News and stories

Insights and learnings from across the Code for America network
Featured story
How We Built Our AI Application to Handle PDFs

A deep dive into the engineering practices that underpin our AI Studio’s web accessibility application

  • Allison Morgan
  • Leo Kacenjar
July 16, 2025
Featured story
Blueprinting SNAP Work Requirements

Our takeaways from our new service blueprint that tracks how work requirement policy impacts the process of applying for, determining, and maintaining eligibility for SNAP benefits

  • Minnar Xie
  • Danny Mintz
  • Francesca Costa
September 10, 2025
Featured story
A Cheat Sheet for AI in Government

Machine learning, large language models, entity resolution, and more—the terms you need to know about AI

  • Michael Cowden
  • Fahad Quraishi
January 16, 2025
Featured story
Getting Your Data Ready for AI

Before governments deploy AI, data systems need to be ready—here’s how to get there

  • Jennifer Thom
  • Annmarie Brinza
August 5, 2025
Featured story
Building a Human-Centered Prioritization Process for Product Changes

Decision making is easier and more impactful when stakeholders are aligned around clear metrics

  • Gabrielle Solis
  • Sharon Bautista
April 10, 2025
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What others are saying about our work

Bloomberg Businessweek logo

“Code for America’s project of making benefits easier to access and use, though it may sound banal, can have huge ramifications… Lifting the bureaucratic weight from the shoulders of poor Americans can get them more resources, free them up to achieve their goals and even strengthen democracy.”

Bloomberg Businessweek, June 20, 2023

PBS logo

“For an application that used to take an average of 110 minutes to fill out, [Code for America] got to a form that takes 12 minutes on average, is available in multiple languages, is at a third grade reading level—for the same nine benefit programs.”

PBS News Hour, March 11, 2024

The New York Times

“The organization Code for America has long been focused on how to make it easier for people to get the benefits they’re eligible for … The point is not to do it for government, but to push government to do things better.”

The New York Times, February 18, 2022

The Atlantic logo

“For the past decade … Code for America has … studied applicants’ experiences and advised states on how to simplify their systems. It has built tools to clear a person’s criminal record, connect them with a volunteer tax preparer, and sign them up for valuable tax credits. Now, with $100 million in new donations, Code for America is planning to double in size and scope, and “unlock” $30 billion in benefits for millions of families in 15 states.”

The Atlantic, April 25, 2022

Fast Company

“As marijuana is legalized, states are offering programs to expunge the records of people who were convicted of possession before legalization. But it often requires complicated paperwork. Code For America has automated that process in California…”

Fast Company, March 10, 2020

CNN

“[Code for America] started building a secure way for people to upload their tax documents with an online service called GetYourRefund, and still get help from a volunteer tax preparer. It’s aimed at helping low-income people, millions of whom don’t file each year, claim tax credits they’re due. It fully launched just days before the IRS volunteer sites shut down, quickly becoming the only way the volunteer tax preparers could keep working.”

CNN, April 11, 2020

CNBC logo

“Code for America … launched a free, mobile-friendly platform in both English and Spanish … released in collaboration with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the White House … Code for America’s sign-up tool uses a simplified return that only includes information needed to sign up for the credit, so it should be easier for families to submit their information.”

CNBC, September 1, 2021

The New York Times

“Code for America, a nonprofit group, spent years devising a portal that makes it easier for Californians to apply for food stamps … With its California portal, Code for America cut the time it took to apply for food stamps by three-quarters or more.”

The New York Times, December 8, 2021


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