Local · Phoenix metro
Hackathons in Arizona.
Opportunity Hack at Arizona State University and across the Phoenix metro since 2015. A social-good hackathon where every project builds free software for a real nonprofit.
A Phoenix-area nonprofit that needs custom software? Request a hackathon project and have volunteer developers build it for you — for free.
Upcoming
Hackathons in Arizona
Archive
Past hackathons in Arizona
Opportunity Hack has run hackathons in Arizona for over a decade — below are past events held across the state, by location and by year.
Past Arizona event archive loading from the events database…
The venue
Why ASU Tempe is the anchor
Arizona State University's Tempe campus has been Opportunity Hack's primary venue since the program's founding. ASU's Fulton Schools of Engineering — one of the largest engineering schools in the US by enrollment — provides a constant pipeline of student volunteers, and the university's nonprofit partnerships in Maricopa County give us a steady stream of real problem statements to build against.
Tempe is also one of the more accessible hackathon venues in the southwest: 15 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport, walking distance from Mill Avenue, and connected to Phoenix and Mesa via light rail. Local sponsors hire heavily from ASU and want recruiting access; local nonprofits include campus-adjacent organizations and Maricopa County programs serving Phoenix-area residents.
For Arizona companies
Local sponsorship drives local impact
A sponsorship dollar at OHack stays in the Phoenix metro: it funds a hackathon that builds free software for Arizona nonprofits, with mentor and judge slots staffed by local senior engineers — often from your own company. The work is concrete, the recipients are local, and the engineering hours are tracked and reportable. If your company has community-engagement programs, a volunteer-time policy, or recruiting interest in ASU graduates, sponsoring an Arizona hackathon hits all three at once.
For Arizona nonprofits
Request a hackathon project
Apply
Submit your problem statement at /hack/request. Any 501(c)(3) headquartered or operating in Arizona is eligible — we're partial to Phoenix-metro organizations because they're easiest to support post-hackathon, but statewide is fine.
Get matched
4-8 weeks before the next hackathon, we match your problem to a team of volunteer engineers — typically 3-5 hackers with mentors drawn from senior engineers at Arizona tech companies.
Build & continue
The hackathon weekend produces a working prototype. The Founding Engineer program continues development for weeks afterward. Your nonprofit owns the code — no fees, no contracts.
Questions
Frequently asked
When is the next ASU hackathon?+
The next major Opportunity Hack event in Arizona is the Fall 2026 flagship hackathon, scheduled for November 14-15, 2026 at Arizona State University in Tempe. Smaller events also happen at ASU Polytechnic and downtown Phoenix throughout the year. Check the upcoming events list above or at /hack for current registration windows.
Is the hackathon only for ASU students?+
No. Opportunity Hack hackathons in Arizona are open to anyone — ASU students, students from other Arizona universities (UofA, NAU, GCU), high school students 16+, working developers, designers, and career-switchers. About a third of any given Arizona hackathon is non-ASU participants.
What's the cost to attend a hackathon in Arizona?+
Free for hackers, mentors, judges, and nonprofits. Food and event infrastructure are funded by corporate sponsors. Travel and accommodations are the participant's responsibility, but most Arizona hackathons are local-friendly with parking on the ASU campus and easy light-rail access.
Where exactly are Opportunity Hack hackathons held in Arizona?+
The flagship fall hackathon is at ASU's Tempe campus (1151 S Forest Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281). Past events have also been held at ASU Polytechnic in Mesa, the ASU SkySong center in Scottsdale, and downtown Phoenix venues partnered with local sponsors. Specific venue details are confirmed 4-6 weeks before each event.
How can my Arizona-based company sponsor a hackathon?+
Sponsorship inquiries go to /sponsor. Tiers range from category-prize sponsorship to title sponsorship. Local Arizona companies often choose sponsorship that includes dedicated mentor or judge slots for their employees — it's a popular professional-development perk that also counts toward most corporate ESG and volunteer-time programs. We can also discuss custom Arizona-only event sponsorship at /hack/request.
Can my nonprofit request a hackathon project if we're not in Phoenix?+
Yes — we work with nonprofits across Arizona (and beyond). Phoenix-metro nonprofits get priority because in-person stakeholder collaboration is easier, but we've worked with organizations in Tucson, Flagstaff, and statewide. Apply at /hack/request and note your location.
Are there hackathons in Arizona for beginners?+
Opportunity Hack hackathons run with a roughly 1:3 mentor-to-hacker ratio specifically so beginners can ship working code. About a third of our Arizona participants are at their first hackathon. Senior engineers handle architecture and debugging while beginners contribute alongside.
How does Opportunity Hack compare to other Arizona hackathons like Hack Arizona or Devils Invent?+
Hack Arizona (UofA) and Devils Invent (ASU's engineering-college hackathon) are excellent general-purpose student hackathons focused on innovation and competition. Opportunity Hack is specifically a hackathon for social good — every project builds for a real nonprofit, every project enters our Founding Engineer program for post-hackathon continuation. The audiences and missions complement each other; we encourage participating in all three.
Get involved
Three ways to engage in Arizona
Whether you're building, sponsoring, or seeking a free software project for your nonprofit — there's a path here.