Impact ledger / 2026
2026 financial transparency
The complete record of how conference revenue was earned, spent, and directed toward community impact.
2026 Financial Transparency Report
At Commit Your Code, we believe in complete transparency. Below is a detailed breakdown of our 2026 conference finances and charitable donations, including the year we spent more than sponsorships brought in.
Executive Summary
In 2026, sponsorships brought in $108,500.00 and conference expenses totaled $112,984.86, all paid. That left a sponsorship shortfall of $4,484.86, which Danny Thompson covered personally. Separately, attendees bought $19,223.10 in tickets, and 100% of that is donated to charity. Ticket money never enters the operating budget, so it is reported on its own below.
The year we went negative
Why expenses exceeded sponsorships
Our promise is simple: every dollar attendees pay for a ticket goes to charity. In 2026 that meant Commit Your Code covered the ticket platform and card-processing fees itself instead of deducting them from the donation, roughly $4,437.17 in fees that came out of the operating budget.
We also went further on the attendee experience than the sponsorship budget strictly allowed: bar tabs at the Day 0 and Day 1 socials, extra food on both conference days, and a larger rooftop speaker dinner. Those choices made the week better and pushed expenses past what sponsors covered.
The $4,484.86 gap did not come out of the charity money. Danny Thompson covered it personally, and the full ticket total still goes to freeCodeCamp, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Operation Kindness.
Sponsorship shortfall
-$4,484.86
Covered by Danny Thompson. The charity donation was not reduced.
Nobody should feel heartbroken about this. I loved it.
I could have saved every dollar of that shortfall by never opening the bar tabs or never ordering more food when people were hungry. I did not want to. I am happy with this.
Y'all have to remember: this is not a business decision. If CYC were a business it would be run completely differently, and honestly we would kill it with how much we could make. I am not interested in that. Everything we do here is a terrible business decision and an incredible community one.
So if this page makes you want to chip in, please don't send money to cover the gap. Any money that comes from an individual goes straight to charity. Every time.
— Danny Thompson, Founder
Sponsorship Income
| Category | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Sponsorship Income (8 sponsors) | $108,500.00 |
| Total Sponsorship Income | $108,500.00 |
Sponsorships are the only money that pays for the conference. They are reported as a single total this year.
Ticket Sales: 100% to Charity
| Category | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Ticket Sales | $19,223.10 |
| Donated to Charity | $19,223.10 |
Ticket sales are not income to Commit Your Code. Every dollar attendees paid is donated to freeCodeCamp, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and Operation Kindness. The processing and platform fees on those sales are paid by CYC and appear under expenses.
Expenses
| Expense | Total | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Catering | $52,949.79 | $52,949.79 |
| The Puttery (Day 1 after-party) | $20,816.31 | $20,816.31 |
| Rooftop Speaker Dinner | $13,296.03 | $13,296.03 |
| Truck Yard (Day 0 party) | $10,042.04 | $10,042.04 |
| Wi-Fi | $3,528.17 | $3,528.17 |
| Platform Fees (net of fee refunds) | $3,519.40 | $3,519.40 |
| Shirts | $2,121.60 | $2,121.60 |
| Aperturent | $2,068.66 | $2,068.66 |
| Stripe Card Processing Fees | $917.77 | $917.77 |
| Intuit Fees for Sponsorship Payments | $850.33 | $850.33 |
| Badges | $790.85 | $790.85 |
| Insurance | $784.00 | $784.00 |
| LegalZoom | $598.00 | $598.00 |
| Ace Pickleball Club (Day 0) | $500.63 | $500.63 |
| Printing & Misc | $201.28 | $201.28 |
| Chair, Table, and Stanchion Rentals | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total Expenses | $112,984.86 | $112,984.86 |
Payment fees are counted once, under expenses: $917.77 in Stripe processing fees plus $3,519.40 in net platform fees, $4,437.17 combined.
Financial Summary
Total Charity Donations
$19,223.10
Sponsorship Income
$108,500.00
Total Expenses
$112,984.86
Sponsorship Shortfall
-$4,484.86
Our Commitment to Transparency
At Commit Your Code, we believe in complete financial transparency. We are committed to donating 100% of ticket sales to charity, covering the fees on those sales ourselves, and publishing detailed financial reports after each conference, including the years the math does not work in our favor.
If you have any questions about our finances or charitable donations, please don't hesitate to contact us at CommitYourCodeConference@gmail.com.