Ultimate Guide
Ultimate Guide to Non-Profit Coding Bootcamps
Written By Rachel Meltzer
Edited By Liz Eggleston
Last updated on September 4, 2024
Written By Rachel Meltzer
Edited By Liz Eggleston
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
While many coding bootcamps are for-profit educational institutions, there are a handful of non-profit coding bootcamps that are on a mission to help career-changers break into tech! Some non-profit coding bootcamps are working to make the tech industry more diverse while others exist to uplift underserved communities and provide training for high-wage jobs. There are also coding bootcamps that began as a private, for-profit partnership but grew into non-profits.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up 14 non-profit coding bootcamps and everything you need to know about them. Find out what makes non-profit coding bootcamps unique, why a bootcamp would choose to become a non-profit, and which non-profit coding bootcamp might be best for you!
Most of the non-profit bootcamps on this list are designated as 501(c)(3), which is the non-profit tax code designation. Then, they’re further classified as one of these NTEE classifications:
Many non-profit coding bootcamps may look exactly like the bootcamps you know and love from the outside. Some non-profit bootcamps, however, only run summer camp programs, youth programs, or coding bootcamps for those in underserved communities. And while there are quite a few free coding bootcamps and free data science bootcamps around the world, most non-profit bootcamps still require students to pay full or partial tuition.
Non-profit bootcamps are highly regulated entities and having the 501(c)(3) status requires the school to comply with regulations at the state/federal level. In order to get this non-profit status, the school must go through a serious application process. Non-profit bootcamps are usually smaller establishments because they’re focused on the mission of bettering their own community, not expanding across the country or the globe. While a for-profit bootcamp may rely on funding from venture capitalists in order to grow, non-profit bootcamps receive funding from grants, subsidies, donations from the community, partnerships with big companies or universities, and sometimes student tuition.
Ada Developer Academy’s mission is to prepare women and gender expansive adults to be software developers while advocating for inclusive and equitable work environments. Ada Developers Academy prioritizes serving Black, Latinx, Indigenous Americans, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+, and low-income people. Their cost-free training program includes a collaborative learning environment, individualized support (mentors, tutors, a network of mental health supports, affinity groups), and an applied learning internship.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3). NTEE classification is Vocational, Technical Schools (Educational Institutions and Related Activities)
Length of program: 24 weeks
Cost to Students: Free
Curriculum: Classroom training covering Ruby, Rails, HTML/CSS, and JavaScript, plus a paid, learning internship
Eligibility: Women and gender expansive folks over the age of 21 with permanent work authorization in the United States. Applicants must be able to participate for the full duration of the program, which is full-time, Monday through Friday.
Locations: Seattle, Washington
Lauren Sato, CEO of Ada Developers Academy says, “We’re starting to see these cohorts of alumni that really had an impact, where companies are listening to them, they’re asking them what it takes to help them feel like they belong. That’s phenomenal. We’re on the precipice of some pretty significant change and I’m excited to be a proof point now and to help people see that.”
Code Tenderloin’s mission has been to bring economic equity through long-term employment to the marginal and needy populations living in and around San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Code Tenderloin offers tech and job-readiness training to adults, and removes barriers to their education by covering transportation and childcare. Code Tenderloin partners with Glide, St. Anthony’s Foundation, Compass Family Services, Tech Credit Union, and the Public Defender's office in order to remove barriers to success and provide bootcamp students with social, financial, legal, and emotional support.
Non-Profit Status: Code Tenderloin is a fiscally sponsored project of Independent Arts & Media, a 501(c)3 non profit organization.
Length of program: 4-12 weeks
Cost to Students: Free
Curriculum:
Eligibility: Open to anyone in the San Francisco area.
Locations: San Francisco, California
Code Tenderoin’s Founder & Executive Director, Del Seymore says, “Code Tenderloin is the people we serve and our success is measured in the changes in their lives, the lives of their families, and the strength of their communities. Since its beginning in 2015, Code Tenderloin has helped hundreds of folks move up to the next level of living — gain a community, become housed, stay out of prison, and realize they can get a job or career. Many of our graduates have gotten nice apartments, cars and well-paying jobs. Many have returned to school, following their dreams and building their education.”
