ojcu

Ojcu is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado, United States. Established in 2015 by a collective of community activists and technology professionals, the organization’s primary mission is to promote digital inclusion and civic engagement among underserved populations. Ojcu’s name is an acronym derived from “Open Justice, Community Unity,” reflecting its focus on fostering transparent governance and equitable access to public services.

The organization operates through a combination of educational workshops, software development projects, and advocacy campaigns. Its workshop series, which are conducted in partnership with local schools, libraries, and community centers, provide participants with basic computer literacy, data privacy awareness, and tools for effective communication with municipal officials. In the software development arena, ojcu maintains an open‑source platform that aggregates public records, civic meeting minutes, and budgeting data, allowing users to visualize and analyze local government activities.

Ojcu’s advocacy work centers on policy reform aimed at strengthening open‑data mandates and protecting net‑neutrality at the state level. The group regularly submits policy briefs to the Colorado General Assembly and collaborates with other civil‑society organizations to organize public hearings and town‑hall meetings. In 2022, ojcu contributed to the successful passage of the Colorado Open Data Act, which required all state agencies to publish datasets in machine‑readable formats within 45 days of creation.

Funding for ojcu comes from a mixture of private donations, grants from foundations such as the Knight Foundation, and contractual work with municipal agencies seeking to improve their digital outreach. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors elected by its membership, and it reports its financial statements annually in accordance with nonprofit transparency standards. As of 2024, ojcu serves an estimated 12,000 individuals across the Denver metropolitan area through its programs and digital tools.