Why Hack Away Hunger?

Food insecurity is about more than empty shelves.

Transportation barriers, housing instability, underemployment, rising food costs, access to services, and countless other challenges can prevent someone from accessing basic needs. There is no single cause, and no single solution.

Real progress will require our entire community (nonprofits, businesses, technologists, volunteers, and neighbors) working together to make meaningful strides towards a hunger-free Iowa.

That's why we're bringing together the people who understand these challenges alongside the people who build technology. Together, we can create practical solutions that make a lasting impact.

How It Works

Hack Away Hunger is a 30-day innovation challenge designed to give teams time to build sustainable solutions—not just a weekend prototype.

The experience includes:

  • [Sept 10th] Kickoff Event: Meet community leaders, hear firsthand stories about food insecurity, and explore the problem space. Register at join.hackawayhunger.org!
  • Two Weeks of Ideation: Form teams, research challenges, and begin designing your solution. (Project proposals are due Sept 17th at midnight.)
  • [Sept 24th–26th] 48-Hour Accelerator Hackathon: Bring your ideas to life during the in-person charity hackathon. Snacks, meals, and beverages will be provided.
  • Final Two Weeks: Polish your project, complete stretch goals, and prepare your presentation.
  • [Oct 10th] Final Showcase: Present your solution to a panel of judges, compete for cash prizes, and celebrate the innovation, collaboration, and impact created by the Hack Away Hunger community.
  • Post Hack Support: If you’d like to keep working with the nonprofits you meet at our hack hunger event let them know you’d like to volunteer.

Requirements

How to Qualify

Hack Away Hunger: Food Insecurity Challenge is a 30-day innovation challenge that kicked off with in-person panel discussions followed by an in-person charity hackathon and final presentations on October 10th. The spirit of this hackathon is community collaboration. As a result, the dsmHack board has voted to enforce the following standards in relation to prize money...

  • Teams must have registered at join.hackawayhunger.org and participated in at least one in-person event to qualify for prize money.
  • Each team member is required to sign the standard licensing agreement to qualify for prize money.
  • Each team must have submitted their final projects through the official form posted in dsmHack's Slack channel to qualify to present to the judges for a chance to earn prize money.

Submissions via Devpost alone do not qualify for prize money. We have limited spots at the final showcase and are prioritizing teams that attended in person and worked directly with our nonprofit partners.

What to Build

Hack Away Hunger is focused on creating practical, technology-driven solutions that help address food insecurity in our communities.

Projects should tackle one or more challenges identified during the kickoff event or through your own research. Examples include (but are not limited to):

  • Improving access to healthy food
  • Reducing food waste through food rescue and redistribution
  • Streamlining nonprofit operations and volunteer management
  • Connecting individuals with food assistance resources
  • Improving data collection, reporting, and collaboration between organizations
  • Increasing community awareness and engagement
  • Supporting policy, advocacy, or research efforts through technology

Submissions may include web applications, mobile apps, AI-powered tools, data dashboards, APIs, automation solutions, hardware prototypes, or other innovative technology that demonstrates a meaningful approach to reducing food insecurity.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$3,000 in prizes
Grand Prize
$3,000 in cash
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Numerous

Numerous
TBD

Judging Criteria

  • Community Impact (30%)
    How effectively does the project address food insecurity? Judges will consider its potential to create meaningful, measurable benefits for individuals, nonprofits, and the community.
  • Innovation (20%)
    How original is the solution? Judges will evaluate the creativity of the idea, its approach to solving the problem, and whether it offers a unique perspective or capability.
  • Technical Execution (20%)
    How well was the project built? Judges will consider functionality, code quality, technical complexity, and the effective use of tools, APIs, AI, or other technologies.
  • Feasibility & Sustainability (15%)
    Can this solution realistically be adopted and expanded? Judges will evaluate practicality, scalability, maintainability, and long-term potential.
  • User Experience & Design (10%)
    Is the solution intuitive and accessible? Judges will assess usability, accessibility, and how well the design serves the needs of its intended users.
  • Presentation (5%)
    Did the team clearly communicate their project? Judges will evaluate the quality of the demo, explanation of the problem and solution, and overall presentation.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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