Launched in 2015, Code The Dream offers free intensive training and mentorship in software development to people from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds. In addition to the tech training, program participants have the opportunity to apply for a full-time paid apprenticeship, CTD Labs, where student developers work on real world projects supporting nonprofit organizations and small businesses. Code The Dream is based in Durham, North Carolina but all of its courses are held online.
Non-Profit Status: Code The Dream is a 501(c)3 non profit organization.
Length of program: 16-17 weeks
Cost to Students: Free
Curriculum:
Eligibility: Open to anyone in the U.S.
Locations: Online
Code The Dream’s Co-Executive Director, Daisy Magnus-Aryitey says, “The program itself has changed and grown dramatically, but we haven’t strayed from the central idea that fuels CTD. We are still serving primarily people from diverse, low-income backgrounds. In 2021, our community looked like this: 80% people of color, 88% low-income, and 53% women or gender nonbinary. Code the Dream envisions a world in which tech innovation comes from all of us and benefits all of us.”
Generation USA is a nonprofit organization with a mission is to provide free, online job training and placement to career changers in the U.S. In its partnerships with colleges and organzations across the country, Generation USA has committed to train 500,000 students by 2030. Generation USA's Training Accelerator programs include mentorship, skills training, and career services, such as job placement and apprenticeship opportunities.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3).
Length of program: 10-15 weeks
Cost to Students: Free!
Curriculum: Generation USA offers training in junior full stack Java developer, junior web developer, IT support specialist, junior cloud practioner, and digital marketing analyst.
Eligibility: Applicants need to be a resident of the U.S. who is at least 18 years of age, with a high school diploma (but not an advanced degree, such as a Master's).
Locations: Online
Based in Oakland, California, the data science program, Hack the Hood, takes a justice-centered approach to its teaching. Their "Build" course is a mix of lecture and workshop, and students will ground their technical learning in current social justice topics. Students will also receive a free laptop and a $500 stipend to support them while they study.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3)
Length of program: 14 weeks
Cost to Students: Free!
Curriculum: Data Science
Eligibility: This program was created for people of color, ages 16-25, who are interested in tech-related careers.
Locations: Oakland, CA
Kal Academy was founded by two sisters, Kalpana "Kal" Viswanathan and Aparna Mahadevan, to create and foster a sisterhood of support and success for women in the tech industry. Kal Academy is a registered 501(3) nonprofit coding academy and run by Akshayya Corporation. The bootcamp's mission is to help women and underrepresesented minorities access fast, affordable, and effective tech training in order to diversify the tech talent pipeline.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3)
Length of program: 16 weeks
Cost to Students: $2,500
Curriculum: Kal Academy offers training in full stack software development, full stack web development, and artificial intelligence.
Eligibility: Women and underrepresented minorities in Seattle may apply.
Locations: Seattle
Marcy Lab School is a Brooklyn-based, year-long full stack development training program. The program is completely free to accepted Fellows, and students will receive a free laptop and textbooks. This is a hybrid program that meets three days a week at Marcy Lab School's campus in Industry City, Brooklyn. Fellows must be prepared to dedicated 40-50 hours a week to the program.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3)
Length of program: 52 weeks
Cost to Students: Free!
Curriculum: Front end web design, object-oriented and functional programming, web development with JavaScript, server-side web development with Node.js, relational databases, front end web development with React.js, and data structures and algorithms.
Eligibility: This alternative-to-college program is for people ages 18-24 from low-income backgrounds who possess a high school diploma (or equivalent) but not a college degree.
Locations: Brooklyn, NY
Merit America is a nonprofit coding bootcamp that offers 9-21 week, part-time bootcamps in IT Suppor, Data Analytics Java Development in 10+ cities across the United States. Merit America's mission is to provide a path to skilled careers for the millions of Americans without college degrees.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3).
