Contrary to the common belief that sustainably developing open source software is a near-impossible task, the human-essentials project serves as a compelling counterexample. Initiated in 2015 through a collaborative effort between Ruby for Good and the Portland Diaper Bank, this Digital Public Good (DPG) has achieved remarkable growth without employing any paid staff. Expanding its reach to hundreds of essentials banks and thousands of nonprofit partners across North America, human-essentials now plays a crucial role in supporting over 3 million children and 500,000 period supply recipients annually. Remarkably, this success has been driven by the contributions of nearly 300 volunteers.

Join us to uncover the secrets behind this project’s success. Learn about the innovative strategies and community-driven approaches that have enabled human-essentials to defy expectations and thrive as a sustainable open source software project.