Need4Deed is a Berlin-based NGO (funded by the EU and the Berlin Senate) dedicated to making volunteering for refugees more effective, transparent, and sustainable.
Our platform acts as a digital bridge:
- For Volunteers: Find specific tasks (translation, childcare, sports, tutoring) based on your language skills and location.
- For Accommodation Centers: Easily request specific help and manage volunteer support without administrative overhead.
- For Society: Fostering integration through direct, migrant-to-migrant and community support.
The Need4Deed platform is split into three main parts to ensure scalability and developer focus:
| Repository | Tech Stack | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend (FE) | Next.js, TypeScript, PWA | The volunteer dashboard and public-facing landing page. |
| Backend (BE) | Node.js, TypeORM, PostgreSQL | The core API managing users, deeds (tasks), and matches. |
| SDK | TypeScript | Shared types and helpers to keep FE and BE in sync. |
We recommend a sibling-folder setup so the Frontend can correctly link to the local SDK.
git clone https://github.com/need4deed-org/fe.git
git clone https://github.com/need4deed-org/be.git
git clone https://github.com/need4deed-org/sdk.git
cd be
npm install
# Copy .env.example to .env and configure your DB
npm start
cd ../fe
npm install
# Link the local SDK for type safety
npm install ../sdk
npm run dev
Visit http://localhost:3000 to see the app in action.
We love our contributors! Whether you are a senior dev or looking for your first open-source contribution, your code helps real people in Berlin.
- Find an Issue: Look for the
good first issueorhelp wantedlabels. - Follow Design: We use Figma for all UI. Please check the linked design in the issues before styling.
- Branching: Use
yourname/feature-name. - Commits: We use emojis to keep history readable!
- 🎨 — Styling/UI
- 🐛 — Bug fixes
- ✨ — New features
- 📝 — Documentation
- Full PWA Support: Enabling volunteers to get notifications on their phones.
- Automated Matching: Smart-matching volunteers' languages with center needs.
- NGO Dashboard: Advanced analytics for accommodation center managers.
- Website: need4deed.org
- Email: info@need4deed.org
- Location: Berlin, Germany
Built with ❤️ by the Need4Deed Open Source Community.