Length of program: 9 to 21 weeks
Cost to Students: Tuition is capped at $8,600.
Curriculum: Students learn the basics of computational thinking, Java, TypeScript, JavaScript, JUnit, Maven, Git, MySQL/DB2, Tomcat, Angular, Spark, Ionic, Spring Boot, and real-world techniques that will help them succeed day-to-day.
Eligibility: For students that don't have a B.A., you're eligible for the program if you are a fluent English speaker, reader, and writer; you're authorized to work in the U.S.; and you have access to a device that can connect to the internet. For students that do have a B.A, you're eligible for the program if your graduation year was 2015 or earlier AND your income for the last 12 months was less than $35,000.
Locations: Online (US only).
Mississippi Coding Academies (MCA) was founded in 2017 as a joint project between the Mississippi governor’s office and Innovate Mississippi. MCA’ mission is to offer a non-traditional path in order to support diverse software professionals and offer economic opportunity for those living in Mississippi, especially those in disadvantaged and underserved communities.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3). NTEE classification is Computer Science (Science and Technology Research Institutes, Services)
Length of program: 44 weeks
Cost to Students: Free
Curriculum: Full stack software development curriculum plus soft skills training and career support.
Eligibility: Anyone living in Mississippi is welcome to apply.
Locations: Jackson, Mississippi and Starkville, Mississippi
Mississippi Coding Academies’ Co-Founder, Richard Sun says, “Tech work is very mobile. All the tech work that’s gone overseas that’s been outsourced; that could come to Mississippi if we have the coders. So our phrase is ‘outsource to Mississippi.’”
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville Software School (NSS) is a nonprofit vocational school that prepares adult learners for tech careers in software development, UI/UX design, and data science. Nashville Software School is community-minded, and is committed to diversifying technology by opening the door to underrepresented groups in tech. Nashville Software School is authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3). NTEE classification is Specialized Education Institutions (Educational Institutions and Related Activities)
Length of program: Jumpstart courses are 3 weeks long; bootcamps range from 26 weeks to 52 weeks.
Cost to Students: Jumpstart courses are $650-$750; bootcamps are $12,500. There are 12 reduced tuition seats for Nashville/Middle Tennessee residents committed to remaining in Tennessee after graduation ($9,500) within each 25 seat bootcamp. Grants, scholarships, payment plans, GI Bill funding, and student loans through Ascent and Climb Credit are available.
Curriculum: Most NSS programs come with career prep.
Eligibility: All applicants must be at least 18 years old, legally able to work in the US, and have a high school diploma or GED.
Locations: Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville Software School’s CEO, John Wark says: "I still think there's this perception that things like software development, that there's only a limited number of people that can do that work. I can tell you based on our experience ... looking at the aptitude that's needed to do software development work or data analytics work, these jobs are more accessible to a lot more people than I think realize it."
Operation Spark started in 2013 as a pilot project, developed and conducted at youth community centers around New Orleans. After hosting a 5-week summer bootcamp, Operation Spark officially launched as a non-profit in 2014. Operation Spark focuses on youth and adults in New Orleans where generational poverty is an issue. They develop and distribute effective learning tools and programs to help circumvent the costs of higher education and provide accelerated workforce development.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3). NTEE classification is Educational Services and Schools - Other (Educational Institutions and Related Activities)
Length of program: From 2-12 weeks
Cost to Students: Tuition ranges from free to $11,000, depending on the program. Financing, stipends, and need-based scholarships are available.
Curriculum:
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Orleans Parish are eligible for the high school programs. Any adults aged 19-90 in New Orleans can apply for the adult programs.
Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana
Operation Spark’s CEO, John Fraboni says, “I truly know that there’s a job for everyone in software development. By the end of bootcamp, these young people really know if software is for them or not — and we know if it’s for them or not.”
re:WORK TRAINING is a tech sales training program aimed at diversifying the talent pipeline for tech sales roles. The mission of re:WORK TRAINING is to train 25,000 people from Chicago's underserved communities to collectively make $30 billion in salary over 20 years. Career services and mentorship are an integral part of the training, and students will have access to re:WORK TRAINING's hiring partners, such as Pinterest, Glassdoor, and Stripe.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3)
Length of program: 8 weeks, part-time
Cost to Students: Free! Students are paid a stipend for each class attended plus bonuses.
Curriculum: The curriculum covers cold calling, business acumen, and sales tools like Salesforce, MindTickle, LinkedIn, and more.
Eligibility: This program is aimed at Black, Latinx, People of Color who may be unemployed and underemployed job-seekers from Chicago's South and West sides.
Locations: Online
Turing School’s mission is to unlock human potential by training a diverse and inclusive student body to succeed in high fulfillment technical careers. Turing School recognizes that aptitude is widely distributed but opportunity is not. Turing works to disrupt the status quo, training great people to become great developers. Beyond technical curriculum, Turing offers mental health support, financial coaching, and a mentoring program to ensure each student has what they need to succeed in the program and on the job.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3). NTEE classification is Educational Services and Schools - Other (Educational Institutions and Related Activities)
Length of program: 30 weeks, with a one week intermission every 7 weeks
Cost to Students: $20,000 tuition. Turing has financial aid options including the GI Bill, WIOA, vocational rehab, and student loans through Sallie Mae, Ascent, and Climb.
Curriculum:
Eligibility: Turing looks for candidates with empathy, grit, a strong growth mindset, an aptitude for logical problem solving, and a passion for programming and creating a more diverse and inclusive tech industry.
Locations: The program is live online, but students must be within +/- 2 hours of the Mountain Time Zone so that they can attend live classes online comfortably.
Turing School’s Executive Director, Jeff Casimir, says, “We started with the idea that there were a good number of people out there who had the potential to be software developers, but for one reason or another, never made it onto that traditional (higher ed) path. It is blowing open the access doors to who is allowed to have these high-quality careers. I think for the vast majority of the tech industry’s history, it’s been a tightly selected group who gets to play on that playground. And that’s just frankly not okay with me.”
Zip Code Wilmington is a nonprofit coding bootcamp because they know that there is an increasing demand for skilled, hardworking software developers. Zip Code Wilmington created their curriculum with direct input from their corporate partners to ensure students learn the skills employers need from entry-level developers.
Non-Profit Status: 501(c)(3). NTEE classification is Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12 (Educational Institutions and Related Activities)
Length of program: 12 weeks
Cost to Students: $6,000 tuition. Scholarships and GI Bill funds are available. Students who receive and accept an apprenticeship or direct-hire job with a Zip Code Wilmington corporate partner can sometimes have the remainder of their tuition forgiven.
Curriculum: Students learn the basics of computational thinking, Java, TypeScript, JavaScript, JUnit, Maven, Git, MySQL/DB2, Tomcat, Angular, Spark, Ionic, Spring Boot, and real-world techniques that will help them succeed day-to-day.
Eligibility: Anyone who has a high school diploma or GED and is legally able to work without sponsorship in the United States can apply. Accepted students must also complete a criminal background check. Zip Code Wilmington is looking for passionate self-starters with grit, tenacity and a fierce love of problem solving.
Locations: Wilmington, Delaware
Zip Code Wilmington’s Executive Director, Desa Burton says, “It is inspiring to watch a diverse group of Zip Coders – 25 percent who are women and another 25 percent are those who are underrepresented in the tech industry – consistently and tirelessly work with a singular focus for 12 straight weeks because they know the 80+ hours a week of curriculum and projects will secure their livelihood, create stability for their families, and expand their careers. We can all see how code builds communities because these individuals choose to live, work and raise their families right here in Delaware.”
Rachel Meltzer is the founder of MeltzerSeltzer, where she is the lead writer, podcast host, and freelance writing coach. She attended a front-end web development bootcamp in 2020.
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