Tayozola Giving Initiative 2024

This is a report on our first year of giving — what we did, what we learned, and what we're committing to going forward. It's a short report, because this is the beginning of something, not the summary of something large. We want to be honest about that.

What we did in 2024

In our first year, we directed a portion of our operating budget toward two areas: technology education access and direct support for independent creators building in public.

On the education side, we contributed to a small number of programs helping young people in underserved communities access coding education and technical mentorship. We didn't launch these programs — we supported people already doing the work, which felt like the right place to start.

We don't want to be the kind of company that creates a giving program to have a giving program. We want the work to be real — even when it's small.

On the creator side, we offered free or reduced-cost access to the Tayozola Network platform for a small group of independent builders and researchers who needed reliable infrastructure but didn't have the budget for it. This is something we plan to formalize in 2025.

What we learned

The most important thing we learned is that showing up consistently matters more than showing up with a large check. The organizations we worked with weren't looking for a one-time donation — they were looking for partners who would be there over time. That's a different kind of commitment, and one we're better equipped to make now that we understand it.

We also learned that transparency matters. When we wrote about what we were doing — even in small, informal updates — it generated more trust and more conversation than anything else we did. This post is part of that commitment.

What's coming in 2025

We're planning to formalize the access program for independent builders — a clear application process, defined criteria, and a small cohort of people who get meaningful support rather than a token discount.

We're also exploring a small grant program focused on infrastructure access for community-serving organizations. More details on that later in the year.

If you're working on something you think fits what we care about — education, access, community infrastructure — we'd like to hear from you. Reach out at contact@tayozola.net.