Volunteer-Nonprofit Relationship

Making a successful connection can sometimes be difficult. The success of a volunteer program depends on making the right kind of match -- one where both the volunteer and the organization gain something without feeling frustrated or ignored. Motivated, skilled technology volunteers don't want to twiddle their thumbs while trying to figure out what they can and cannot do on the job. Likewise, organizations don't want volunteers to blow through like a whirlwind, upturning systems that already work and criticizing every procedure.

That's not to say that the volunteer-nonprofit relationship is doomed. Many organizations have developed very successful programs that are rewarding for both parties.

Whether an organization hires a volunteer to redesign a database, upgrade hardware, or build a Web site, establishing clear expectations and guidelines will help create a positive environment and ensure a productive experience for all concerned. go to source

Take advantage of the help that's out there

If you've never heard of Techsoup or have not had an opportunity to use them, you need to check them out. As a non-profit, they offer many great services including software. You can register on their website as a non-profit and get all kinds of software donated to your organization for use. They also have a searchable database of services that are available as well as a learning center which covers some information on technology and implementing it in your organization. They make it very easy to register. Go to the website and at the top right it has a link to "register organization." That's all you got to do to get started.

Joomla 1.5.10 Security Release

Joomla has another security release that fixes some bugs and a couple of security issues. Because it's a security release, everyone needs to really update their sites. To view a list of the fixes, visit the Joomla website.

Finding the Right Keywords & Improving Navigation

Choosing the right keywords is perhaps the most important factor in search engine marketing and is essential to its success. There are several things to consider when generating your keyword list, including your own website. If visitors are searching within your site using certain search terms, it may be likely that these same search terms are also being used in major search engines... go to source

Joomla Cool Tool Alert: jxtended's Catalog Component

There are some pretty creative developers in the world of Joomla but I'm a HUGE fan of the jxTENDED network of developers. They have put together some really great components for use with Joomla. I have bought several and have had great success. One of the components is their catalog component. This component can be used in anyway that you'd like to catalog something. You can catalog items or employees or even places. I used this while designing the website for Promise House. They needed a searchable database so that kids or teens could search for a "Safe Place" to go if there was trouble at home or they need help. While in this case I didn't explore the many editable fascits of it, I used the basic elements that came with it and it worked out great. You can go to the jxTENDED website and look at some of their samples or check out the one at Promise House. If you're interested in having your site converted to Joomla and possibly implementing one of these modules, contact Patsy Caldwell via email or visit the website.

Best Practices Associated with Banner Ads

When first introduced on the Internet, banner ads changed the face of advertising. While most marketing companies were thinking in terms of print ads, the concept of banner ads, with their limited space, visibility and size, was revolutionary. There are several tips and best practices on how to utilize them. go to source

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.