H For Humanity

How to Contribute

For Humanity is a platform where people come together to build open-source projects that actually serve people. Whether you write code, do research, design things, have expertise in a specific field, or just have a great idea — there's a way for you to help. Here's how it all works.

The Big Picture

Every For Humanity project lives in an open GitHub repository — a shared workspace where all the code, research, and documentation is visible to everyone. Think of it like a shared Google Drive, but built for collaboration at scale. Anyone can see what's being built. Anyone can suggest improvements. Nothing is hidden.

Each project has a Host — the person who started it and sets the direction. The Host reviews contributions, approves changes, and can grant trusted collaborators direct access. You don't need the Host's permission to view anything — just to change things.

The workflow is simple: you see something you can help with, you do the work, you submit it for review. The Host reviews it and either approves it, asks for changes, or explains why it doesn't fit. No politics. No hierarchy. Just people building together.

Every Project Has a Vision

At the heart of every For Humanity project is a vision document — a clear statement of what the project is, why it exists, and where it's headed. This is the compass. When someone proposes a change, a new feature, or a different direction, it gets filtered through the vision: does this align with where we're going?

The Host writes and maintains the vision, but the community helps refine it. As the project evolves, so does the vision — it's a living document, not a locked contract. But it's always there as the reference point that keeps everyone on the same page.

This is what keeps projects focused. Without a clear vision, contributions drift in different directions and energy gets scattered. With one, every person who joins can read it, understand the mission, and know exactly how their work fits into the bigger picture.

Find Your Path

There are many ways to help — pick the one that fits you.

Anyone — No Technical Skills Needed

Start here. Seriously.

1. Share projects on social media. A single share can reach the right person.
2. Drop ideas on the Idea Board. You don't need to build it — just name the problem.
3. Test things. Use what gets built and report what's confusing or broken.
4. Write and research. Many projects need fact-checking, source verification, or plain-language explanations.
5. Domain expertise. You know law? Medicine? Education? Local government? That knowledge is gold to the right project.
6. Spread the word. Tell people who care about these issues that there's a place where things are actually getting built.

Getting Into Tech — We'll Help You Learn

New to GitHub, AI tools, or coding? Perfect. Start here.

We believe technology is for everyone, not just engineers. AI tools like Claude Code are making it possible for anyone to contribute meaningfully to software projects — even if you've never written a line of code. We're building a movement of people who use technology for good, and we want to help you get there.

The Starter Kit

  1. 1. Get a GitHub account (free) — this is where all projects live. Think of it as your builder ID.
  2. 2. Install Claude Code — an AI assistant that lives in your terminal and can help you read, understand, and contribute to any project. It's like having a senior developer sitting next to you.
  3. 3. Clone a project repo — download a project's code to your computer. Claude Code can walk you through this.
  4. 4. Start contributing — even if it's just writing documentation, fixing typos, or processing research prompts. Every contribution matters.

Don't be intimidated. Everyone starts somewhere. The projects here are built by real people who were beginners not long ago. Ask questions. Make mistakes. That's how it works.

Builders — Developers, Designers, Data People

You know the workflow. Here's how we do it.

The Workflow

  1. 1. Fork the repo — create your own copy of the project.
  2. 2. Make your changes — code, docs, research, design. Use Claude Code to accelerate your work.
  3. 3. Submit a Pull Request (PR) — propose your changes to the project. Describe what you did and why.
  4. 4. Host reviews — the project Host reviews your PR. They approve, request changes, or discuss.
  5. 5. Merge — approved changes go live. Your contribution is part of the project forever.

Trusted contributors can be granted direct read/write access by the Host — no PR review needed. This is earned through consistent, quality contributions. Start with a PR, build trust, get access.

Lend Your Claude — A New Way to Help

This is something nobody else is doing.

Have a Claude subscription but not sure how to help? Project Hosts can create prompt queues — markdown files with detailed instructions for research, analysis, or content generation tasks. You grab a file, run it through your Claude, and upload the result back. The Host reviews and integrates it.

This turns every person with a Claude subscription into a node in a humanitarian computing network. The currency isn't money or code — it's compute time dedicated to making the world better.

How it works: The project repo has a work-queue/available/ folder. Grab a markdown prompt file, paste it into your Claude, save the output, and upload it to work-queue/submitted/. That's it.

A Note on Funding

For Humanity is not about money. It's about brainpower, collaboration, and building things that matter. Most projects here cost nothing beyond time and skill — open-source tools, free hosting tiers, and AI-assisted development make that possible.

But we're realistic. Some projects need a domain name ($12/year). Some need a database that outgrows the free tier. Some need specialized tools or hardware. When a project genuinely needs funding, here's how it works:

  1. 1 The Host submits a funding request explaining exactly what's needed, how much, and why. No vague asks — specific line items.
  2. 2 The request is reviewed by the For Humanity team. We check that it's reasonable, necessary, and aligned with the project's mission.
  3. 3 If approved, it's made public with full transparency. Every dollar has a reason, and the reason is visible to everyone.
  4. 4 Community members can contribute if they choose. No pressure. No guilt. No gating features behind donations.

The rule is simple: the work is always free and open. Funding covers infrastructure costs, not people's time. Nobody gets paid. We're here because we believe in what we're building.

Ready?

Find a project that speaks to you. Or throw an idea on the board. The bar to contribute is as low as it gets.

Browse Projects Hit the Idea Board