Creating a space for volunteers and college students to thrive, especially in a remote environment, is no easy feat.
When we (Caroline and Juliana from Florida Community Innovation, a social good tech nonprofit) had the chance to chat with Kat Jost from Code for Philly (Philadelphia’s largest civic tech volunteer organization), we knew we were in for a masterclass in building inclusive, engaged communities.
Kat has worn just about every hat there is at Code for Philly (she’s now a senior advisor), and her insights were so relatable and practical that we had to share them with you.
Here’s what we learned from Kat about keeping volunteers motivated and making civic tech work—even when everyone’s scattered across screens.
1. Start with Clear Goals, Inclusive Design, and Good Structure
One thing Kat stressed was how important it is to know what you’re trying to achieve, and design your community with inclusion in mind from day one. “If you’re not intentional about inclusion from the start, it’ll become an afterthought, and that’s much harder to fix later,” she told us.
At Code for Philly, their goal is simple: bring technologists together to work on projects that improve their city. But they’ve put a lot of thought into how to make that happen. They make it super easy for new folks to get involved and join a project – it’s as simple as jumping into a Slack channel for a project.
“We need to meet people where they are,” Kat said. “We make it easy for them to jump into a project.” We loved that philosophy and definitely plan to steal it for our own work.
We also thought the way Code for Philly structured the organization was clever. Code for Philly has a leadership team that reports to co-executive directors, and then project leads who directly manage volunteers. The project leads keep the volunteers motivated, and the leadership team keeps the project leaders motivated!
2. Understand Volunteer Motivations
Managing volunteers isn’t like managing employees – they’re working with the organization because they truly want to be there, not because they’re making money or because it’s part of their job description. Therefore, it’s a good idea to make sure that they are enjoying the tasks they’re assigned or finding value from them in some way.
Kat really drove this home for us when she talked about the many reasons people get involved.
“Some people are here for the resume line item. Others want to give back or try out a new skill,” she said. “You have to understand what motivates each person and and try to ensure that they are getting the experience they’re there for.”
This really clicked for us because we’ve seen the same thing at FCI. Once you know what someone is hoping to get out of volunteering, you can tailor their experience and keep them excited about sticking around, whether it’s a project that speaks to a cause close to their heart, a chance to learn new skills like machine learning, a community, or something else.
3. Create a Welcoming Culture
Kat’s stories about how Code for Philly builds community made us rethink some of our own strategies. “First impressions matter,” she told us. “If someone feels welcomed and valued when they join, they’re much more likely to stick around.”
At Code for Philly, they focus on:
- Building relationships early. Personalized Slack messages and small-group icebreakers make a big difference.
- Reducing barriers. “Not everyone can make every meeting, so flexibility is key,” Kat said.
- Keeping it fun. “Sometimes, it’s just about creating a space where people enjoy being together,” she explained. Sometimes, this can involve a group outing to a ‘76’ers game!
4. Use Tools that Work for Your Team
Kat shared some great tips on using tools like Slack to keep everyone connected. At Code for Philly, they’ve found that project-specific channels make it easier for teams to stay organized.
“We’ve found that people respond better when there’s a human touch,” she said. A bot might welcome new members to Slack, but it’s the personal follow-up that really engages them.
As for meetings, Kat’s take on hybrid work was refreshing: “Hybrid is tough to execute well. We’ve found it’s better to have dedicated times for either virtual or in-person meetings.”
So if it’s an in-person Hack night, the recommendation is to be completely in-person, and when you’re virtual, be intentional with the agenda of the meeting.
Kat also recommended structuring both in-person and virtual meetings with low-key ice breakers (think: what cookie would you be and why) and intentional social time.
With virtual meetings especially, you can really only hold people’s attention for an hour (90 minutes at best) so the first 5-15 minutes and last 5-15 minutes should be for socialization and collaboration, with the middle 30 or so minutes for official business.
We’re already thinking about how to make that structure work better for our own events.
5. Adapt When Things Get Tough
Kat didn’t sugarcoat the challenges of managing volunteers, especially in a remote environment. “You can’t do it all by yourself,” she said. “A great team makes all the difference.”
One of the ways Code for Philly keeps things running smoothly is by empowering project leads to take ownership. “Give them the tools and support they need, but let them lead. Ownership is key to engagement,” Kat told us. It’s a balance we’re working on at FCI, too, and hearing her experience was so helpful.
We also thought it was smart to plan for redundancy. Kat said that was why Code for Philly has two executive directors, and often assigns teams of two to do one job, including ordering pizza. When people are volunteers, they might get busy and drop volunteer tasks, and their collaborators can pick up the slack.
6. Learn as You Go
“We’re always testing new ideas and gathering feedback. It’s how we grow and improve,” Kat said. That willingness to experiment is something we admire about Code for Philly. Whether it’s trying Slack bots for onboarding or tweaking their hybrid events, they’re always looking for ways to do things better.
Wrapping Up
Chatting with Kat gave us so many ideas for how to improve our own community management. Her honesty and practical advice were exactly what we needed. “Change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to demand it,” she reminded us, quoting Barack Obama. We couldn’t agree more.
Whether you’re running a civic tech group or any kind of volunteer-driven organization, we hope these lessons inspire you as much as they inspired us. And if you’ve got your own tips for building amazing communities, we’d love to hear them! Get in touch via email at info@floridainnovation.org.
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