Joomla Cool Tool Alert: XMap

As I mentioned at the end of 2008, I wanted to highlight some modules that I use regularly in Joomla. XMap is a tool I use often to create a site map for the Joomla websites I build. Site maps are very important for search engines. Google is big on making sure that you have a site map. XMap is very easy to install because it's a module. If you only have one main menu, you don't have to do anything with it because it automatically creates the site map. Go to the source and download.

Note that most of the modules can also be found on the Joomla website, in their Extensions area.

Placing Keywords in Your Domain Name May Help to Increase Site Traffic

Many non-profits may already have a primary domain name that represents their organization like www.aha.org (American Heart Association) or www.komen.org (Susan G Komen). I've encourage non-profits in the past to register other domains that might pinpoint their organization and their goals. For example, if you were an organization that works toward saving wildlife, you could register names like "www.savethewhales.com" or "www.savethemountainlion.com" and so on. This article from Volusion offers up some information on "keywords" in a domain.
Go to source

Volunteers are very valuable in a recession

February 2009 is an important time to review how you recruit and manage volunteers. In 1995, 48.8% of the US population volunteered (93 million people) and gave a total of 20.3 billion hours.
Go to the source

Joomla 1.5.9 Security Release

For those who have not done so, Joomla has a new security release along with some major bug fixes and changes. It is recommended if you are using Joomla, to please update it. Next week, I plan to share a "Joomla Cool Tool."

We Need Money!

Well we've all heard that. Non-profits are generally at the mercy of others in order to survive. In an email newsletter I get, I received some information on a website called GrantStation. It is an "interactive website that allows grantseekers to identify potential funding sources for their programs or projects, and mentors them through the grantseeking process." While I'm not endorsing this website, it might be worth looking into to see what they offer. My understanding is that it is also primarily used for smaller non-profits. It's reasonable inexpensive ($189 for Quarterly and $599 annual). May be worth trying at $189.

Here is their Features and Benefits page.

2008 Statistics

Ahhh, 2008 is finally over. It's been a tough year for many but now it's time to start the new year with a fresh attitude and ideas. A colleague sent me some statistics from Blackbaud. If you're not familiar with Blackbaud, they provide fundraising software. Here are some notes:

Steady Annual Growth
Organizations had steady growth in their online giving through the first and second quarters of 2008. There was a slight decrease in online giving during the third quarter of the year, specifically the month of August. The final months of the year saw online giving rebound leading up to the typical end-of-year giving spikes. December and June were the two largest months for online giving.

Average Online Gift Growth
Nonprofits in the entire analysis had an average online gift of $152.12 in 2008. Blackbaud customers usually have higher average online gift amounts than nonprofits using other vendors and this trend continued in 2008. Nonprofits in the education, healthcare, faith-based, and foundation sectors typically had much higher average gift amounts. Organizations focused on event-based and peer-to-peer online fundraising had lower average gift amounts, which is consistent with industry trends.

December Giving Trends
Nonprofit online giving in the last month of 2008 quadrupled in size compared to prior months. This is a trend Blackbaud has consistently observed for the past three years. December accounted for about 21% of the year's transaction volume, but 48% of the total dollars raised. The average online gift for the month of December increased to $248.82 for the nonprofits in the entire analysis.

Keys to Success
Nonprofits typically focus on existing or lapsed donors during end of year appeals, and Blackbaud customers tend to use multi-channel campaigns (direct mail, telephone, web, email, etc.) as part of these fundraising efforts. This continues to be a winning approach to building a successful online fundraising program. Organizations using the Internet mostly for donor acquisition and without integrated strategies usually see higher attrition rates than other nonprofits. Moving into 2009, the nonprofits that concentrate their efforts on their existing donor base and leverage integrated marketing efforts will do a better job of weathering the storm.

Want to hear about a topic?

With the holidays going on, I know that everyone is busy tidying up things in the non-profit world so I don't want to post a lot of the key topics during this last month of the holiday. With that in mind, email me about web topics you're interested in knowing more about. Maybe you have some questions about a product and if it's right for you. I'll pick back up the postings after the first of the year so think a bit about it and drop me an email. Some things I plan to start featuring:

• More Joomla! I'll be covering some great modules that I've tested and used that you might find useful.
• Web How-To's: Some very brief web how-to's to help make your site better. More for the coder in the organization
• More Product Reviews: I'm always stumbling across some cool web based tools that you might find useful.
• Answering readers questions. As questions are submitted, I'll post my responses to all you need to know web design.
• Much, much more!

Have a great December and see you next month!