16 nonprofits picked for Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge

Nerdery Interactive Labs (The Nerdery) announced 16 nonprofit organizations selected for The Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge, the web development firm's volunteer-driven 24-hour event.

With heavy interest from volunteers, The Nerdery invited 16 web development teams – rather than 12 as planned – to spend the weekend of March 20-21 creating free websites for these nonprofits:

• The Bloomington Chorale
• Centro Campesino
• Child Protection International
• Common Ground
• Dakota Wicohan
• DesignWise Medical Incorporated
• Homeward Bound
• Kinship of Greater Minneapolis
• Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health
• Minnesota Jaycees
• Minnesota Senior Corps Association
• Multicultural School for Empowerment
• Redwood Area Communities Foundation
• Restorative Justice Community Action
• World Savvy

One additional nonprofit, Rural Renewal Energy Alliance, whose mission is making solar energy available to people of all income levels, qualified earlier by winning the Social Entrepreneur's Cup. Being "green," The Nerdery asked nonprofits applicants to plot environmentally conscious interactive strategies.

Competing nonprofits also articulated how they'd direct volunteer teams of 9-10 web pros to further their mission online. Selection judges also considered organizational need and online testimonials from people most intimately involved with the nonprofits.

These selection judges assessed applications from nearly 50 Minnesota nonprofits; they'll also pick the top development team at The Nerdery's all-nighter:

• Christine Durand, communication director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
• Dan Grigsby, founder of multiple startups and tech community organizer
• Dana Nelson, executive director, GiveMN.org
• Jacob Trippel, CFO and head of LaBreche Interactive

"It was excruciating to have to pick from the amazing organizations that submitted applications as part of the competitive process," said GiveMN.org's Dana Nelson. "Kudos to all of them for thinking about how technology can further their mission. The Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge is innovation in action!"

In addition to pro bono services from interactive professionals, nonprofits also get:

• Complimentary education in design and web applications, business analysis or project management from sponsor Benchmark Learning
• Complimentary web-hosting on sponsor VISI's ReliaCloud service
• Complimentary digital communications advice from sponsor LaBreche

Additional in-kind sponsors: Arthouse; Bruegger's; Buffalo Wild Wings; Chipotle; GitHub; Jimmy Johns; Kowalski's; Peace Coffee; Pizza Luce'; Red Bull.