I think this is a great thing to do. I've donated development time to a few different non-profits. The small ones, in particular, are often extremely in need of

I think this is a great thing to do. I've donated development time to a few different non-profits. The small ones, in particular, are often extremely in need of help and the benefit gained can be enormous. The biggest thing to consider up front is -- of course -- maintenance. It's not that helpful to come in and bang out some code and then disappear. Find a topic area that you really care about, and then find one small non-profit that you think is doing great work in that area. Then, if you possibly can, build a long-term relationship with them. It doesn't have to be a big time commitment. But it probably does need to be an ongoing commitment. At least for a reasonable length of time.