Case Study: ServeMerge Charities

Client:

ServeMerge, part of the Living Tree Charities network is a major national non-profit organization that connects other major non-profits with volunteers who are not only ready to volunteer but pre-screened to be fully optimized their their volunteering abilities.  

From Living Tree's Charaties:

SERVEMERGE rethinks the way volunteering is done! We utilize your skills to better serve nonprofits and organizations….think about it this way, if you enjoy what you’re doing and can add your unique personality---wouldn’t the benefits be completely obvious to not only the people you are helping, but to you as well?

Whether you or your group donates time, talent, or resources to help build a better community, we need you. In today’s world, Skills-Based Volunteering (SBV) and Pro Bono Volunteering are the new techniques to take volunteering to the next level. We have added added a third - your personality.

Our volunteers vary; some are in school, retired, or experienced professionals. We connect volunteers of all ages and backgrounds with endless volunteer opportunities.

Here’s the best part: no matter what your interest, you can find a project with us. It may be that you’re interested in a particular area such as child welfare, helping the homeless, rebuilding after a natural disaster, delivering food, giving back to the environment, or the arts. Or, you may have many hours to spare during the week for an on-going project or some time here or there for a short-term service project. The benefit of SERVEMERGE is that you can use your skills in whatever role you’d like to take on.

Objective:

Living Tree's Charities came to V2interactive for a radical web page design with interactivity, user groups, social networking and a user database that could connect users to charities.  Living Tree's Charities; ServeMerge needed a website that could take in user registrations, connect users with various volunteering methods and also a website that could handle the abilities of being a mini social networking site.  Users needed to be able to have complete profiles, blogs, shares, registrations and the ability to pick and sign up from the website to a potential volunteering opportunity.

Solution:

V2interactive's solution to provide a powerful user based website through the latest version of Joomla.  With a solid Content Management System, we also decided to incorporate a powerful social platform component that would allow users to communicate with each other.  V2interactive offered custom programming to allow all of the Joomla components to 'talk' to each other, syncing up all users and data into one powerful database.  In addition to the user database and social aspect, V2interactive also added a powerful customized component that allows users to select volunteering opportunities and then sign up for them.  After registration the user will be prompted to share on their social networks or throughout the site to encourage more volunteers to sign up.

Result:

Powered by Joomla and a powerful database, ServeMerge's website was completed to the clients satisfaction.  The database can hold over 500,000 members and member details and profile information.  In addition, users are now able to login to the ServeMerge website with their Twitter or Facebook logins through customized API integration.  

Websites:

Case Study: First Water Systems, Inc.

Client:

First Water Systems, Inc. (First Water) is committed to bringing the world the best portable water purification capability possible.  Whether it is dealing with natural disasters that leave even the most prosperous without access to clean water, or helping developing areas have reliable clean water for daily life, First Water is resolved to develop the systems that transform communities and save lives.  In the course of pursuing that mission, First Water has developed systems featuring full and semi-portability, true integrated solar power, larger capacities, supportive pumping systems, etc.

Objective:

First Water came to us with a simple, yet complex project; a simple, yet functional web design.  First Water had decided to branch off three separate organizations, all being non-profits:  World Water Relief, Resources For Living Now and Emergency Response Resources.  Since First Water Systems is a well established company, they were achieving the same results with their branching organizations and needed a deliverable website to carry out their mission.

Solution:

V2interactive's solution to this was to provide a professional, innovative and functional web site for all three organizations.  With these projects requiring much interactivity, our design team decided to implement a Content Management System (CMS), going with Joomla!.  With the integration of their new websites and configuring the MySQL databases, we also provided and configured their email system, using Google's Apps for non-profits and educational institutes.

Result:

Driven by Joomla!, PHP and an ever-growing MySQL database (with data recovery provided by SalvageData) the launch of all three websites happened in the first quarter of 2009.  Since working on the development, graphics and configuration, starting mid 2008, V2interactive currently has an on-going relationship with First Water, Inc.  Currently, we're assisting in website maintenance, email administration and we're also working on a Social Networking program with First Water, Inc.

Websites:

Case Study: Feel Great Health Solutions

Client:

Feel Great Health (The Solution) is a California based health online retailer.  They focus on the best and most reliable natural supplements on earth to bring to their customers to ensure energy, health and a better well being of life.  They have been in business for many years and have a fantastic team on their staff.

Objective:

Dale came to V2interactive with a couple of problems.  First, their main website (The Solution) was in a desperate need of a web design and compliant in web2.0 format.  Feel Great Health also needed an online store to ensure their sales would increase in this time of need.  Their current store was not only out of date, but blacklisted on a couple of search engines from a previous developer.  The final objective facing this client was an urgent need for a user database and a minimal community portion that would be integrated into their website.

Solution:

V2interactive suggest that we take this into the CMS region.  Loading their primary website with a CMS (Content Management System), in this case, Joomla.  With the CMS, our client would be able to update their own content and add their own media, which we were happy to guide them through and teach them the aspects of the administration back-end.  With the CMS running off of a MySQL database, this ensured that the client would capture any registrants, sales and changes to their website.  V2interactive also setup three additional web pages and then three additional shopping carts, ensuring their sales would never be down and that they would have access to a 24/7 automated store front.

Result:

Powered by the latest release of Joomla 1.5.9, FeelGreatHealth.com was up-to-date with the latest web 2.0 standards as well as a community based portal.  We used Community Builder to enable user registration, different levels of registration and different icons (or avatars) for users.  V2interactive also managed to set the clients site up with CubeCart, a online shopping cart linked to their payment gateway.  A successful campaign that was feature on Good Morning America.

Websites:

Case Study: The Safe America Foundation

Client:

The Safe America Foundation, located in Marietta, GA is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services to the metro Atlanta area.  Their main service in the community is providing student driver education classes, along with many other types of classes (DUI driving, defensive driving and scooter training).

Objective:

The Safe America Foundation had a previous website that was not only out of date, but cluttered with everything on one single page and a not too friendly user interface.  Our goal was not only to make a users experience more pleasant but also separate the massive content and databases into their own individual sites and "microsites".  Along with this upgrade, we planned on getting onto a CMS to enable other staff members to make changes.  Finally, we aimed to get their FileMaker database connected to their online registration forms.

Solution:

With the help of key staff, we were able to get The Safe America Foundation not one, two or three sites, but well over five and counting.  Each site is branded to keep a consistent look while branding the organization.  We decided to go with a Joomla CMS in order to allow other staff members to make changes and additions to the website, along with integrating the FileMaker database portion. Working with their in house graphic designer, we were able to come up with a strategic plan of now to market and brand the website and also optimize the sites for SEO results.

Result:

With multiple databases and websites up and running; each with a specific purpose, this project yielded a fantastic success.  The user experience as greatly improved leading to more sales for driver education classes and a more dominate presences in the community.  With the web2.0 standard applied, The Safe America Foundation is now able to upload podcasts, videos, audio and flash graphics.  In addition, there is now an integration of social networking sites on their web pages (Twitter, Facebook, Change.org, YouTube, etc).  All of these additions have helped their SEO and increased not only their Alexa rating but their Google Page Rank as well.

Websites: