Drupal 7’s end-of-life is just around the corner. Sounds so final, and maybe scary if your nonprofit’s website sits on a Drupal 7 platform. But don’t worry. We’ll ease your mind with not only awareness and education, but also with solutions. So, let’s get started with defining what Drupal 7 is.
Drupal 7 is a content management system (CMS) that was released in January 2011. It is an open-source platform that provides a flexible and powerful solution for creating and managing websites. Drupal 7 has a large community of users and developers who contribute to the platform, creating a rich ecosystem of modules and themes that can be used to extend its functionality.
Drupal 7 is known for its robust and modular architecture, which allows developers to build complex websites with ease. It also provides a user-friendly interface for managing content and a variety of tools for managing users, permissions, and security. Additionally, Drupal 7 is highly customizable, with a wide range of modules and themes that can be used to extend its functionality and change the look and feel of a website.
This year (2023), Drupal 7 will reach its end of life. That sounds scary. But don’t worry. Our team has over 20 years of experience with Drupal, our developers love building websites in Drupal, and we’ve helped over 550 customers migrate to Drupal 9 over the last few years. But before we get into that, let’s discuss what end-of-life means a bit more.
In this case, end-of-life (EOL) refers to the time when a software system is no longer supported or maintained by its manufacturer or developer. At EOL, the product is considered "obsolete" and no longer updated or receives technical support.
Drupal 7’s EOL is an important consideration for nonprofits that rely on software systems for their website. When a system reaches its EOL, upgrading to a newer version is necessary to ensure that the website remains secure and effective.
If organizations don't upgrade their Drupal 7 websites, they may face several consequences, including these:
Considering these consequences, we recommend that organizations consider upgrading their Drupal 7 websites to Drupal 9. This will help to ensure that the technology remains secure and effective, and it will help to avoid the costs and risks associated with an outdated platform.
Over the last few years, we’ve been upgrading our Drupal 7 customer websites to Drupal 9. They are realizing some wonderful benefits of upgrading. Here are many of those benefits that your internal stakeholders will appreciate.
Migrating to Drupal 9 also allows you to take advantage of the latest features and technologies, and to continue receiving support and updates from OneEach Technologies and the Drupal community. This can help us keep your site up-to-date, secure, and running smoothly.
Here’s what a couple of our customers have to say about their experience migrating from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9.
Meals on Wheels of Summerville, Inc.
We transitioned from a Drupal 7 platform to Drupal 9. OneEach was FANTASTIC in incorporating parts of multiple site designs to perfectly represent our vision. OneEach Technologies has taken our nonprofit from a silent web presence to a high-functioning, efficient tool. We have more than tripled our service intake via the user-friendly webforms since we launched just 2 months ago!
-- Executive Director, Meals on Wheels of Summerville, Inc.
United Way of Southwest Oklahoma
OneEach helped us complete a website upgrade. This meant we also transitioned our grant application to online. Our OneEach Account Manager was a life saver in that process. Our partner agencies and our volunteers LOVE having the application online. It saves all of us time and money.
-- VP of Community Engagement, United Way of Southwest Oklahoma
We trust this information has helped you better understand what the Drupal 7 EOL means and why you need to upgrade to Drupal 9 this year. Our team is signing up nonprofits now to beat the rush. We encourage you to not wait until later in the year. Our Account Executive is looking forward to chatting with you about your nonprofit’s website needs.