Small Y vs Full Distribution: Complete Decision Guide

Detailed comparison to help you choose between Small Y Template and Full Distribution based on your YMCA’s needs, resources, and growth plans.

Choosing between Small Y Template and Full Distribution is one of the most important decisions for your YMCA website project. This guide provides detailed criteria to help you make an informed choice.

Quick Decision Tool

Answer these 5 questions to find your recommended path:

1. How many branch locations do you have?

1-3 branches → Small Y ⭐
4-5 branches → Small Y or Full (your choice)
6+ branches → Full Distribution

2. Do you have in-house Drupal developers?

No developers → Small Y ⭐
1 part-time developer → Small Y
1+ full-time developers → Full Distribution

3. What’s your annual digital budget?

< $10,000 → Small Y ⭐
$10,000 - $30,000 → Small Y or Full
$30,000 → Full Distribution

4. How quickly do you need to launch?

< 2 months → Small Y ⭐
2-4 months → Small Y or Full
4+ months OK → Full Distribution

5. Do you need advanced customization?

Basic site with standard features → Small Y ⭐
Some custom features → Small Y (add modules as needed)
Heavy customization, unique workflows → Full Distribution

Scored 3+ Small Y indicators? → Choose Small Y Template ⭐

Scored 3+ Full Distribution indicators? → Choose Full Distribution

Mixed results? → Keep reading for detailed comparison below.

Detailed Feature Comparison

What’s Included in Both

Both Small Y and Full Distribution include these core features:

✅ Layout Builder - Modern drag-and-drop page building
✅ Carnation Theme - Modern, responsive design (Drupal 11)
✅ Core Content Types - Landing Pages, Articles, Events, Branches, Camps
✅ CRM Integrations - Daxko, ActiveNet, Personify support
✅ Activity Finder v4 - Program search with filters
✅ Membership Calculator - Pricing wizard
✅ Group Schedules - Class schedule displays
✅ Webforms - Contact forms, surveys, registrations
✅ SEO Tools - Meta tags, XML sitemap, redirects
✅ Google Analytics - Traffic tracking
✅ Security Updates - Monthly Drupal core and module updates

Small Y Template Includes

✅ Simplified modules - Only essential features installed by default
✅ Content limits - Guardrails to prevent over-complication (e.g., max menu items)
✅ Automatic breadcrumbs - Navigation trails on all pages
✅ Enhanced banner variants - 5 pre-built banner styles
✅ Ping-pong sections - Section-level alternating content
✅ Redesigned statistics blocks - Modern stat displays
✅ Faster performance - Fewer modules = faster load times
✅ Easier updates - Fewer dependencies = simpler maintenance

Full Distribution ONLY Includes

✅ All YMCA modules installed - 100+ modules available immediately
✅ Legacy Paragraphs system - Older content building method (for migration)
✅ Program Event Framework (PEF) - Complex program hierarchy with Activities, Classes, Sessions
✅ Multiple theme options - Carnation (current), plus legacy theme support for migrations
✅ Advanced content types - Program, Program Subcategory, Facility, News Post, Blog Post
✅ Virtual YMCA modules - Gated content platform (requires separate setup)
✅ Advanced customization options - More configuration flexibility
✅ Multi-site capabilities - Better support for complex multi-branch architectures

What Can Be Added to Small Y?

Key Question: “If I start with Small Y, can I add Full Distribution features later?”

Answer: YES! Small Y is not a separate product—it’s a streamlined installation preset of the same YMCA Website Services distribution.

Important: Once you install Small Y, you have access to everything available in Full Distribution. All modules from Full Distribution are available to enable—you’re not locked into a limited feature set. The only difference is which modules are enabled by default.

Modules You Can Add to Small Y

You can enable any of these Full Distribution modules via Extend → Modules in the Drupal admin:

Feature	Module to Enable	Complexity
Program Event Framework	`openy_prgf_*` modules	Medium - Requires configuration
Blog Posts (legacy)	`openy_node_blog`	Easy
News Posts (legacy)	`openy_node_news`	Easy
Facility content type	`openy_node_facility`	Easy
Program content type	`openy_node_program`	Medium
Legacy Paragraphs	`paragraphs`, `openy_prgf_*`	Medium - Training needed
Virtual YMCA	`openy_gated_content`	Advanced - Separate setup
Membership Framework	`openy_memberships`	Advanced - Drupal Commerce

Performance Impact: Each module you add increases:

Page load time (+50-200ms per module)
Database size (+10-50MB per module)
Update complexity (more modules = more updates to test)

Styling Considerations: Some Full Distribution modules may require additional theme work:

🎨 Theme compatibility - Modules designed for legacy themes (Lily/Rose) may need Carnation theme styling adjustments
🔧 Custom CSS - Minor CSS tweaks may be needed for optimal appearance
💻 Development time - Budget 2-8 hours for styling work per complex module
✅ Solution - Work with a developer or agency partner to ensure proper integration

What You CANNOT Add

❌ Different installation presets - Once installed, you can’t switch from Small Y preset to Full preset without reinstalling ❌ Demo content after installation - Demo content is only available during initial installation ❌ Past Drupal versions - Small Y requires Drupal 11.1+

Technical Specifications

System Requirements

Both Small Y and Full Distribution require:

Drupal: 11.1.x or higher
PHP: 8.3 or higher
Database: MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+
Web Server: Apache 2.4+ or Nginx 1.18+
Composer: 2.0 or higher

Recommended hosting:

Small Y: 1GB RAM minimum, 2GB recommended
Full Distribution: 2GB RAM minimum, 4GB recommended

Migration Paths

Can You Migrate Between Them?

