate 4-minute pitch videos showing project demos and team presentations. In online hackathons, judges ask questions directly in each team's Slack channel during this round.

Stage 2 Β· Final evaluation

Live demos

Interact with top teams, ask questions, and give direct feedback on their solutions.

Judging criteria & practice scoring

Try the scoring system

Each project is evaluated across four areas worth 10 points each. Practice with the sliders to get a feel for it.

Scope of solution Β· 10 pts+

Impact on community β€” how many people and nonprofits benefit?

Score: 3 / 5

Complexity of problem solved β€” how hard was this versus what already exists?

Score: 3 / 5

Documentation Β· 10 pts+

Code and UX documentation β€” clear how to use the solution

Score: 3 / 5

Ease of understanding β€” straightforward design

Score: 3 / 5

Polish Β· 10 pts+

Work remaining β€” minimal work left for an MVP

Score: 3 / 5

Can use today β€” deployed and shippable now

Score: 3 / 5

Security Β· 10 pts+

Data protection β€” hard to access data thanks to security controls

Score: 3 / 5

Role-based security β€” admin versus public access (where applicable)

Score: 3 / 5

Practice total

0 / 40

See the full judging criteria & scorecard β†’

Special category prizes

Beyond the main criteria, we may offer special-category prizes for excellence in specific areas. These are judged separately and don't affect the main competition score.

Accessibility Β· 5 pts (special prize)+

Accessibility matters when building software. This special-category prize recognizes teams that excel at the four W3C accessibility principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Winners typically achieve a Lighthouse accessibility score above 95. Learn more

Accessibility implementation β€” how well does it consider users with disabilities?

Score: 3 / 5

Corporate sponsorship opportunities

Companies can enhance their ESG profile and secure guaranteed judge positions through sponsorship. Learn how your organization can support our mission while gaining valuable exposure.

Learn about corporate sponsorship

Ready to make a difference?

Help nurture the next solution

Join our community of judges identifying and nurturing technology that creates lasting social impact.

Our Mission

To empower students, professionals, and nonprofits to collaboratively create sustainable tech solutions that drive social impact and foster learning.

Our Vision

To build a global community where individuals can accelerate their career growth while making a lasting impact for nonprofits.

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Opportunity Hack Inc. EIN: 84-5113049