The NGO Pulse portal was built using Drupal and makes extensive use of Organic Groups and Panels. Content from an existing Joomla website was converted to Drupal using custom PHP scripts which imported the data into the Drupal database. An image gallery carousel allows users to scroll through images associated with articles/groups. Users can register on the site to post comments, participate in discussions and create blogs.
The NGO Pulse Portal and the weekly NGO Pulse e-newsletter provide a gateway to the South African NGO sector. Its four main objectives are to develop the institutional capacity of the NGO sector through providing information that supports stronger management practises; map NGOs and their activities through Prodder , the most comprehensive database of its kind in Africa; create a community space for civil society exchange; and promote the benefits of ICTs in support of the work of civil society through the SANGOTeCH Technology Donation Portal . The portal provides NGOs with a mechanism to air their views, while also creating the opportunity for other stakeholders to critique and evaluate the sector. It has become a marketplace where services can be procured and exchanged. It also provides SANGONeT with a strategic mechanism to communicate its activities and services to the NGO sector and other development stakeholders.