Small Y → Full Distribution:

✅ Easy - Simply enable additional modules as needed via Drupal admin
⏱️ Time: 1-2 hours per module
⚠️ Caution: Test on staging first; each module adds complexity

Full Distribution → Small Y:

❌ Not recommended - Disabling modules can break dependencies
⚠️ Alternative: Fresh Small Y install + content migration
⏱️ Time: 20-40 hours depending on content volume

Upgrade Path for Both

Both Small Y and Full Distribution follow the same upgrade path:

Monthly security updates (apply within 1 week)
Quarterly feature releases
Drupal core updates (9 → 10 → 11)

No difference in long-term maintenance requirements.

Real YMCA Examples

Small Y Success Stories

YMCA of Lincoln, Nebraska (2 branches)

Challenge: Limited IT staff, tight budget ($15K)
Solution: Small Y Template
Outcome: Launched in 6 weeks, 40% faster page loads
Quote: “Small Y gave us exactly what we needed without the bloat. Our content editors love how simple it is.”

Coastal Bend YMCA (3 branches)

Challenge: Migrating from outdated WordPress
Solution: Small Y Template
Outcome: Reduced hosting costs by 60%, easier content updates
Quote: “We can add modules when we grow. Starting simple was the right choice.”

Full Distribution Success Stories

YMCA of Greater Houston (20+ branches)

Challenge: Complex multi-branch hierarchy, custom member portal
Solution: Full Distribution with extensive customization
Outcome: Unified web presence for 20+ locations, custom CRM integration
Quote: “We needed the flexibility to build unique features for each branch type.”

YMCA of the North (15+ branches)

Challenge: Activity Finder with 15,000+ programs
Solution: Full Distribution with Program Event Framework
Outcome: Powerful program search, deep Personify integration
Quote: “The full platform gave us the tools to build exactly what we envisioned.”

Cost Analysis

Initial Setup Costs (Agency Partner)

Phase	Small Y Template	Full Distribution
Discovery & Planning	$2,000 - $5,000	$5,000 - $15,000
Installation & Config	$3,000 - $8,000	$10,000 - $25,000
Design Customization	$2,000 - $7,000	$8,000 - $20,000
Content Migration	$2,000 - $8,000	$8,000 - $25,000
Training & Documentation	$1,000 - $3,000	$3,000 - $8,000
Testing & QA	$1,000 - $4,000	$4,000 - $10,000
TOTAL	$11,000 - $35,000	$38,000 - $103,000

Ongoing Annual Costs

Category	Small Y Template	Full Distribution
Hosting	$600 - $3,600	$2,400 - $6,000
Maintenance (security updates)	$2,400 - $6,000	$6,000 - $18,000
Content Updates	In-house staff	In-house staff
Feature Enhancements	$1,000 - $5,000	$5,000 - $15,000
TOTAL	$4,000 - $14,600	$13,400 - $39,000

5-Year Total Cost of Ownership:

Small Y: $31,000 - $108,000
Full Distribution: $105,000 - $298,000

Decision Framework

Choose Small Y Template If You:

✅ Have 1-5 branch locations
✅ Have limited technical resources (no full-time developers)
✅ Need to launch quickly (< 2 months)
✅ Have a smaller budget (< $50K initial investment)
✅ Want simpler maintenance (fewer modules to update)
✅ Prefer modern design out-of-the-box (no heavy customization)
✅ Are migrating from WordPress/Wix/Squarespace
✅ Want faster page loads and better performance

Choose Full Distribution If You:

✅ Have 6+ branch locations with complex hierarchies
✅ Have in-house development team or dedicated agency partner
✅ Need advanced customization (custom modules, unique workflows)
✅ Are migrating from older YMCA Website Services (legacy Paragraphs content)
✅ Need Program Event Framework (complex activity hierarchies)
✅ Want all features available immediately (no module enabling needed)
✅ Have larger budget for initial setup and ongoing maintenance
✅ Require multi-site architecture (separate sites for each branch)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch from Small Y to Full Distribution later?

Yes, but it’s not an “upgrade”—it’s enabling additional modules. You can add any Full Distribution feature to Small Y via the Modules page. However, there’s no single “switch to Full Distribution” button.

Best Practice: Start with Small Y, add modules only when you need them.

Does Small Y support the same CRM integrations?

Yes! Both support:

Daxko Operations
ActiveNet
Personify

The CRM integration modules are available in both installations.

Will Small Y be supported long-term?

Yes. Small Y is an official installation preset of YMCA Website Services, maintained by the core team. It receives the same security updates and feature releases as Full Distribution.

Support commitment: As long as YMCA Website Services is supported, Small Y is supported.

What if I outgrow Small Y?

Two options:

Enable additional modules - Add features as needed (recommended)
Migrate to fresh Full Distribution install - Only if you need to completely restructure

Most YMCAs find option 1 sufficient.

Can I use legacy Paragraphs with Small Y?

Yes, but you’ll need to enable the Paragraphs modules. Small Y uses Layout Builder by default, but you can enable Paragraphs if needed for migration from older sites.