"[2] Federal, state, and local governments often lack the budget, expertise, and resources to efficiently deploy modern software.

[3] Code for America partners with governments to help deliver software services, particularly to low income communities and to people who have been left out.

[4] "A large population of American citizens in poverty are not connected and exposed to government resources that they are eligible for—nearly US$60,000,000,000 worth of potential benefits for people in need remain unclaimed every year.

"[4][5] Projects that illustrate the organization's impact include: In April, 2022, "Code for America received two separate investments, totaling US$100,000,000 over seven years, to set up its Safety Net Innovation Lab and work with state and local government agencies to modernize their social safety net administration services to make access to government services more equitable.

"[17] The two began discussing plans for a program that eventually became Code for America, "a one-year fellowship recruiting developers to work for city government".

In May 2019, Pahlka announced her intention to step down from her leadership role at Code for America once a replacement was found.