Top Session Choices for Nonprofit Marketers at DrupalCon Portland
Nonprofit teams are dedicated enthusiasts working for a given cause. They definitely know the worth of a good website. Like a tireless team member, websites can work 24/7 bringing the organization’s message across to potential donors, boosting the whole team’s efficiency in routine tasks, and providing smooth user experiences for everyone.
An enthusiastic team member always strives to go the extra mile. Similarly, nonprofit websites can always do more for their teams... But in what way? The best answers can be found at DrupalCon Portland 2022.
The largest Drupal event of the year accumulates top ideas and the latest trends for websites. Nonprofit representatives attending DrupalСon can hear a lot of useful information from Drupal experts and from their nonprofit peers. We've handpicked some interesting sessions from the fantastic DrupalCon program and are happy to share them with nonprofit marketers.
Interesting picks for nonprofit marketers at DrupalCon 2022
Day 1: Monday, April 25
Dig In! How IMBA Built Their Own Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platform in Drupal 9
A peer-to-peer fundraising functionality is something many nonprofits need on their websites. With Drupal, this can be perfectly implemented. Hearing more details in the case study by Gena Dellett, Chief Operations Officer, might be a great start for the DrupalCon 2022 program for nonprofit marketers.
The website featured in the session is International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). It helps local mountain bike organizations create and manage trails. Organizations can apply for funds and receive them if selected to be “Dig In” projects. Matching funds are allocated to each project based on the total amount raised.
With all the functionality successfully created, the platform was launched, and 1,000 individuals have donated $150,000+ since then. The application process, matching funds, donations, and reporting are all in one place for the team’s convenience and better efficiency.
The site is built on the latest Drupal version, Drupal 9. It uses Drupal Webform, Views, the system of roles and permissions, and the CiviCRM. The session describes these and other fundraising functionality secrets.
Day 2: Tuesday, April 26
A deep dive of the possibilities of layout builder for the site-builder & content editor
Streamlined content editing experiences certainly make a nonprofit team’s lives much easier. One of the top Drupal tools to improve editorial efficiency is the Layout Builder, and many teams using new versions of Drupal are already acquainted with it.
The topic of the session by Wesley De Vrient, Drupal Developer, is something more than the Layout Builder. It is a kind of Layout Builder kit containing modules that extend it: Layout Builder Asymmetric Translations, Layout Builder Extra Templates, Layout Builder Modal, Layout Builder Restrictions, and more. All this together makes the Open Source Drupal 9 Rocketship Distribution.
The kit allows teams to resolve even complex use cases without using the Paragraphs module. Things get simplified from an entity point of view while the power of Paragraphs stays in place. At Wesley’s session, the attendees will discover more about how ambitious editing experiences are achieved with the help of this solution.
Unlock the power of Drupal Webform for your CRM data
The importance of a CRM (Contact Relationship Management) system for a nonprofit organization is undeniable. It helps teams better organize their data, be more efficient in managing their relationships with donors, volunteers, and members, and make fundraising more successful.
Drupal has everything for this, you just need to unlock its power! That’s what Gena Dellett, Chief Operations Officer, together with Lea Wehrle-Garsh, invites you to do at DrupalCon 2022. Namely, they will speak about unlocking the power of Drupal’s module #5 in popularity, Webform, for managing the data of the CiviCRM in Drupal.
The Webform module is meant for creating all types of forms, from simple contact forms to multi-page ones with conditional logic. In this case, its capabilities are used for enabling Drupal users to seamlessly create form elements for all CiviCRM entities such as Contacts, Memberships, Activities, Contributions, Groups, Event Participants, and so on.
The mission of unlocking the power of Webform here is carried out by the Webform CiviCRM module. As a result, nonprofit teams can enjoy smooth workflows and native experiences with the CiviCRM data on Drupal websites.
Day 3: Wednesday, April 27
UNICEF: Lessons learned from our digital transformation six years in
What about learning from the experience of industry leaders that have a global reach and face world-scale challenges? When it comes to nonprofits, UNICEF is one of the best examples.
The United Nations Children's Fund, an organization working with 190 countries and territories worldwide, has undergone a digital transformation that nonprofit marketers might want to learn more about. The session by Sam Zimmerman and Dennis Yuen at DrupalCon Portland 2022 will offer them this opportunity.
The Digital Transformation Project started for UNICEF in 2015 when the team realized that their web properties were not keeping pace with the times and were not providing enough efficiency or engagement. As part of the transformation, they have migrated 175+ websites to Drupal as their platform of choice, as well as created new innovative web applications.
The session attendees will learn about all the ins and outs of the big transformation journey: what needs to be included in the plan, why content strategy is important, how to forge consensus among business owners, and much more.
Drupal Community Events: How we've weathered the storm and what's on the other side?
The Drupal Community is a large nonprofit organization as well. Its challenges can be relevant for many other nonprofit teams. The next session at DrupalCon Portland 2022 will focus on a specific challenge, or let’s say, a storm that the community has weathered and the evolving road ahead.
This storm has influenced all Drupal events just like all other volunteer-led events pushing them to the online format. You might have guessed we are talking about the pandemic. Avi Schwab, Matthew Saunders, Leslie Glynn, and April Sides will discuss its impact at the Panel of the Event Organizer Working Group.
The session audience will hear about the lessons that event organizers have learned from the pandemic and the ways they have grown through it. And, of course, the most important thing to discuss is how they are going to use the learned lessons in future events.
Day 4: Thursday, April 28
Marketing Meets Privacy: What You Need to Know
While collecting donations, registering volunteers, or engaging in other typical nonprofit activities, organizations have to manage and store user data. This makes it incredibly important for them to keep their hand on the pulse of privacy requirements.
Following all privacy laws, regulations, and policies can be challenging, admits John Doyle in his DrupalCon session summary. This is because the legislation is rapidly being signed, and some laws may vary by state, while others are valid for the entire US.
Luckily, John is ready to sort everything out for his attendees. In his presentation, he will highlight the privacy laws created in the US over the past few years, discuss what they mean for teams, and share some useful resources for always staying aware of the changing legislation. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.
Peace, Love, and Understanding: Empathy as a Personal and Professional Tool
“Empathy” is a word that resonates with many nonprofit team members. Empathy drives them in their work with campaigns and projects meant to help other people. It is an intrinsic value of nonprofit organizations.
That’s why nonprofit staff might enjoy the presentation about empathy by Valerie Genzano at DrupalCon Portland 2022. Moreover, they might find it practically useful because the session explores the idea of empathy as a workplace tool.
Valerie will share with her audience how they can use empathy for a better experience with their clients, coworkers, bosses, and themselves. After the presentation part with the research and personal example, the attendees will have an opportunity to engage in an interactive discussion and activity on empathy.
In addition: Nonprofit Industry Summit
On Monday and Tuesday mornings, before the main DrupalCon 2022 conference, nonprofit representatives will have the opportunity to dive deeper into industry-specific discussions at the Nonprofit Industry Summit.
This is an additional event that gathers web developers, designers, editors, strategists, and all other people related to creating digital experiences in the nonprofit sector. These experiences can always be improved. The ideas for this will surely come at the summit keynote, curated talks, and interactive workshops in a relaxed atmosphere. Among the speakers, there are AmyJune Hineline, Bram ten Hove, and other top Drupal contributors.
- On Day 1, the attendees will learn more about the best practices for reaching out to members and donors, the “captchas and other gotchas” in website accessibility, real-time interaction with the audience, the use of social media for nonprofits, and more.
- Day 2 will focus on building & growing communities via DAO and NFTs, large-scale Drupal migrations, making the working environment more inclusive, recentering on equity in technology, and other relevant topics.
More interaction at the ImageX booth
DrupalCon sessions are not the only place where interesting discussions happen and great ideas arrive. At booth 213, nonprofit marketers can chat with experts who specialize in web development for this sector.
With many happy customers among nonprofits, we at ImageX always know what to recommend. Would you like to chat? To make sure we can do it without haste, consider booking time in advance. Looking forward to meeting you at DrupalCon Portland 2022!
