Real software for the people doing the hard work.
Each quarter, ALEA builds one working tool, free, for an Australian not-for-profit, charity, or a business founded by people the odds are stacked against. Everyone else we meet gets a community rate. You keep what we build, and you can change it yourself.
The best software shouldn’t only go to the organisations that can already afford it.
How it works
Tell us who you are and what a good tool would change for you. A few minutes, no deck.
Aequitas, our community agent, does a first read, checks what it can (charity status, ABN), and passes it to us with the details.
A working prototype or a small app, on a scope we agree up front. Something you can use, not a mockup.
You keep it and can edit the words and colours yourself. We host and maintain it for a small monthly fee.
Who it’s for
Australian organisations doing good work with less than they need, and founders the odds are usually against.
- Not-for-profits and charities
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses
- Women-founded businesses
- LGBTQ+-owned businesses
- Religious and faith-based organisations
- Community groups on the ground
One condition, held by everyone
Every organisation we support agrees to one condition: what we build together will be used to serve people without discrimination, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, faith, disability or age.
It’s the whole reason we build: intelligence in service of people.
Apply to Even the Odds
One funded build a quarter, so each organisation gets full attention. Tell us a little about you and what a good tool would change.
We read every application ourselves and reply personally. Nothing here is published.
Common questions
- What are the best software options for not-for-profits in Australia?
- Most not-for-profits run on off-the-shelf tools like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Xero, which registered charities can get donated or heavily discounted through Connecting Up (Infoxchange). Those cover the basics well. When a task is specific to how your organisation works (a report you rebuild by hand, an intake form, a roster), a small custom tool often beats bending a generic platform to fit. That custom piece is what Even the Odds builds for eligible Australian organisations.
- Can a not-for-profit or charity get software built for free?
- Sometimes. Donated and discounted licences for common tools come through Connecting Up. For a purpose-built tool, a few Australian agencies offer pro-bono or reduced-rate work; ALEA’s Even the Odds funds one working build each quarter for an eligible Australian organisation, with a community rate for others.
- Who can apply to Even the Odds?
- Australian not-for-profits and charities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses, women-founded businesses, LGBTQ+-owned businesses, religious and faith-based organisations, and community groups. Every applicant agrees to one condition: the software won’t be used to discriminate.
- Is the build really free, and what does it cost to run?
- The build is free for the organisation we choose each quarter; others we meet get a community rate. You own what we build and can edit it yourself. The only ongoing cost is a small monthly fee to host and maintain it.
- How can AI help a not-for-profit or charity?
- The practical wins are usually small and specific: drafting and summarising grant applications, reports and minutes; answering the questions people ask most; sorting and triaging intake; and pulling together numbers you currently assemble by hand. A tool aimed at one real job tends to help more than a general chatbot.
- How do I apply?
- Fill in the form above with your organisation, what a good tool would change, and where you are with AI. We read every application ourselves, check what we can, and reply personally, usually within a day or two.