Equity Pack¶
This section contains resources not found in the standard MLH Hackathon Organizer Guide — specifically for first-time organizers at schools with no existing hackathon infrastructure, no budget, and no existing sponsor or judge network.
If you're at MIT, Stanford, or a school with an active CS club, you probably don't need most of this. If you're starting from zero, this is for you.
What's in here¶
| Section | What it solves |
|---|---|
| 8-Week Checklist | Week-by-week to-do list from idea to event day |
| Day-of Runsheet | Hour-by-hour guide for the day itself |
| Zero-Budget Guide | Running a hackathon with $0 from your school |
| Grant Sources | Specific programs that fund student hackathons |
| HackClub Bank | The fastest path to $500 and fiscal sponsorship |
| Admin Buy-In | Getting your school to say yes |
| Cold-Start Sponsor Outreach | Finding sponsors when you know nobody |
| Participant Recruitment | Getting students to register — and actually show up |
| Judging Rubric | Scoring criteria your judges can actually use |
The real blockers (in order)¶
Before you can run a hackathon, you need to clear five gates. Most guides assume you've already cleared 1–4. This pack addresses all five.
- Administrative approval — Can you legally use a school space and run an event?
- Budget — Do you have enough money for food, prizes, and basics?
- Venue — Do you have a space for the night?
- Judges and mentors — Do you have people to evaluate projects?
- Participants — Do students know this is happening?
The MLH guide is excellent on parts of #4 and #5. This pack fills in all five.
Based on the MLH Hackathon Organizer Guide (CC BY 4.0) with additions for equity and access.